RESILIENCE & STRESS MANAGEMENT WITH NL MINDFUL CLASS
RESILIENCE & STRESS MANAGEMENT WITH DIGITAL MINDFULNESS CLASS NL MINDFUL
In our Mindfulness Class NL Mindful we use Mindful Breathing. Mindful Breathing improves self-regulation, the capability to concentrate and to calm down. The gentle Rising and Falling of the Breath stimulates the Parasympathetic nervous system and therefore has a calming effect on body and mind.
“The way out is in“, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh wrote. We can find calm in our own mind.
MINDFUL BREATHING & SCIENCE:
People under stress, anxiety or pain breathe more quickly and less regularly. Meditators have a slower Breath, indicating reduced automatic responses, better mood and improved health, As we breathe the abdominal organs rise and fall 1 to two inches, pumping oxygen through our lymphatic system and transporting out toxins, massaging organs like the liver and joints of the spine.
THE HUMAN STRESS REACTION
Let’s look closer at the human Stress Reaction: The Fight-Flight-Freeze Response- The Human nervous system: The Nervous System consists of the Parasympathetic System (PNS) and the Sympathetic System (SNS). The SNS is the normal human alarm reaction of our body, mobilizing us in situations of danger, enabling us to have full access to all our resources to protect ourselves: The so called Fight-Flight-Freeze Response. We instinctively either fight, flee or freeze when in danger: The Fight-Flight-Freeze Response of the nervous system is our normal stress reaction deriving from ancient times. It did make sense when facing bears and lions. Nowadays we face challenging times with an overload of information, distraction and expectations. During the day we often feel overwhelmed, helpless or threatened. Inner and outer stressors, acute and chronic stress activates the SNS too often, increasing heart rate and muscle tension with hormones like adrenalin and cortisol running through our body.
A continuously activated SNS is characterized by Hyperarousal and Hypervigilance and can become a chronic state of body and mind leading to Depression or Cardiac Arrythmia, Inflammation, chronic pain or sleep disorders: Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn: Full Catastrophe Living 1990.
resilience: REBALANCING WITH NL MINDFUL FROM STRESS
Luckily, if the PNS grows, the SNS goes dow. The PNS slows down our heart rate, it helps us to calm down, to feel centered and relaxed. We can learn to activate the PNS to relax:
The Long Exhale Breathing:
At NL MINDFUL we learn the Long Exhale Breathing to deal better with the stress reaction: The extended exhale Breathing activates the PNS and has therefore a calming effect, as Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn has pointed out in his book Full Catastrophe Living, 1990. The exhale in this case is longer than the inhale. You can double the exhale, counting softly like: Inhale: 1-2-3 and Exhale: 1-2-3-4-5-6.
You can chose to breathe in longer or shorter, essentially is to double the exhale. This must not be precise.You can use this Breathing technique during the day and combine it with Releasing of Tensions.
Self Compassion:
We often are convinced that we have to be hard on ourselves to achieve what is needed, because children are often taught so. Research shows that people with Self-Compassion are less fearful of failing and more likely to try again: Germer/Neff, Self-Compassion Workbook 2018.
Self-compassion down regulates the Flight-Fight-Freeze response. We learn to embrace and comfort ourselves as a parent would do, this lowers the levels of anxiety and depression and strengthens our Resilience. With self-compassion we become an inner ally instead of an inner enemy: Kristin Neff/ Christopher Germer: The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, 2018.
Cultivating Self Compassion can be as simple as that: Repeating in silence soothing mental notes we will learn at NL MINDFUL. In daily life: Observe if you relate to yourself in a harsh way or in a self-compassionate way.
more about our digital mindfulness class here.
Suggestion to read & work with:
Germer/Neff, Self-Compassion Workbook.
James Nestor „Breath-The New Science of a Lost Art“ 2010. Danny Penman pointed out in his book „The Art of Breathing“, 2022.
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