I was first drawn to yoga and mindful movement many years ago when living with chronic stress. In my 40's I had such high levels of tension in my body I developed stress related vertigo. In my 30's I suffered severe brain fog related to stress and grief. In my 20's I was so overwhelmed by working long hours and global travel I burned-out, gave up my job and went travelling. And in my teens my chronic blinding migraines were diagnosed as...you've guessed it, a chronic illness mostly likely related to stress.

When I was younger this catch-all description of my symptoms being diagnosed as 'stress' really got me down. I felt as though I was being told my illness was my fault. Now, as I turn 50, with decades of research on the impact of stress on the body, I now appreciate what an epidemic stress is in the modern world.

As I slow down, the more I have noticed what is going on in my body. I realised my high impact sports and 'go go go' behaviours were not serving me. My desire to push the stress away was causing me to become more and more unwell. And so, my yoga classes became slower, my mindfulness practice became more introspective, and I thought I had failed.
Failed in a world where striving, achieving, and pushing for more was the one behaviour of note.

The practice of mindful movement is to draw your attention to how you're feeling in this present moment without judgment. How radical is that? I mean, normally we're striving right? It's the next weight to lift, it's the next mile to run, it's the next yoga shape to be made. But when we're asked to focus on the practice of slowing down the body, the mind, and the breath, to witness 'how am I really feeling right now', you can truly witness how your body feels. This insight then invites you to work with your body as best you can. If you choose if something is not quite for you, you are able to pause and choose instead what you'd like to do next. Perhaps continue, perhaps not.

Why does this slowing down make yoga and mindfulness relevant to stress relief? Because it brings your awareness to your automatic behaviours. This then gives you the choice on what you want to do next. You get to decide if you want to continue with something or not, or if you want to pause, shift, or stop. This realisation that nothing is right, and nothing is wrong. It just is what it is.

I witnessed this mental and physical accessibility very personally over the past few years. During lockdown I was so upset when I couldn't visit my parents. As with many of us, we were all worried about what was happening. When I felt there was nothing I could 'do' to help them, I suggested we started doing some yoga & mindfulness together online a few times a week. The process of getting online was not always easy but we tried to laugh our way through it, enjoying even this connection. Sometimes all I could see was their kitchen ceiling but they could see me, and we would enjoy that at least we could 'be' this way together.

During our classes, I always gave the option to join or to sit and watch, whatever was right for them at the time. The choice was always theirs. And they then felt empowered by the participation whether physical or emotional.

These engagements are not just about being together socially but this slowing down, breathing, and gentle movement have been shown to bring homeostasis (balance) to the body. The triggering of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) or 'rest & digest' process in the body. This in turn slows down the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and can have an impact on the immune system.

So, next time you feel you're not pushing yourself to achieve enough, how about instead trying to slow down, pause, and check-in to how your body really feels, without judgement, before you decide what to do next. You deserve it. Mindfulness Can Literally Change Your Brain: Harvard Business Review