Yoga is a wonderful tool, not only for teaching us motor balance, but also for helping us with ‘emotional balance’. When we think of yoga, we may think of being in a room full of people on our yoga mats putting ourselves into pretzel formations. Yoga is much more than that, however, and not only includes those ‘pretzel formation postures’ called asana, but also includes breathwork (pranayama) and a philosophy which can help to bring us into a balanced emotional state. Mindfulness, a non-judgmental present-moment awareness, is an important component of yoga, and many research studies have confirmed the efficacy of mindfulness practices for improving our capacity to cope with life events and help us with stress, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Amy Weintraub, in her book, Yoga Skills for Therapists, highlights that yoga helps to balance the autonomic nervous system. Research has shown that yoga reduces cortisol secretions, the hormone secreted when we feel stressed, and increases GABA levels which reduces limbic brain activity. The limbic system in the brain is responsible for our emotional reactivity and it is also overactivated by stress. So when we practice yoga we are reducing the hormone that makes us feel stressed and increasing the chemical that quiets the centers in our brain responsible for emotional reactivity. Research has also indicated that yoga relaxes chronic muscle tension and restores calmer breathing (when we are stressed we tend to breathe in a rapid, shallow fashion which then informs our brain to produce more cortisol making us feel even more stressed). Certain yoga techniques have also been found to stimulate the vagal nerve which has been shown to be effective in treating depression. Recent studies have indicated that yoga is related to mood elevation, an increased ability to self-regulate, the development of greater self-awareness, an increased sense of self-efficacy, increased feelings of self-compassion, and greater access to feelings.
Little Flower Yoga for Kids by Jennifer Cohen Harper, MA, E-RCYT, is a workbook describing a yoga and mindfulness program to help children improve attention and emotional balance. The tenet of her program is that yoga and mindfulness practices can help children “restore emotional balance, increase focus, and generally support a more meaningful and fulfilling life”. She describes the eight limbs of yoga, the keystone of yoga philosophy, in her book.
These include:
1. The Yamas, or the guidelines for interacting with the world (including compassion for all, truthfulness and integrity, generosity and honesty, balance and moderation, and awareness of abundance, fulfillment)
2. The Niyamas, the ways to foster our inner peace and harmony (including simplicity, contentment, zeal and sincerity, study and introspection, and wholehearted dedication)
3. Asana, the actual movements or postures of yoga (used to reduce discomfort and distraction caused by the body; when practiced regularly the body can become healthier, stronger, and more flexible)
4. Pranayama, our breath ( deliberately changing the pace, rhythm, and pattern of our breath to bring our energy into greater balance, and soothe our nervous system)
5. Pratyahara, the drawing inward of our senses as in meditation
6 & 7. Dharana and Dhyana, related to contemplation and single-pointed focus (training our brains to stay present and connected to one thing)
8. Samadhi, the capacity for us to be mindfully present.
We can understand how yoga is linked to greater emotional as well as physical balance when we explore these eight limbs. Current studies support what ancient yogis have known for years. The practice of yoga can lead to a more balanced life. The key here is practice. Without practice, we will not be afforded all of the benefits yoga has to offer. And the potential benefits are worth the discipline of practice.
Marcia Kaufman, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist