Evidence has shown that yoga and meditation have positive effects on people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is due to yoga being equally a physical and mental exercise, building strength and discipline in both areas. Yoga helps you gain a sense of control over your body by enhancing the mind-body connection and pushing your body to new limits of flexibility and balance.
PTSD is caused by experiences that were so disturbing; the person is left traumatized afterward. Certain triggers can cause flashbacks of feelings of distress, and yoga helps the person cultivate a non-reacting and non-judging mind.
The psychology of PTSD
When struggling with PTSD, a person can experience sadness, anxiety, terror, denial, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks. It is a mental disorder that can last for weeks or months. Essentially, the mind remains in a constant state of stimulation, and this can be exhausting for the person. Their fight or flight response is frequently activated, and this causes immense stress both mentally and physically. Energy Frequency Devices such as the healy can help, not cure with PSTD, read more on YOGI TIMES.
The physical symptoms of PTSD
Since the fight or flight response is frequently activated, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, giving the person the energy and time to find safety again. This is an evolutionary response that keeps us alive; however, in the case of PTSD, it is triggered so frequently that it takes a physical toll on the body. The person may suffer from headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, and chest pain, among other symptoms.
Yoga as therapy
According to the ancient practices of yoga, a big stressor on our nervous system is our mind in a constant transition between thoughts about the past and future. These are often thoughts involving worry, guilt, sadness, or anticipation. Yoga encourages us to stay mindful in the present. During practice, we merely observe our thoughts as they come and go. Instead of chasing them, we should
watch them pass without judgment; in the same way, we might watch the clouds.
This tenet of yoga can usefully apply to the treatment of PTSD symptoms by giving the person a short respite from their intrusive and distressing thoughts. By practicing yoga, the person can calm the mind, thereby, calms the nervous system.
Research has found that the positive results extend beyond yoga to also include mindfulness training and mantra reciting. Mindfulness is central to yoga, and by combining the mind with the body, yoga takes a holistic approach to treating symptoms. A literature review shows that mind-body practices helped to reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms, including avoidance, intrusive memories, and
emotional arousal.
The breath
The success of both yoga and meditation in easing PTSD symptoms largely comes down to the breath. By focusing on one thing, the breath, the person can regulate their sympathetic nervous system and calm their body down by lowering their heart rate. The breath is so vital but also so simple. It helps us feel a sense of control over our bodies and ground us at the moment. When thoughts try to run away with us, we can always come back to the breath.