Fear. It's what holds us back. Fear says, "No." Fear puts it's hands around your throat and stops you from breathing. Fear wakes you up in the night. Fear fogs your vision.
Fear of death, fear of injury, fear of disease, fear of loneliness, fear for loved ones... fear of living. Fear is a NERVOUS feeling.
I read somewhere that Ashtanga yoga activates the sympathetic nervous system (maybe this was someone's opinion rather than fact. But isn't that always the case...I digress. It was stated).
The sympathetic nervous system responds to stress by making your heart beat faster, raising blood pressure, constricting blood flow, decreasing digestive activity and generally prepares the body for fight or flight. It's a basic/innate SURVIVAL response. I can think of times during my practice where my heart is racing... I can think of times when I have felt afraid too. Learning to trust my body and having faith in myself is a lifelong process. So maybe I agree with the statement that I read to an extent. Maybe, though, maybe Ashtanga yoga builds up strength and resistance to Fear. As you do experience it through practice you begin to overcome Fear daily. Then slowly, slowly, in life it becomes easier to overcome too...and slowly, slowly, you become more liberated. More at ease with the world and yourself as you are gradually unleashed from the grip of Fear. Suddenly, you can do that posture too! Suddenly, all is possible...well, ish with time, patience and persistence. With practice.
Conversely, the parasympathetic nervous system, known as the "rest and digest" system, nourishes, heals and restores the body - counteracting the stress response. I can certainly say that my yoga practice stimulates this system too. Since practicing second series, I think I have become much more calm actually...but perhaps this coincides with resigning from my job and there is a correlation there too! Perhaps it is just the length of time doing a continuous practice, rather than the different postures.
Perhaps Ashtanga yoga activates both sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems then. Perhaps, as in life it's beneficial to experience a certain level of Fear for self-preservation but slowly, slowly, over time, Fear gives way to STRENGTH and FAITH: the para-sympathetic system becomes more dominant in the body. Hence, we become more resilient to any given situation that is thrown at us (on and off our yoga mat) and equanimity precedes.
No comments:
Post a Comment