Grief changes people's lives in so many ways. It may change your life by packing your schedule with so many things to get your mind distracted from grief. When have you taken the time to take care of yourself? Making time to do something to heal through grief is a type of self-care. Here are 5 reasons you should incorporate a restorative yoga practice while grieving.
1. Balances your nervous system
During grief, your body creates a stress response which disrupts your parasympathetic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system. Usually, these two systems allow you to move into "rest and digest" and "flight or fight" easily. However, stress hormones are elevated, and the weight of grief can affect the sympathetic nervous system. Restorative yoga brings focus to your breathing while you are in a supported yoga pose. The deep breathing that is practiced during this style of yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
2. Stills a busy mind
The poses during a Restorative yoga class are held for 5 - 10 minutes. During that time, there is no movement. If you are someone who created a daily routine of going from task to task or place to place for keeping the mind busy, this will help you come into stillness. It may be uncomfortable for you at first. But, the more you practice this, it will come easy for you for your mind to be still.
3. Develops qualities of compassion towards yourself
Restorative yoga brings awareness that we need to be more kind to ourselves. You may feel like you are not grieving the "right" way. Compassion comes back to how we think of ourselves. As you are in a yoga pose, slowly breathing, you are letting go of the need to be a certain way. The most compassionate thing you can do for yourself is slow down.
4. Helps you face what we are avoiding about ourselves.
This is a big way practicing restorative yoga helps. Restorative yoga helps you notice your emotions and where your body is tight. Once you make time to slow down, you release what is needed. That is where the healing happens.
In society, you are told to be busy all the time to be productive. But, in reality, it is the opposite. When you take the time to rest, you are more productive. In addition, you learn how to feel your emotions without holding anything in. Adding this to your daily routine can help when you feel like your life is out of control, and you need to get more grounded.
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