Brain or body? Ways to support your nervous system

What is the most complex known matter in the entire universe?

Your brain!

This highly complex organ provides all of the essential functioning that keeps you alive and thinking, every second of every day. It’s a fundamental part of our structure and our nervous system.

How well are you looking after your brain? Is it helping you to live well or is it more often, making you feel anxious and stressed?

Anxiety is something that we’re all affected by at various times, and whilst we could sit it out and wait for stressors to change, we can also be proactive in what we do to deal with times of anxiety and ways of looking after our brain and nervous system.

Researchers have uncovered that yoga has an enormous capacity to affect the nervous system by improving the abilities we all have to self-regulate ourselves, in a structured and manageable way.

Yoga practice uses methods that work via both the mind and the body, known in research as top-down and bottom-up regulation. Put simply, top-down regulation uses cognitive tools affecting the brain, like meditation and self-reflection which then affect the state of the body. Whereas bottom-up regulation uses the body itself, through movement and breathing techniques, to change the state of the nervous system, which in turn affect thoughts and emotions.

It’s possible or even advisable to use both. This is a great approach for dealing with anxiety, although if choosing one or the other, bottom-up regulation can be easier and more quickly effective for most people.

Dealing with anxiety

Lets look at some ways of using top-down and bottom-up regulation for the brain and nervous system that focus on changing an anxious internal state. Starting with bottom-up approaches:

Yoga asana (postures): Using asana and movement reduces tension, stiffness and hormonal levels such as adrenalin in the body. If you love energetic exercise, use a more energetic practice and then slow it down into steady yoga asana with steady breathing. If you don’t enjoy energetic exercise, then opt for steady yoga with breath-centred movement and a restful practice to finish. Whenever possible, asana should emphasise the breathing aspects of yoga as it’s integral to it’s benefits.

Pranayama (conscious breathing): A focus on just breathing with a suitable breathing pattern will take the nervous system to a more relaxed state. It's quick and easy to use breathing to alter how we feel - and best of all, it is always effective.

Enough good quality sleep or rest: Prioritise sleep for good health. Use non-caffeine drinks in the afternoon and evening and if you’re struggling with sleep, looking at sleep hygiene measures, seek advise on supplements, use massage and/or essential oils to aid sleep preparation.

Eat for a healthy mind: Avoid processed food, sugary snacks or alcohol. It’s important not to turn to unhealthy foods or drinks as a way to cope with anxiety. They don't provide a good solution as they will do more damage in the longer term.

Top-down regulation uses the mind to affect the body and includes:

Meditation or mindfulness: In yoga, this is the classic and time-honoured way of taking time and space away from our thoughts and allowing for observation of our own patterns of thought and behaviour. There is the possibility of making adjustments if we understand our usual unconscious patterns.

Research confirms what yoga asserts, that regular practice of meditation over time, leads to long term changes. In yoga, this is how we see and react to situations; changing our unhelpful patterms to helpful ones. In research science, meditation slowly changes brain chemistry and structure.

To make long term changes in how to deal with anxiety, meditation is the fundamental technique.

Pranayama: This is similar but not the same as meditation. Working with the breath is also a tool for the mind and a way of creating space away from anxious thoughts. Using breath awareness is a meditative practice so there is a cross over although in yoga there is more of a distinction between the two.

Don't worry alone: Talking about feelings can help to reduce anxiety. Saying what’s worrying you out loud can make worries feel less dominating to thoughts. This could be with a trusted, supportive friend or using a professional support like a counsellor or a therapist.

Journalling: In a similar way to talking, writing things down can help. It provides a way to see what’s causing anxieties and a way of reducing anxious thoughts. When anxieties are identified, then a process of looking at whether these worries are justified and what can be done about them, helps to alleviate fears in a more rational way.

Whichever approach you use - top-down or bottom-up - the practice of yoga and other supportive actions offer ways to develop regulation and resilience in the mind-body system. These are powerful and effective ways of dealing with anxieties.

For an individual approach, yoga therapy is the specific use of these tools by a trained practitioner. Yoga therapy clients report experiencing improved mood, decreased stress and chronic pain, and more.

Don't sit with your worries. There are always possibilities to change them.