Are you feeling stressed out from work or just happen to have too much on your plate lately? We all know how it feels to be overwhelmed, anxious and restless all at once. Luckily, practicing yoga can help us take control of our nervous system and ease our minds.

Yoga postures, meditation, and breathing techniques combined together help regulate the nervous system, which allows us to reduce stress and anxiety. In this blog, we’ll explore the connection between Yoga and the Nervous System, and how it can improve our overall well-being.

How the Nervous System Works 🧠

Our nervous system is like the body’s control center and it is responsible for regulating all our bodily functions. It is divided into two parts, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system activates the “fight or flight” response while the parasympathetic nervous system activates the “rest and digest” response. In short, the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our stress response while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for relaxation.

What is Yoga and How Does it Affect The Nervous System? 🤔

Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical postures, breath control, and meditation to bring about mind-body balance. When we practice yoga, we target our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps our body to relax and calm down.

Through yoga postures, proper breathing techniques and meditation, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system response, which in turn helps to reduce our stress response. When we breathe deeply and fully, we increase the oxygen supply to the body and brain, which helps to reduce anxiety, lowers blood pressure and balances hormones.

Yoga Postures to Calm and Relax Your Mind 😌

Yoga postures not only benefit the body but also the mind. Here are some yoga postures that can help calm and relax your mind:

Child’s pose (Balasana) 🧒

This is a resting pose that is great to stretch your lower back while relieving stress and fatigue.

A person sitting in child's pose relaxing

Tree pose (Vrksasana) 🌳

This pose helps to improve your balance while calming down your mind. It’s a great posture for concentration and focus.

A person standing in tree pose with their hands in prayer position

Corpse pose (Savasana) 💀

This pose is a relaxation pose where you lay down flat on your back, this is a closing yoga pose allowing your body to completely relax.

A person lying down flat on their back in savasana

Breathing Techniques to Calm Your Mind 🧘

Breathing techniques in yoga are very important as they help us to control our breath and calm our nervous system. Below are breathing techniques to calm your mind:

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) 🌀

This breathing technique helps to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thus calming the mind and reducing stress.

A person holding their nose and breathing in alternate nostrils aiming to balance the body and mind

Deep Breathing (Ujjayi) 🌬️

This technique combines slow inhalation and exhalation to calm the mind and body by reducing anxiety and stress.

A person inhaling deeply while sitting cross-legged

Conclusion 🎉

Yoga is a practice that can help regulate our nervous system and reduce stress. Through yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation, we can calm our minds and improve our overall sense of well-being. Try incorporating yoga into your daily routine and feel the benefits for yourself.

Image of a person standing on top of a mountain meditating