Emotional Wellbeing through Yoga: Understanding the Process and Optimal Strategies for Harmony and Letting Go
Yoga and breathwork have long been recognised for their physical benefits, but recent studies have shown that they can also play a significant role in emotional wellbeing.
Deep belly breathing, a fundamental aspect of yoga practice, engages the vagus nerve for emotional regulation. This nerve, often referred to as the body's 'emotional thermostat', helps to manage stress responses and promote feelings of calm.
Bhramari, a vibrational humming technique, is another powerful tool for emotional stress relief. The soothing vibrations generated by this practice are believed to resonate with the body's energy centres, promoting a sense of peace and tranquillity.
Recent research indicates that yoga significantly improves temperament and emotion. The combination of controlled breathing (pranayama), physical postures, and mindfulness practices can help release stored emotions by influencing both the nervous system and the fascia, the connective tissue that records unresolved trauma and tension.
Yoga poses such as the Half Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) open the hips and chest, balancing the sacral and heart chakras. This can help to release emotions that may be held in these areas, such as grief and heartbreak.
The chest and shoulders, too, can be sites for emotional tension. Practices like Fish Pose (Matsyasana), which opens the chest and heart chakra, can help to release emotional heaviness.
Loving-kindness meditation, which replaces self-criticism with compassion, is another valuable practice for emotional healing. This meditation encourages a shift in perspective, promoting self-acceptance and emotional wellbeing.
In addition to these specific practices, consistency is key. Some days your practice may feel light and soothing, while other days, emotions may rise to the surface and feel more intense. This is a natural part of the process, and with regular practice, you may find that you become more adept at navigating these emotional landscapes.
Yoga teaches us to stay present with what arises, without judgment. This mindful approach can help to cultivate emotional awareness, facilitating the processing and integration of unresolved emotions.
Through asana (yoga poses), we can access and release deeply held emotional energy. Breath, movement, and mindfulness work together to release stored emotions and restore your natural rhythm.
Child's Pose (Balasana), for example, soothes the nervous system and calms emotional turbulence, while Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) stimulates the spine and heart centre, encouraging openness and courage.
Mantra meditation, body scan meditation, and Corpse Pose (Shavasana) are other practices that can help to promote emotional healing. These practices cultivate presence, emotional awareness, and emotional stillness, helping to integrate the emotional releases that occur during yoga practice.
The gut, often referred to as the second brain, retains fear and anxiety, affecting digestion. Practices such as Lying Twists (Supta Matsyendrasana) can help to relieve digestive tension, detoxify, and support emotional clarity.
In summary, yoga provides a powerful, holistic path for emotional healing and balance. By working through the body, breath, and nervous system, yoga helps to release emotion, promoting emotional wellbeing and a greater sense of peace.
Deep breathing exercises, such as the one found in yoga practice, stimulate the vagus nerve, which is known as the body's 'emotional thermostat', helping to manage stress responses and promote feelings of calm.
Loving-kindness meditation, a practice often incorporated in yoga, encourages a shift in perspective, promoting self-acceptance and emotional wellbeing.
