Written by Aviva Tulasi
We have the capacity to deal with natural big stressors as humans (like natural disasters), but do we have the tools to thrive for the long haul, like during this pandemic? One way to ensure that we continue to thrive is to support resiliency. Things that support resiliency include mindful movement, stretching, humor, service and pranayama! We have been exploring these activities that are effective in long-term resiliency one by one in the respective order above. However the list is not linear nor is it in order of importance or impact. There are also other things that you will find supports you outside of these 5, and often they are linked to these. One should work on cultivating each of the components simultaneously because each contributes something very beneficial for the body, mind and soul.
Resiliency is a practice. It is not like one moment you don’t have it and the next you do. You can’t fake resiliency, but the aphorism “fake it till you make it” holds true for humor. Laughter and smiles are contagious. The physical act of smiling releases molecules that promote feeling good: serotonin and endorphins. Even if you are in a bad mood, when you start laughing your mindset automatically changes. After forcing yourself to smile, you suddenly want to smile because of the feel good molecules that have been released.
Humor is the ability to find things funny. It is one of the easiest forms of positive thinking. Negative thoughts can manifest into chemical reactions that affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing immune function. Unfortunately, our bodies are hard wired to focus on the negative as a mechanism for survival. The brain has a tendency to focus on negative stimuli, called negativity bias. To combat the negative stress caused by negativity bias, we need to actively seek out moments of positivity. When we feel joyous or are laughing, we counteract the negative stress response. However, remember that every moment of the day can not be filled with positivity. Toxic positivity does more harm than good. You can not deny or suppress the negativity that is apparent in the world right now. But you can give yourself permission to laugh each day.
(My favorite comic series. I highly recommend the Organ Attack card game!)
We all need to laugh more. A recent Thorne article explains why this is true.
Laughing benefits your health because laughing
Stimulates many organs.
Activates and relieves your stress response.
Soothes tension.
Increases serotonin.
Increases endorphins.
Relieves pain.
Reduces stress hormones.
Improves the immune system.
Improves relationships.
Protects the heart.
Improves mood.
Don’t think you are funny? Doesn’t matter. Try it. Repeat out loud, “Hah Hah Hah. Heh Heh Heh” Keep going. Notice that the words turn into laughter. Give yourself permission to let go and have a good laugh. Be present in the moment. Laughter is one of the concrete examples of the ability to clear the mind. Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah (Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2). When you are laughing you don’t think about the past and you don’t project into the future. You abide the pure contentment of laughter.
If you have any questions about our offerings, please email info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.
Aviva Chaye Tulasi is a team member at Dogwood Studios. She is a certified yoga therapist (C-IYAT). You can usually find a smile on her face as she applies the teachings of classical yoga to reduce the effects of negative stress and to balance the nervous system. Aviva teaches Mindful Movement and Yoga Mondays at 10 am and is available for private sessions. Email Aviva at yogawithtulasi@gmail.com. She is here to help.
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online class in yoga as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.