How can Vinyasa flow yoga help stress? What is stress? What are the symptoms of stress? How do we respond to stress? Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, chronic stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. This becomes the new norm. The On Drive response: Physiological response to stress Chronic stress means that the stress response system is in on drive more than off drive. On a physiological level it can lead to a peak in adrenaline which in turn can lead to an increase in heart rate, shortness of breathe, shallow breathing and fluctuating blood pressure and body temperature. Cortisol is also released during on drive response. Cortisol targets the stomach and shuts digestion down. The blood supply that would normally be used to digest food is diverted out of the gut and into the extremities. This movement of the blood supply means that there is a stop start effect on digestion. Cognitive response to stress Under chronic stress, thinking will more likely occur from old brain (the part of the brain closest to the spinal cord). New brain (or the pre-frontal cortex) is in a holding pattern and literally splits away from the old brain. This can lead to a change in mood and behaviour. Thoughts can become increasingly negative. It becomes difficult to access or experience automatic thought (i.e. a sense of flow in our thoughts), to problem solve or to experience a sense of new thought or learning.
Emotional response to stress The old brain has an emotional component, the amygdala, which stores and creates emotions. In times of excessive stress, it can feel that our emotions are in accelerator mode (too many feelings- its hard to distinguish between different emotions) or in brake mode (numb feelings). In on drive more than off drive, new brain moves into lock down and it is unable to cap emotions and provide rational or problem solving thinking to help balance out emotions. All up, long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. It can even rewire the brain, leaving the person vulnerable to common mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Vinyasa Flow yoga is an antidote to stress. Physiological benefits Releasing the feel good hormones to counteract the effect of adrenaline and cortiosl Vinyasa Flow Yoga involves movement through the yoga postures combined with stretching. Stretching the muscles alone leads to the release of endorphins, a type of neurotransmitter that when released decrease pain and increase the feeling of euphoria. These feel good chemicals will help assist in the decrease of chronic stress. Vinyasa yoga asanas can help to release abdominal tension, allowing improved digestive functions. In the process of not doing, resting poses also allow the body to enter into a relaxed calm state, which is free from the fight or flight stress, helping the body to rejuvenate itself.
Vinyasa flow yoga enhances the breath. Every time there is an exhalation and inhalation during a flow sequence there is oxygen being brought to the body. The body has a very brief lapse into the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest) phase with every exhalation. The heart slows minutely with each breath. Vinyasa implies the linking of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures. Attention is also placed on the journey between the postures not just the postures themselves. Vinyasa also create heat in the body. The internal heat created within the body combined will lead to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating as well as increased flexibility. Cognitive benefits To manage chronic stress the new brain or the complex brain needs to be kick started. Vinyasa flow can enhance new brain functioning by providing a one pointed focus through the use of accurate and anatomical cues. In Vinyasa Flow, postures that have become familiar over time, can feel new all over again. So our new brain can be activated through the challenge and unknown quality of the asana. Emotional benefits. Vinyasa Flow yoga goes beyond just exercise. It can also be a way to understand emotions. Emotions cannot be ignored because they are a normal part of the fluctuations and movement of the mind. Most Vinyasa postures embody a legend or story. It is the story that can help us to understand and locate an emotion.
For example, Hanuman asana or forward splits embodies the story of the Hindu God Hanuman. Legend has it that he leapt across Sri Lanka to the Himalaya in one brave leap to save his friend from near death. The three Hanuman asana postures (low lunge, seated warrior and forward splits) work to open the soas muscle, which runs from the mid spine to the top of the thigh. This muscle itself becomes overworked during long periods of low-grade stress. On an emotional level, this muscle is said to store or hold the feeling of fear or panic. The muscle can be released and its emotional memory can be understood through Vinyasa postures. Conclusion: The automated stress system is not well designed to deal with long periods of stress. This means that the stress system becomes overworked and looses its natural intelligence to come back into balance after the stressful period has passed. Essentially being in on drive more than off drive makes it more likely that the stress system comes close to burnout. Regular and committed practice in Vinyasa Flow yoga provides an opportunity for the body and the brain to come back into balance. Breathing, asanas, flow of movement and correct cueing are key components of Vinyasa that can bring change and restoration to the overworked stress response system. Annie Townsend