Yoga for Emotional

Balance
Part 1
With Jen Jones
Studio Gaia
January 15th 17th

You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your

natural state. What you can do are
yoga exercises,
which may reveal to you where you
are resisting your natural state.
~ Sharon
Gannon

One of the gifts of yoga and its sister

science, ayurveda, is their ability to
engender in us a growing sensitivity to
our own prana so that we learn to
move through our lives with steadiness
(sthira) and ease (sukha).
- Robert Svoboda & Scott Blossom

Stress, Anxiety, & Depression

Defined
Stress a state of mental or
emotional strain or tension resulting
from adverse or very demanding
circumstances.
Anxiety a feeling of worry,
nervousness, or unease, typically
about an imminent event or
something with an uncertain
outcome.
Depression feelings of severe

Leading Causes of Stress in America

On February 4, 2015 the America
Psychological Association (APA)
released research stating that the top
four leading causes of stress are as
follows:
Money
Work (if employed)
Family responsibilites
Health Concerns

Stress versus Anxiety

(Huffington Post Lindsay Homes)
While there is definite overlap between stress
and anxiety, David Spiegel, Stanford
Universitys associate chair of psychiatry and
behavioral sciences, says that ultimately the
two emotions come from two different places.
With stress, we know whats worrying us but
with anxiety you become less aware of what
youre anxious about [in the moment] and the
reaction becomes the problem, Spiegel
explains. You start to feel anxious about being
anxious.

Stress versus Anxiety cont.

.. .the majority of acute stress stems from
external situationsWhen it comes to stress,
you know what youre dealing with -- a looming
deadline, bills, picking up the kids, Spiegel
says. Its these [outside stressors] that are
able to be prioritized and handled one at a time.
The stress we experience in our day-to-day lives
is associated with frustration and nervousness,
where anxiety often comes from a place of fear,
unease, and worry.

Types of Anxiety
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder (anxiety attacks)
Phobia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of the unknown, major

changes in our circumstances,
uncertainty about the future, our
negative attitudesall these are
sources of stress.
- Carrie Demers

Facts & Statistics from the Anxiety &

Depression Association of America
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental
illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the
United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the
population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about
one-third of those suffering receive treatment.
Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a
year, almost one-third of the country's $148 billion total
mental health bill, according to "The Economic Burden
of Anxiety Disorders," a study commissioned by ADAA
(The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60(7), July 1999).

Facts & Statistics cont.

More than $22.84 billion of those costs are associated with
the repeated use of health care services; people with
anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that mimic
physical illnesses.
People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times
more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to
be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who
do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk
factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality,
and life events.
http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Depression A Global
Crisis
The World Health Organization predicts that
within 20 years more people will be affected by
depression than any other health problem.
According to the WHO, depression will be the
biggest health burden on society both
economically and sociologically.
Yet, it says most developing countries spend
less than 2% of their national budgets on
mental healthcare.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8230549.stm

Sympathetic Nervous
System
The SNS is part of the autonomic nervous
system concerned with preparing the body to
react to situations of stress or emergency. The
sympathetic nervous system activates what is
often termed the fight or flight response.
Activation of the SNS causes emotions to
intensity, heart rate to increase, moves the
blood to the major muscles causing the process
of digestion to be suppressed, blood sugar
levels increase, and reproduction hormones
decrease as well as libido.

Parasympathetic Nervous
System
The PSNS is the division of the
autonomic nervous system often
referred to as the rest and digest
system. The parasympathetic
system conserves energy as it slows
the heart rate, increases intestinal and
gland activity, and relaxes sphincter
muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.

Breath work teaches us how to access,

utilize and deepen our breath.
Through subtle shifts in the breath, we
can activate the PSNS. This aids in
settling the mind and helping us to feel
calm and peaceful.

Yoga changes the way one relates to

the inner and outer environments
Yoga poses, breath work, and meditation help to release
tensional patterns in the body and mind.
The poses, breath work, meditation, as well as yoga
philosophy help us to relate to the mind and our emotions
in new ways and create new neural pathways in the brain.
Breath work teaches us how to access, utilize and deepen
our breath. Through subtle shifts in the breath, we can
activate the PSNS. This aids in settling the mind and
helping us to feel calm and peaceful.
It (yoga) reestablishes healthy breathing patterns, teaches
us to relax consciously and systematically, and gives us the
opportunity to explore the inner workings of our minds
through meditation. Carrie Demers

 Yoga helps to create greater presence and

compassion with what is and silences the voice of the
inner critic and judge.
Sometimes its important to not simply remove
ourselves from the stressful situation, but to feel it in
our bodies. Acknowledge stress. Meet it. We can stay
present without being controlled by it. - Amy
Weintraub
Yoga helps us to reframe our life situations and
circumstances.
The practices increase focus and mindfulness
bringing the mind back to what is happening in the
present moment.
Integrates the body and mind, so that one
experiences greater harmony and balance

In stillness and in silence, I am

renewed, rejuvenated, and reborn
again and again.
- Fragrant
Heart