We often see in the media, a picture of someone practicing yoga in a twisted posture that looks remarkable and we say to ourselves, I could never do that. Or, we see someone in a picture or on a video, or in a park, doing a handstand and again we think, I could never do that. We immediately begin the comparison cycle. But what we often see in the media is not always an accurate depiction of the practice. yoga is so much more than a perfect pose representing a pretzel. In fact, that is not yoga at all. What you’re seeing in those pictures and videos is called Asana, which is simply a physical posture that is just one very small piece of the puzzle. The real definition of yoga encompasses not just the physical body, but also the mind and the spirit. It is the idea of a union of all three, mind, body and soul.

So how is this practice therapeutic? Some of the tools we gain from a yoga practice are meditations and breath exercises that affect our nervous system. These meditations and breath exercises communicate with the parasympathetic side of our nervous system, which encompasses different nerves and signals that communicate to our body that it’s time to relax. When having anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, or trauma responses, this is an incredible way to help the body and the mind to shift out, through, or away from those symptoms, to help the nervous system find more balance between activation and deactivation (stress and calm).

As for the physical poses, the Asana, there are many more to choose from that don’t encompass standing on your head. Just to name a few: side stretches, gentle seated stretches, neck and shoulder movements that alleviate tension, leg and hip stretches, and gentle spinal movements. These physical postures can help move stuck emotions, activate and increase your body’s circulation, and teach your nervous system what healthy activation looks and feels like.

Maybe you’re asking, what about the third component, the spiritual? The roots of yoga stem from a long history of medical and spiritual practices that date back through the centuries. My time spent studying yoga in India as well as the U.S. taught me that every person has their own unique spiritual interpretation of yoga. It is not a religion, but instead a way to connect to something deeper than our physical world, something that gives us hope, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. Through meditation we are able to feel into our values and our personal perspectives, giving space to notice and recognize them. For many people meditation is a way to pray and to give their suffering to a higher power. In this way, yoga can be a truly magical and spiritual experience for each individual.

If you’re interested in the science of Yoga, keep an eye out for my blog post coming soon!