By Gabrielle Maurer

Life is overwhelming. There always feels like there’s a million and one things to focus on, mostly external from the self. There’s work, school, family, finances, chores, and all the amazing ups and incredible lows of life. In the midst of all that, the mind often loves to scatter away from the present moment. Even further, the mind often loves to drift away from the body.  

Everyone experiences the overwhelm of life, and many people don’t even fully notice or understand the way their body reacts to it. It can be a lot easier for the mind to focus on hypervigilance and problem solving than it is to become present and aware of the body. Maybe its tense shoulders, shallow breathing, constant bracing in the hips or abdomen, or fatigue.  

The nervous system can get dysregulated.  Maybe it causes big emotions from little things like losing your keys, dropping a cup, or just a noisy room. Maybe you just can’t sit still and settle in after a long day. Maybe you just feel like your mind and body are not reacting the way you want it to.  

Oftentimes people hear that and it can feel discouraging like they have to work against themselves, but your body is not working against you it is working for you. These systems and reactions are survival instincts, and they’re working to keep you safe the best it knows how. Just like people go to school to learn how things work and how to do things well, you can teach your body how to respond better.  

Despite what some people believe, you can rewire your nervous system throughout your whole life. Even better, there are proven ways to use that capacity to build up the regulation and resilience you’re searching for. That’s where Trauma-Informed Yoga comes in.  

Our approach is shaped around healing and regulating the nervous system. It’s structured around completing stress cycles, improving the mind-body connection, and building empowerment and agency. Its purpose is to use the understanding we have of how the mind and body work to create opportunities for real, lasting transformation.  

Mat-based Yoga practice is just one part of it. It builds a foundation to carry the essential tools and connections that improve resiliency in life outside the mat. One way we do that is through interoception cues, which are when we draw attention to the internal body. You begin to notice the sensations in the muscles. You feel the movement of air through the throat and lungs. You feel the pressure of the touchpoints on your mat. You notice when your body needs to back off or when it wants to go deeper. All these little moments are what effectively weave your body and mind together. For many people, it begins to feel like you’re becoming more of yourself.  

One of the things that can keep you trapped in a cycle of stress and hypervigilance is cortisol, the stress hormone. Part of the calm you feel at the end of a mat-based practice is because it lowers the amount of cortisol in the body. The chemical regulation is part of what helps the mind and body build new patterns. The practice becomes more than your time on the mat by changing the way you relate to yourself. Maybe you notice when your hips or shoulders are sore, and instead of it being distressing, you choose to get on your mat. Maybe you notice your breath more, so you choose to breathe deeper and help your body regulate. Those are the moments when the effort put into your Yoga practice feels like it actually makes a difference.  

The more you experience these moments, you're giving your nervous system evidence of a better way to respond and regulate itself. Its practices like these that bridge the gap of knowing the science of the body and knowing how to use it. When instead of experiencing cognitive overload and physical strain and feeling hopeless, you understand yourself well enough to know what to do.