How can yoga therapy support our nervous system

Our nervous system is an amazing phenomenon. In response to stress, our sympathetic nervous system mobilises the whole body for fight or flight so that we can face stressful situations and deal with any potential threats in the environment. When we feel safe, our parasympathetic nervous system allows the body to restore its resources, and helps us to socialise, do creative work, and build meaningful relationships.

The issue is when our fight or flight response stays active even when there are no immediate threats in the environment, and stress becomes chronic. Research shows that chronic stress can weaken our immune system, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity, increase muscle tension and pain, and raise the risk of mental health complications like anxiety and depression.

The good news is yoga and yoga therapy can help us change our relationship with stress. Breathwork and restorative yoga poses can help activate our relaxation response and our parasympathetic nervous system.