Something I Think Everybody Should Know….
One of the most useful things I’ve learned through all my years of studying yoga, breathwork, meditation, fitness and wellbeing is understanding the nervous system. I genuinely think it’s something everybody should know a little about, because once you begin to understand what’s happening inside your body, so many of your reactions start to make more sense.
Our nervous system is constantly taking in information and helping our body respond to what’s happening around us. A part of this is the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate things we don’t have to consciously think about all day, such as our heart rate, breathing, digestion and many other bodily functions. Within this system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches play different but complementary roles. Very simply, the sympathetic nervous system helps mobilise us for action, while the parasympathetic nervous system is strongly involved in rest, recovery and digestion.
We need both. Stress isn’t automatically bad and we certainly don’t want to spend our entire lives completely relaxed. We need energy and activation to get out of bed, exercise, concentrate, solve problems and respond when something genuinely needs our attention. The difficulty can come when our bodies spend too much time feeling as though they need to be on alert and we don’t seem to find our way back down again.
Most people will recognise that feeling. You’re rushing. Your shoulders are somewhere near your ears. Your jaw is tight. You’re breathing differently. Your thoughts are racing and even when you finally sit down, your body doesn’t seem to have received the message that the busy part of the day is over.
Sometimes there’s an obvious reason. At other times you might think, Why am I feeling stressed? Nothing is actually happening.
This is where understanding the nervous system can be incredibly reassuring and useful. Our responses aren’t purely intellectual. The body is constantly responding to information, previous experiences, sensations and what’s happening around us. We can’t always think ourselves into feeling calm simply by saying, “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Sometimes we need to work with the body as well as the mind.
That’s one of the reasons breathing interests me so much. The breath is unusual because it happens automatically, but we can also consciously influence it. Gentle breathing practices can be one way of working with our state rather than trying to argue with ourselves about how we should be feeling.
Movement can help too. Sometimes what a stressed body needs isn’t to sit completely still and meditate. It might need to walk, stretch, practise yoga, cycle, exercise or simply move around for a while. At other times, what we need is the opposite — stillness, slower breathing, Yoga Nidra, meditation or proper rest.
Learning to notice the difference is incredibly valuable.
I often think of nervous-system awareness as learning to recognise our own internal gears. Sometimes we’re energised, focused and ready for action. Sometimes we’re calm and settled. Sometimes we’re overwhelmed and everything feels too much. Sometimes we’re exhausted and feel as though we’ve completely run out of energy.
Rather than judging ourselves for those states, we can become curious about them.
What’s happening in my body right now?
How am I breathing?
Am I holding tension somewhere?
Do I need movement or do I need rest?
What might help me feel a little more settled?
This has completely influenced the way I teach fitness and yoga. I don’t believe every person walking into a session needs exactly the same thing. Somebody might arrive full of energy and ready to challenge themselves. Somebody else may have had an incredibly stressful day and need a few minutes to arrive, breathe and reconnect with their body before we begin.
It doesn’t mean we avoid challenge. Exercise itself is a form of physical stress, and that’s part of how our bodies become stronger and fitter. We create an appropriate challenge and then allow the body to recover and adapt.
That’s the balance I’m interested in.
Activation and recovery. Effort and rest. Strength and softness.
Understanding your nervous system doesn’t mean trying to remain calm every minute of your life. That’s neither realistic nor desirable. It’s about recognising what’s happening inside you and developing more ways of responding to it.
Sometimes that means picking up the weights and using your energy.
Sometimes it means going for a walk.
Sometimes it means rolling out your yoga mat.
And sometimes it means lying down, breathing gently and doing absolutely nothing for a few minutes.
The more we understand our bodies, the less mysterious some of our reactions become.
And that’s why I think everybody should understand at least a little about their nervous system.
We live inside it every single day.
Selena
Personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher & Wellbeing Coach
In Flow Wellbeing Studio, Cheltenham
