The mind controls the body, but the body controls the mind

Have you ever tried Yin Yoga?

“No, but I already know I won’t like it.”

I prefer to move: to relax, I go running or hit the gym. And when I need to blow off steam, I go dancing, have a glass of wine, a couple of cocktails, and maybe even a little joint at the right moment.

Well, that is exactly what an overloaded nervous system looks like.

You feel like breaking everything, you’re irritated for no reason, agitated from the inside, stressed by constant demands at work, crushed under responsibilities that weigh like mountains on your shoulders. Performance anxiety, friends who unload their endless complaints on you until you’re drained. And on top of that, you can’t get anything done, you can’t focus, you run around like a headless chicken.

Then you look in the mirror and say:

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me who’s the ugliest of them all.”

And the mirror replies:

“Sweetheart, it’s obvious you need to do something. About that doughnut-shaped waistline, those panda eyes, that dull, greyish skin. But most of all, you need to get back some of that vibrant life energy you once had. Remember how happy you were when you did the things you loved? And now? You wouldn’t get excited even if you were flying to Jamaica tomorrow.”

So, you tell yourself: “Okay, I’ll start jogging, go to the gym, eat no fats and no carbs.”

But after four weeks of even more intense effort, everything looks exactly the same as before the mirror incident.

And do you know why?

Because change must be mental before it can be physical.

We live in a constant “Fight or Flight” mode — the state our body enters when it feels threatened and overwhelmed by stress. The problem is that this state becomes chronic: we can’t switch it off anymore, even though there’s no Bengal tiger chasing us, nor are we crossing Niagara Falls pursued by bloodthirsty cowboys.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a little button to switch modes, because this function is controlled by our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), which does not respond to our conscious commands.

The SNS regulates vital functions that feel automatic: heart rate, circulation, digestion, reproduction, and the functioning of our internal organs, which work impeccably without us consciously directing them.

Continuous stress and the “Fight or Flight” mode trigger the secretion of a crucial hormone: cortisol.

When balanced, cortisol is a powerful ally:

·       It helps us respond to critical situations

·       Regulates metabolism

·       Reduces inflammation

·       Stabilizes blood pressure

·       Regulates sleep-wake cycles

But when cortisol is produced in excess, it creates serious health issues:

·       Weight gain

·       High blood pressure

·       Weakened muscles

·       Widespread inflammation

On the other hand, when cortisol is too low, we feel tired, lose appetite, have low blood pressure, feel unmotivated, and often depressed.

At this point you might ask: what does all this have to do with Yin Yoga?

The answer is simple: Yin Yoga helps restore and rebalance many of the vital functions regulated by the SNS.

Yin Yoga differs from traditional yoga because the poses are held for a long time — between 3 and 5 minutes — supported by breathing techniques such as deep breathing.

These two factors signal to the SNS that it’s time to “rest and digest.”

And it’s in this state that the body regains balance and heals naturally, including restoring healthy cortisol levels.

This happens thanks to two elements:

1.     Breath control, the only SNS function we can consciously influence, acting as a bridge between body and mind.

2.     Long-held yoga poses, made comfortable with blankets, cushions, and props, which work on the myofascial system.

The myofascial tissue is a membrane composed of 70% water, hyaluronic acid, protein molecules, and fibres like collagen. It wraps and protects internal organs, muscles, bones, and joints like a viscous second skin.

Excessive physical activity, stress, irregular sleep, emotional tension — just to name a few causes — create muscular contractions that stiffen the myofascial system, limiting movement and generating inflammation and pain in muscles, bones, and joints.

So, use Yin Yoga with caution…

unless you want to feel revitalized, rejuvenated, relaxed, focused, and — above all — healthy.

©️ Dhanya Om