Feb 20, 20234 min read

What the Body Holds

The body and mind and not separate entities. They’re interconnected in so many ways. We often think of emotions as something that lives in our minds. But our minds also tell our bodies how to move, digest food, breathe, pump blood. So why wouldn’t our emotions make their way into, and get stored in our bodies, as well?

What Happens When You Feel Stressed?

I know for me, and most people, when I get overwhelmed, I begin to get tense throughout my body. When we’re stressed or anxious or feeling vulnerable, our whole body reacts and squeezes in to try to protect yourself from this unpleasant feeling. I clench my jaw, I hunch my shoulders, cross my arms, and usually sit very stiff. Your body doesn’t know what the stress is, it just prepares to react. This is what is often referred to as “fight or flight” because your body is preparing to get you through this stressful situation. But today, most of what causes this response isn’t a singular, one-time situation. It’s an endless cycle we find ourselves in. This is when the body starts to signal more aggressively that something is wrong. Neck pain, stress knots, stomach pain, headaches, nausea, exhaustion, suppressed immune system, etc. As much as you’d like to, the body won’t let you ignore your emotions. There is a great deal of scientific research in respect to how mental health, and especially trauma, take a physical toll.

How Yoga Can Help

It would be amazing if we could live without stressful situations, but unfortunately that is not a reality. They cannot be avoided so instead, they need to be released. A way to get it out of your body and put it to rest, so that you can let go and move on. Yoga creates a space for you to move, breathe, and let go. Many people talk about having a cathartic, intense release when practicing yoga. A release through the body can create an emotional response, some people even cry during certain poses. You might not have been aware of how much you were holding until you finally let it go. The weight off your body also feels like a weight off your heart and mind, you didn’t know you were holding. When you release this incredible tension, it leaves space for peace, joy, love, calm to seep into every part of your being. And when you practice yoga regularly, stress is less likely to build up in your body, and you are more likely to be able to address it immediately before it becomes a bigger problem.

The Postures

The physical discomfort of certain poses, or moving in a way you are unfamiliar with, allows you to better address mental discomfort. You learn how to accept the uncomfortable, release, and move on, just as you move to the next pose. Yoga requires a lot of attention on body alignment, breath, and balance as you go through the movements. Focusing on movement keeps you connected to the present moment, making it hard for your mind to wander to anything outside of the slow, intentional moving. (Plus if you’re in hot yoga, you are very focused on the heat and sweat). When practiced regularly, yoga provides you with a better sense of body awareness. This allows you to take note of how you’re holding tension, and how to release it; are you clenching your jaw? Are your shoulders up and hunched over? Is your breathing stressed?

The Breath

During high stress moments, especially anxiety or panic attacks, your brain forgets its basic function of steady breathing. Your breath starts to intensify, your heart rate starts to race, and you cannot focus your thoughts. It all begins with the breath. Slow, controlled breathing slows your heart rate. Focusing on every inhale and exhale helps stop your mind from overthinking. With every inhale, bring your body calm. With every exhale, feel the tension leave your body. *Much more on breathing, breathwork, and pranayama specifically in a later post.

Poses to Practice

Legs up the wall allows you to decompress.

Practicing yoga in general is a great way to let go of built up tension in your body. However, here are some specific poses that help relieve stress in the key places it gets stored. Below is a list of some great poses to start with. Make sure to consider which poses are most accessible to you and pay attention to pain versus discomfort. Always make sure to research proper alignment.

Hip openers:

Most people are familiar with holding stress in your neck and shoulders. But an area of your body some people don't realize holds tension and anxiety is your hips. When that “fight or flight” sense is triggered, it starts at your hips, getting ready to move you away from danger. Your hips are your center, your point of balance. They affect so much more than people usually give them credit for. There is also a connection to your Sacral Chakra, which I’ll get into in a later post. When people talk about having low back pain, a lot of times it actually originates from the hips. Or when people feel stiff, hip mobility is usually key to moving with ease. The hips affect the rest of the body and intentional hip stretches are incredibly necessary.

Half pigeon
Double pigeon
Mermaid
Cow face
Frog
Wide straddle
Reclined figure four
Crane
Lizard
Butterfly
Happy baby

Twists:

Twists can relieve tension because they add compression to various areas of the body, and then a release.

Eagle
Supine twist
Prayer twist

Neck & shoulders:

These are the main areas people store stress in the body. Being aware of these areas throughout the day can help prevent a build up of tension. Always check that you have your shoulders down, a tall spine, and lengthen through your chest.