It's no secret or surprise to acknowledge that our time and our culture both survive and thrive on stress. Too often, the socially promoted antidote is to rev up even more and burn off that top layer of stress that made its way into our system.
I get it. I love sweaty, grimy, heart-pounding exercise! And it really does the trick to burn off excess energy. But despite its benefits for stress reduction, there lingers a need--whether we can sense it or not--for the deep inner workings of our nervous system to find a quiet, safe and soothing spot to just chill out and be cozy.
Slow Mo(tion), Embodied Mindful Movement offers this and much more. By moving our bodies with awareness and intention, we also gain the following health benefits for our mental well being:
Slo Mo Builds Skills for Greater Resilience Slow, mindful yoga practice improves interoception – which is our capacity to feel and sense into the body. You can’t get this from fast practice! Interoception is a skill that can be learned and improved upon, but there are very few opportunities in our culture to learn this skill. Researchers suggest that poor interoception is associated with chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and depression, and that improving interoceptive capacity can be useful in addressing many chronic conditions. “Maladaptive construal of bodily sensations may lie at the heart of many contemporary maladies.” – Norman Farb, University of Toronto
Slo Mo Promotes Neuroplasticity and helps to change the brain in ways that develop: -A greater capacity to self-regulate your nervous system when you are faced with a stressor;
-An increase in empathy, feeling more connected to, and more in sync with others; and A positive attitude
Slow Mo Reduces Inflammation Inflammation, associated with a variety of diseases and negative health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and chronic pain. Slow, mindful yoga turns on the relaxation response which helps to reduce inflammation. This in turn can benefit respiratory and cardiovascular function, mental health, addiction recovery, chronic pain, sleep, and foster a greater sense of well-being.
" The body is a perfect mirror to the psyche"
--Master bodyworker, Tom Myers
So, give that invisible energy of your nervous system a chance to chill and get cozy and you'll be rewarded with a sense of refreshing renewal:)