Mental Health Awareness Week

This week is mental health awareness week- a time to shine a ight on the importance of mental wellbeing and breakdown stigma and remind each other that we are not alone. The theme this year is community, strong connections and supportive communities create a sense of belonging and support in hard times.

YOGA CAN HELP

I like to think of how we talk about our physical health in the same way we talk about our mental wellbeing. Both fluctuate; one day you have a headache or tummy ache and it might become a serious illness. Mental health is the same. One day we feel amazing and the next irritable, less enthusiasm and on another day you just can't face the world. I totally understand that a runny nose does not equate with cancer nor a bad mood with a serious mental health illness but it does remind us tat we are all human and so susceptible to problems in mind and body. Never be ashamed of saying you don't feel right.

More and more, mental heath charities, support organisations and even the NHS are recommending yoga and other mindfulness practices to help relieve mental health issues. And this is just brilliant! So here are some of the benefits:

It is calming to the nervous system - the mindful linking of breath, attention and movement encourages the parasympathetic nervous response of the autonomic nervous system, which means 'rest-or-digest' mode rather than 'fight-or-flight'. Biologically speaking, then, we slow the heart rate, we reduce blood pressure and inflammation, improve the resilience of the nervous system and all of these allow for better functioning of the body in general, increasing a sense of wellbeing, lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels, increasing serotonin, and gradually slowing the incessant stream of thoughts. We tap into the parasympathetic nervus system.

Being in the moment - even the physical practice of asana is a mindfulness practice as we focus so closely on the breath, concentrate all our attention onto the body and the often weird shapes we're doing (try balancing on one leg and worrying about your to-do list at the same time. not gonna happen. Anxiety and depression in particular are 'big picture' stress responses - when we focus on the here and now, we can hold our overarching problems a little at arm's length, at least until we slow our breath down and our brain works a little better to sort things out. The literal giving yourself some breathing space.

Working with the subtle body - yoga builds our awareness of our mind, our emotions, and our body, and also of how all of these things are connected. Notice when you are feeling joyful or dejected, you can feel it in your physical body, in a particular place and as a particular energetic force. Excitement often is a lift of bubbly light at the top of the chest, depression a sinking feeling in the belly or across the shoulders. Also, the base of the spine is our centre of feeling grounded and safe, the hips emotional store cupboards, the lungs the seat of grief, the heart the abode of joy. In yoga, we can use posture and breath to work with these centres, chakras, to release and activate our emotions and our powers and become more in tune with what we are going through. Our Yin practice this coming month will seek to balance the Chakras to be more in tune with our body and mind.

Body image - this particular point is the theme of the Mental Health Foundation's initiative next week. 30% of people describe feeling overwhelmed by stress over body image, and no surprise. I have mentioned in class the artificially perfected imagery around us and add to that the massive food and drink industry. Then add in the fitness and wellbeing business always pushing this or that on us. There are more and more ways to feel Not Good Enough. Exercise can have such a massive effect on the way we feel and live and they can unfortunately also form part of a toxic toolkit of self-punishment, restriction, and grasping at control in a chaotic world. I have gone through this myself, and I'm sad to say that it's a struggle that I haven't completely overcome, but I'm working on it. I feel much happier in my body nowadays and that is accepting myself as I am in stead of yo - yoing from one 'solution' to another . At first it was a way of refocusing my attention from how my body looks to what it can do, and how it can feel. A wonderful feeling! And yes, I've got stronger, but more than that I feel how temporary the body is, and I've managed through Yoga to catch a glimpse of something deeper, radiant, and eternal. More than how I look.

Yoga doesn't solve everything I know but Vairagya - dispassion, is the practice of releasing your grip on the results of your practice, of stepping back, and instead of pushing and willing things to change, you just let it be. Let yourself be.

The times when my self doubt and fear have affected me are exactly when I have stopped fighting them. When I realise that it's OK to not feel OK, when I stop trying to find the answer, and instead rest in not knowing, then my heart starts to open. Not always easy I know but true.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but equally, you wouldn't continue to work, to rush around, if you were sick with the flu - you have to give your body space to rest and recover.

Your mind needs the same - space, peace, ahimsa (compassion). The more you beat yourself up for feeling bad and not being strong enough, the less likely you are to feel resilient again. Not judging your practice and taking time to close in Savasana is vital for your wellbeing.

So please, and I aim this at myself too , give yourself a break, cut yourself some slack. Practice ahimsa and vairagya and some self-love - feel your feelings and know that the people around you are just fighting the same good fight just like you. Reach out, message me, as together we can can create that supportive community.

Sending you all best wishes this week and always.