How Yoga Helps Your Mind and Body
I consistently encounter clients who feel as though they need to take better care of themselves both mentally and physically. Time and motivation are common reasons for people to avoid consistent self-care. When clients express interest in movement of the mind and body, I often suggest yoga. Here’s why:
Yoga is Complimentary to Counselling and Vice-Versa
There are so many different styles of Yoga. From Restorative to Ashtanga, there is a speed and style of movement that is suitable for everyone within all age groups. It’s not uncommon to notice a yogi experiencing emotions surfacing on the mat. Alternatively, it is not uncommon for clients to experience physical tension or sensation while on the couch in counselling. What someone notices on the mat, they can take into their counselling process and what someone notices within their counselling process they can take to their practice on the mat. These methods of self-care and exploration are complimentary and both are in a safe, supported space. Ultimately, yoga and counselling both encourage well-being and self-awareness. Hatha yoga has been studied by researchers and the findings highlight improvements for people experiencing anxiety and depression! Clearly, there are mental and emotional perks to the practice, as well as physical benefits.
Trauma: How the Mind and Body Communicate
Traumatic experiences have the potential to be stored in the body, as well as the mind. Many trauma experts, like Peter Levine and Pat Ogden, explain how our instincts to fight, flight, freeze or feign death are useful when we experience a threat. However, sometimes these experiences are not integrated into our consciousness. Without the integration of these experiences, our body doesn’t recognize that the event has ended. This can lead to physical pains and tension for reasons that our conscious minds cannot understand. Ultimately, we need to move the shock out of our bodies or it remains, and can manifest into other issues. Counselling methods have come a long way with regard to trauma treatment. The use of movement coupled with body-centred counselling is necessary to improve our health. Yoga is a useful exercise for creating awareness and mindfulness around our bodies and the narratives present in our minds, while counselling is a safe space to work through the emotional and physical pieces of past experiences and traumas.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Hatha Yoga
Academic literature has illustrated the use of Hatha Yoga as a form of group-based therapy known as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Everyone gets to their mat to work through something such as an injury, or emotional pain. There are people who need the silent support of others on their path to healing. This form of yoga facilitates mindfulness around the physical and mental processes that are happening from day to day, in our bodies. Yoga can help us learn from our bodies and our beliefs about ourselves in a productive way, aiding in stress reduction, feeling less depressed and relieving anxiety. Hatha is a form of yoga that is open to everyone.
Focus, Breathing, and Mindfulness: Yoga and Counselling
How many people have issues sleeping or maintaining focus? Working on breath, meditation and mindfulness are amazing tools to be able to move into our rest and digest mode. Counselling and yoga are both amazing arenas to practice connecting to your breath and observing our minds. Both of these offerings work with learning to practice presence and postponing judgement.
Our physical being is directly connected to our mental being. Sana Counselling offers home counselling in Vancouver. For more information or to get your own process started feel free to be in touch!