The science behind slowing down

Our nervous system is constantly responding to what is happening both around us and within us.

The autonomic nervous system has two important branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system helps prepare us for action — often described as our fight or flight response. It is an essential part of being human. But busy schedules, constant stimulation, work pressures and the feeling of always needing to be available can keep our bodies in a heightened state of alertness for longer than we may realise.

The parasympathetic nervous system supports the other side of this balance — our ability to rest, digest, recover and restore. When parasympathetic activity increases, the body can begin to settle: heart rate can slow, digestion is supported and we can move towards a calmer physiological state.

Neither system is “good” or “bad”. We need both.

The beauty lies in our ability to move between them.

How yoga can support this balance

Yoga gives us an opportunity to influence this relationship gently.

Slow, conscious breathing, mindful movement and periods of supported stillness can help reduce physiological arousal and encourage greater parasympathetic activity. Research also suggests that regular yoga practice can support stress regulation and, in some circumstances, is associated with reductions in cortisol — one of the hormones involved in our stress response.

But for me, this isn’t about trying to switch off the sympathetic nervous system or forcing the body into relaxation.

It is about becoming aware of what is happening within us.

To notice the breath.

To recognise tension.

To feel when we need movement and when we need stillness.

And, over time, to become more familiar with the signals our own body is giving us.

This is where the science and the practice meet.

Yoga can create the conditions for the nervous system to settle — but perhaps its greater gift is helping us rediscover our natural ability to listen.

Your body isn’t something to conquer.

It is something to come home to.

Come home to your body.

Claudette x