Yoga: Calm Your Overstimulated Nervous System and Reduce Stress

Yoga guides you to a state of deep relaxation. Many people practise yoga to switch off for a while. Yet, even after a physically demanding class, you leave the mat feeling rejuvenated. But how does this happen? Yoga restores a crucial balance in your body: between the two sides of your nervous system. The sympathetic ('on' mode) and the parasympathetic nervous system ('off' mode) are brought into harmony through yoga. This benefits your health. The beneficial effects of yoga continue long after you leave the mat.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic: Two Sides of the Nervous System

Our 'on' and 'off' states are regulated by our nervous system. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are two sides of this system. Both are equally important for our health.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The sympathetic nervous system represents the 'on' mode. You are alert, your muscles are tense, and adrenaline flows through your body. It's extremely useful when you want to perform, meet a deadline, or simply get out of bed in the morning.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

When you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, your recovery system kicks in. This allows your digestion to start, you feel content, your heart rate and blood pressure decrease, and your body has time to grow (including your hair and nails). Both sides of our nervous system are crucial for our health. The balance between the two is essential, and it's precisely this balance that we so easily lose sight of in today's society. We've forgotten that periods of 'on' should be followed by deep rest. Yoga is the perfect opportunity for your body to relearn how to switch between these states.

Balance Your Nervous System with Yoga

Certain elements of yoga specifically stimulate the 'on' state. They make your heart beat faster and challenge you. Think of the sun salutation, many standing poses like the tree pose, and even the Kapalbhati breathing technique, which focuses on powerful exhalation. Other elements help bring your body into the parasympathetic rest mode. In Yin yoga, where poses are held for long periods, these elements are central. But you can also find these calming 'building blocks' in all other styles. Consider inverted poses such as Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (three-legged dog), and Salamba Sirsasana (headstand).

From left to right; Tree pose, headstand, three-legged dog

Learn to switch between effort and deep relaxation.

The beauty of yoga, compared to other sports or forms of exercise, is that you constantly train yourself to switch between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. For example, when a standing sequence (sympathetic) is alternated with a downward-facing dog, which you hold for several breaths (parasympathetic).

Yoga for a Calm Nervous System

Yoga not only keeps your body but also your nervous system flexible. The constant switching between effort and relaxation helps balance both your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This way, you can use yoga for a calm and balanced nervous system:

1. Regularly practise a mini flow at home. Start with 4 rounds of the sun salutation. You have now activated your sympathetic nervous system and notice your heart rate increasing. Then lie down in Savasana (corpse pose) for 1 or 2 minutes before you possibly continue. Feel the tension melt away, and your heart rate naturally returns to a calm state. You now switch to your parasympathetic system.
2. Think of a challenging pose you haven't mastered yet and one you think you'll never be able to do, like Salamba Sirsasana (headstand) or Mukta Hasta Sirsasana A (Tripod). Make a plan (preferably with a yoga instructor) to master the pose. Which muscles need strengthening? Which preconceptions do you need to let go of? Work on this daily (preferably outdoors when possible).
3. Consider what your favourite yoga style is at the moment and investigate whether it provides a good balance for your nervous system. Do you mainly practise Yin Yoga? Where do you get your exercise, strength training, and challenge from? Perhaps you can add the sun salutation? In Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow yoga, you mainly work on your sympathetic system. So if you have a busy life and find it difficult to relax, this could be a first step. Hatha Yoga and Iyengar yoga are styles where the switch between sympathetic and parasympathetic is constantly addressed.

From left to right; cross-legged position, tripod, downward-facing dog

3 Tips to Work on Your Nervous System

In your daily life, you can incorporate insights about the nervous system and how yoga influences it. Especially if you regularly practise yoga, your body will now better understand how to switch between on and off states. Additionally, you can further progress with awareness, breathing, healthy eating, and supplements.

1. Awareness and Breathing Exercises

   Have you worked hard to meet a deadline? Allow yourself a moment of rest afterwards. Your breath is one of the best ways to calm your nervous system. Simply by inhaling and exhaling for the same length of time, you signal to your body that you are ready to enter rest mode. Another option is to stare into space for a moment or go into nature and consciously observe and smell.

2. Healthy Nutrition for Calm Digestion

   Our intestines are often referred to as our second brain. Ensure you avoid foods that your body perceives as stress, such as sugars, caffeine, and alcohol, and give your intestines as much rest as possible with homemade food rich in vegetables.

3. Supplements During Stressful Periods

   There are many supplements that can help restore calm in your mind. A few of my favourites are the herbs saffron, rhodiola, and the mineral magnesium taurate. Magnesium Taurate is good for your mood and can be taken daily in the evening before bed. The herbs can be used during more stressful periods, for example, for a few months, and then specifically when you need them.

Good to Know

Yoga is more than just a way to get your body moving; it is a powerful tool to balance your nervous system. This is because yoga is the ideal way to learn to switch between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. A daily mini flow or discovering a new yoga style can help you integrate yoga into your daily life. Want to work on your nervous system in other ways? Then breathing exercises and healthy eating are a good start. Balance your nervous system, and you'll find that you manage stress (better).

Sources

1. Ram Jain & Kalyiani Hauswirth-Jain (2017) Hatha Yoga for Teachers & Practitioners.
2. Babbar, S (Babbar, Shilpa); Renner, K (Renner, Kathryn); Williams, K (Williams, Karen) (2019) Addressing Obstetrics and Gynecology Trainee Burnout Using a Yoga-Based Wellness Initiative During Dedicated Education Time
3. Sarika Arora and Jayashree Bhattacharjee (2019) Modulation of immune responses in stress by Yoga
4. Josefien J. F. Breedvelt , Yagmur Amanvermez , Mathias Harrer , Eirini Karyotaki ,Simon Gilbody , Claudi L. H. Bockting, Pim Cuijpers  and David D. Ebert  (2019) The Effects of Meditation, Yoga, and Mindfulness on Depression, Anxiety,and Stress in Tertiary Education Students: A Meta-Analysis
5. Paul Cook, Spiegoloog (2019) Orgasms for Anxiety? The Unusual Suspects