Relaxation Response
The opposite of stress response
Fight, Flight, Freeze is common nomenclature for the stress response, or the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. It means that as humans, we react to real or imagined stressors in our environment (or our mind) by one of three ways - we fight, we run away or we freeze. This was really useful a long time ago, when we humans had to be ready to run away from the proverbial sabour tooth tiger or prepare to fight when the cave man next door got too aggressive.
However, in modern times, more often than not, these real threats to our life do not exist. Instead, we are reacting to imagined threats in our minds. If we have lots of fears and worries inside of our heads (really, I don’t know anyone that has zero worries…), these create the same reaction to the very real threat of the tiger. All we have to do is worry there is a nasty cave man next door, or a mean boss, nasty coworker, scary driver etc… and our bodies rev up, adrenaline pumps through us, levels of cortisol (stress hormone) increases, blood moves to our core, our non-essential systems go offline for a while (digestion, immune function, reproduction). We are ready to run really fast, or to fight really hard.
What happens when we are constantly worried or fearful? Anxiety. A slow drip of stress hormones constantly flowing through our bodies. A feeling that we can not possible slow down or take a deep breath for whatever bad things are lurking behind the next corner. As a result, inflammation occurs. Digestive processes never real go smoothly, we may feel bloated or have indigestion or food sensitivities. We may struggle to conceive. Autoimmune disorders can occur. Feelings of lethargy or maybe always sick with colds. Sound familiar?
“Taking time out each day to relax and renew is essential to living well. ”
What’s a stressed out yogi to do you may ask? I feel under the pump at work, my kids always nagging me to do things for them, I have sick parents, my husband never cleans up after himself and the mortgage is due. Those are real stressful life occurrences!!
PRACTICE
Savasana
Set up:
Easy version - lie down on the floor. Legs outstretched, arms by your side at a 45 degree angle.
Prop options:
Blanket under head to support your neck. Bolster or rolled blanket under your knees for lower back safety. A blanket to cover your body.
Being there:
Settle in with a few deep breaths - in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Continue to breath naturally and with awareness. Let your shoulders, back and neck relax. Allow the floor to fully support you as you let go.
Benefits:
Good for resetting the nervous system
Soothes the body and mind
Refreshes the system
Relieves stress and fatigue
Relaxes your muscular and mental tension
For your own personalised yoga practice or to learn how to manage your own life stressors - contact me for sessions now!
To book in a yoga therapy session to manage your unique
symptoms of stress or anxiety - contact me now!