As lockdown restrictions ease and we gradually return to “normality” are you feeling apprehensive and anxious? If you are, you’re not alone.
As I entered a pub last Saturday lunchtime I was overwhelmed with the entire experience. I’m eagerly awaiting my first swim in London Fields lido with excitement and trepidation.
An Ipsos Mori survey published on 1 May found more than 60 percent of Britons feel uncomfortable about the idea of going out to bars, restaurants, gigs, sporting events, or using public transport when the lockdown is lifted. Less than half (49 percent) of those who are currently employed feel comfortable going back to work.
The term re-entry anxiety has been coined referring to our unease about returning to life after lockdown.
Finding and nurturing a sense of safety and security in our minds and bodies is vital right now. Yoga-therapy-for-anxiety has accessible and effective practices that can help transition to a new normal.
Parasympathetic activation and the role of the vagus nerve in finding safety
In Yoga-therapy-for-anxiety we can encourage a sense of safety in mind and body by activating the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nerves - and we can activate parasympathetic nerves by stimulating the vagus nerve.
A bit of basic neuroscience will help here: the vagus nerve, also called X cranial nerve or 10th cranial nerve, is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. The vagus nerve runs from the brain through the face and thorax to the abdomen. It supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to almost all organs, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon.
A long, slow exhale is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and reaching a state of relaxation. The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, humming, chanting, and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your vagus nerve.
Conscious slow exhales are a powerful tool for calming our mind and body.
We know when we get in from work and take off our shoes we let out a sigh of relief. Exhaling is a release. By placing our attention and awareness of the exhale we are promoting parasympathetic activation and stimulating inner calm from our brains to our hearts, lungs, and all the way to our gut.
One of the most effective ways to do this is via a breathing practice called Ujjayi pranayama, Ujjayi translates as Victorious in Sanskrit.
For the next fortnight, drop-in classes are focused on re-entry anxiety to ease the transition back into situations and places we haven’t been in for some time. Book a place in class
