Yoga and the BodyMind Connection
Did you know that an important predictor of wellbeing is amount of time spent commuting to and from work? People who work in cities, where it’s normal to have a daily commute of an hour each way, rate significantly lower on wellbeing compared with those who have shorter commutes. Now that most people are not commuting, we have more time for self-care and opportunities to make positive shifts in our overall wellbeing.
Overall wellbeing affects the whole make-up of who we are – it’s multi-dimensional and inter-connected. We know when we make a small change in one habit, or one area of our lives, there’s a ripple effect into other areas that we might not have anticipated. The practice of yoga is a great example of how interconnected our bodies and minds are, and why taking a small step, like relieving neck tension from working on your computer all day, might lead to many more benefits.
Habits are patterns of being to which we have become accustomed and which have become our defaults. Your posture while working on your computer is a habit that may equate to tension in your neck and back. A forward leaning head posture, rounded shoulders, a downward pointing chest or a slouch in the belly are common default habits while sitting. These postural habits are often accompanied by a mental habit that ignores the cues the body sends when tension starts to creep in. The mental habit encourages pushing through and working long after the time when the body signals that it’s time for a break.
Practicing yoga teaches us to listen to the body and respond to these signals much sooner. When tension is released in muscle tissues, they become more flexible, posture improves, and the body gets an ‘imprint’ of what it’s like to ‘feel good’. That imprint leads to an increasing awareness of what feels good in your body and, naturally, you want more. The mind starts to ‘record’ that request for ‘I like feeling good in my body’ and the spark of an idea for a new habit is created.
In yoga, habitual ways of being and doing are called samskaras. Samskaras are literally grooves in the brain that become more ingrained the more often we repeat the same behavior.
Without the ‘flashlight of awareness’ clicking on, we repeat habits that are detrimental to our health. Yoga postures move our bodies in ways that are quite different than the way we move them in everyday life. These atypical ways of moving, when integrated with breath and an intentional reframe of the mind, help to clear samskaras and improve overall wellbeing. Not only do our bodies become stronger and more flexible, but the clearing of tension is like a soothing balm to strong emotions and brings clarity to a cluttered mind. Our bodies teach our minds how to see from a different angle, how to feel into our intuition, and how to let go of habits that cause pain or discomfort.
The more regularly we practice yoga, the easier it becomes to create new habits of listening to our bodymind and responding in ways that elevate wellbeing. Begin with small steps. Ask yourself often, “what is my body telling me?” Listen, and respond in a way that brings a feeling of ease. Here are a few short practices that you may find helpful. Try an online yoga class, see how it makes you feel.
Enjoy the journey of discovery!
Namaste,
Colleen