“Viva Las Vagus!” – The Vagus Nerve and Emotional Health

Starting soon on Thursdays, 6.45PM for 60 MINUTES at the YOGA ROOM, 896 SPRING BANK WEST will be our new class, YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING which focuses on self-regulation tools that work on balancing the nervous system.

Spaces are limited to 8 people due to the therapeutic nature of these sessions, so please enquire early to secure your space. Here’s a taster on what we’ll be working on in this, our latest blog, so please read on…

The ‘Vagus Nerve’, the longest one in our bodies and which connects our brain to the major organs such as the heart, lungs, and those in the gut, is key to our mental well-being and regulation of our immune system vital for robust physical health.
Good vagal ‘tone’ means greater emotional regulation and resiliency in the face of challenging times, and what with the global pandemic, discussions on mental well-being regarding the need to feeling safe and connected to others has dominated public discussions.

Yoga Places Us in Touch with our Bodies
Being in touch with our bodies lets us know we are safe to engage with others, makes us more aware of how to take better care of ourselves, and how to practice emotionally healthy boundaries, including with those at work. This also means we can also better relate to, and care for others.

Yoga is Embodiment
Yoga allows us to experience the sense of our bodies, and many Yoga poses allow us to feel grounded. This helps us to feel secure, confident, and more empowered. When we feel anxious, we tend to lose connection with our bodies and a sense of ourselves, living mainly in our heads.

Boundary Exercise – Tuning into The Back Body
This exercise can give us a sense of our own personal strength. The front of the body is softer, but our back has a firmer, more protective structure. It also helps us to regulate our Vagus Nerve by practicing mindful body awareness:

In a seated position, back against a chair, perhaps try to notice the back of your body and where the chair supports your spine. Maybe notice how the seat supports your hips and the back of your legs. Possibly try to feel your feet on the ground. Perhaps try to notice how your spine is tall and strong. Maybe imagine that there is strength in your spine coming from each stacked vertebrae giving it a sense of stability and support. Perhaps notice how the floor and the chair is supporting the weight of your body so it can rest. How does your body respond to these points of contact? Are there places where your body accepts the support and rest? Are there places where your body collapses into the support? Are there places where your body tenses away from what is holding you? Where is your body resisting that assistance from the chair and floor? See if you can just maybe notice without judgement the back of your body, your shell or shield, the boundary that protects and supports you and your backbone that enables you to stand tall and confident. As you come out of this practice, take a moment to check in and notice how you feel emotionally.

YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING – Thursday @ 6.45PM – 60 MINUTES – YOGA ROOM, 896 SPRING BANK WEST, HULL, HU5 5BL

‘Yoga for Emotional Well-being’ is an evidence-based class. This practice focuses on body-based movement, posture, breathing, and relaxation techniques providing self-regulation tools that work on the nervous system for emotional balance. The class will also offer some understanding of how the brain and body work together so that you can reshape your responses, reactions, and triggers for a calmer you. As our emotions reside in the body, this class provides an approach to help us feel more at home with our sense of physical self. This is an inclusive class suitable for all levels with a focus on not how a yoga shape looks, but on how it feels.

Tristessa Moore is a registered Yoga Therapist and Trauma-sensitive Practitioner. For staff and pupil well-being in education go to: www.yoyogasoul.co.uk