Ashtanga yoga supports our mental, emotional and physical well being.
The mind and the body are intrinsically linked. When the mind is under stress it has an immediate physical impact on the body. The body releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, the automatic response to a threat, prompting the ‘fight or flight’ response, which is great when you face a snarling tiger, but when the snarling tiger is your boss this repeated hormonal flood can start to affect your mental health, as well as make you feel physically unwell. Physical symptoms can include muscle tension, blurred eyesight, fatigue, headaches, chest pains, nausea and high blood pressure. It also affects our thought and behavioural patterns, such as being unable to concentrate and finding it hard to make decisions, and gradually our body forgets how to switch the stress mode off.
Ashtanga Yoga gives us the tools to face stress with a calm and steady mind. Through regular practice the senses are drawn inwards and, over time, allow the mind to become still. This has the dual benefit of reducing negative stress while building up the strength and resilience of both body and mind.
And even in the short term, Ashtanga can immediately help to counter the effects of stress. In just one class, the body is exposed to exercise through the dynamic nature of the practice which releases mood-boosting endorphins. In addition the movement through the postures is synchronised with the breath, connecting the mind to the body and reducing stress levels. At the end of practice, the mind and body rest in Savasana, a resting state which accesses the parasympathetic nervous system – the body’s inbuilt counter-stress response system.
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