YOGANOVA
There is a growing body of research showing yoga to be
beneficial for a wide range of issues, from depression
& anxiety, to post traumatic stress disorders.
Even the NHS’s advisor to the fire service has
recommended the use of yoga and mindfulness.
In the previous issue of the Firestyle
Magazine, there was a feature on
the Blue Light campaign, which
highlighted the need for firefighters
to find strategies for dealing with
mental health issues … Could yoga
be your strategy?
The focus is more on what is
happening on the inside, not on
whether you can touch your toes
or do what the guy next to you
can. It is a chance to take time
out from being bothered about
what anyone else is doing. The root
meaning of the word yoga is to
yoke or unite. Through combining
movement with breath it gives you
a more unified sense of self, you
hear yourself better, trust yourself
better. You are just less able to
buy into being told what is good
for you. As a result you also relate
better to the world around you
and focus on the things that count,
the things that bring you joy.
Local yoga & wellbeing expert
Emily Haslam-Jones was formerly a
humanitarian worker in the conflict
in Nepal, she knows the strains of
daily work with people who are
traumatised, injured or have lost
loved ones.
Being also in a few life-threatening
situations such as a crossfire, Emily
can relate to the dangers of work,
stating “I’ve never been in a fire,
but I do know what it is like to have
a job that you believe in, and are
willing to risk your life for. I know that in
those moments, when people would
think you would be most afraid, can
actually come with a kind of calm
clarity.”
“When you are in the thick of a
life-threatening situation, fuelled
with endorphins, it is very similar to a
meditative state because you are
totally present in the moment, and
you can connect to a deep feeling
where you just know what you must
do, and you get on with it.
Because this state is so much clearer
than how we are in everyday life, it is
kind of addictive, you feel like you are
functioning at your peak. If you know
what I’m talking about then yoga and
mindfulness won’t be so strange to
you.”
However, usually the kind of work
which induces this state comes with
a lot of everyday stresses, and in fact
it can be the quite banal; issues at
work which wind us up in everyday
interactions. Through yoga you can
develop a better connection to
yourself, and you’ll find it has a positive
effect on the way you relate to others.
When your job requires you to
process some quite complex
emotions on a regular basis it is also
a great resilience tool. Yoga really
helps with the balance and health
of functions within the nervous
system such as the vegas nerve,
often thought of as our “air-traffic
controller” - this regulates our major
bodily functions; breathing, heart
rate, and digestion. When we
experience anxiety or get stuck in
the fight-or-flight response side of
the nervous system, being unable to
unwind can cause these functions
can get out of whack.
Research shows yoga improves
what is known as vagal tone, the
health of the vagas nerve, and if
this is healthy we manage emotions
better, improving the quality if our
life at home and at work.
To find out more or if you would like
to set up regular sessions for your fire
station
contact Emily on 077609886393 or
email [email protected]
or for more details on Yoganova’s
regular classes go to
www.yoganova.co.uk
or check out Yoganova on YouTube
to have a go yourself.
Through yoga you can develop a
better connection to yourself, and
you’ll find it has a positive effect on the
way you relate to others. Yoga sessions
within a workplace can be really
useful because the changes in the
brain chemistry and nervous system
helps you to be able to step back and
not get so triggered by situation.
55