Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation For Stress and Nervous System Regulation

Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation For Stress and Nervous System Regulation

Understanding how to use Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation For Stress and Nervous System Regulation is a huge topics in wellness right now. And that’s because more and more people are not only waking up to the mind-body connection but recognizing that the mind body dialogue goes both ways. The body informs the mind and cognition, and the mind effects the body.

So what exactly is the nervous system? Good question! Our nervous system plays an important role in all bodily systems, sending signals between the brain, spinal cord and also along the peripheral nerves. Nervous system regulation then, is a series of bodily reactions our nervous system creates in order to reduce heightened arousal (flight or fight) and return the body to a state of calm.

When our nervous system is overwhelmed or out of balance we might feel unable to cope, burnt out, stressed or irritable. Also perhaps finding it difficult to make decisions or feel positively towards others.

So how best to help ourselves slip back into neutral?

Slow Breathing

When it comes to Yoga and Mindfulness Meditations For Stress and Nervous System Regulation, in the first instance you need to be able to tell if you’re in a heightened state of arousal. That’s to say you need the self awareness and body sensitivity to know, or sense, what’s happening within you. A skill scientists call Interoception. With this self awareness in hand you can use specific mind-body tools to regulate your nervous system if you feel overwhelmed.

Mindful Movement

Mind body practices like mindfulness, breath work tools and mindful movement techniques are great for both developing self awareness and regulating your nervous system. According to a paper by Zaccaro et al. (2018) titled How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life, researchers observed that psycho-physiological changes could be induced by voluntary control of slow breathing.

Helpful Resources:

• My meditation guide book ‘Inhale. Exhale. Repeat’ features a variety of meditation tools and breathing practices designed to restore calm
• Alternatively, consider booking a training for yourself or your workplace to learn practices with me in person.