03/23/2020
Yoga is up there as a top medicine you can give yourself to harmonize your body to stay in balace and health. see www.niagp.co.za for yoga classes outside in the sunshine.
Dr Ela Manga on Optimum health:
Here are 5 ways in which we can support flow, make our own medicine, and enjoy great health
1. Habituate joyful rituals.
Creating health is a gradual process of creating new neural pathways. Creating conscious and intentional joyful rituals helps to habituate feelings of gratitude and contentment, brings fresh perspectives and releases feel good neurotransmitters. Studies have shown how a positive mindset increases the number of mitochondria which could be one of the reasons we feel more energised when we experience joy.
Make a list of the simplest things that spark joy in your life. Make a conscious effort to practice a few each day. Make joy a habit!
2. Restorative Relaxation.
Urban life is constantly pulling us in the opposite direction of relaxation, constantly stimulating the senses and pulling our attention in many directions. This is affecting the quality of our sleep and compromising the vital restorative functions that occur in each stage of sleep. Relaxation medicine is a skill that must be prioritised, practiced, trained, and habituated to support mental health, prevent burnout and dampen inflammation.
The Vagus nerve sends relaxation signals from the body to the brain. We can consciously increase our vagal tone through practices like specific breathing techniques, singing and sleep yoga (Yoga Nidra). Time in nature also give the vagal tone a boost.
3. Optimising your Breath Intelligence
Enhancing your breath Intelligence (BQ) is the best investment you can make to support your physical health and mental wellbeing. In fact, every aspect of your life. Specific techniques have been proven to improve your heart rate variability (the measurable parameter for resilience). It is always accessible, especially in moments of his anxiety. It has an immediate physiological and psychological effect. Find out more here www.breathworkafrica.co.za
4. Supportive community
Human beings are inherently wired to feel part of a collective and belonging is a basic human need. The collective group provides us with a sense of comfort, support and safety. Families, friendship circles, religious or affinity groups can all play this role. A healthy collective gives us the confidence and courage to move beyond our sphere of safety and provide us the freedom to express our individuality. Disconnecting from our sources of support is one of our first tell-tale signs of burnout and depression. Make the conscious choice to connect with or create a community that brings a sense of connection,
belonging and purpose.
5. Cultivating Innersight
The journey of self-awareness often provokes anxiety as we default to patterns of judgement and analysis of what we are becoming aware of about ourselves and the world around us. Innersight is the ability to relate to what we are becoming aware of with deeper insight and more skill. It is a constant moment to moment practice that offers the opportunity to makes choices that are intentional. conscious and creative.
The first 4 βmedicinesβ can all be used for Innersight. Coaching, journaling, creative practices, poetry, anything that helps us βtune inβ will support Innersight.
I wish you well on your journey of magical medicine making
Dr Ela
At Breathwork Africa we are dedicated to sharing the art and science of conscious breathing with anyone who is committed to or curious about health, energy management, self awareness, personal growth and making the world a better place in which to live.