I was at a girlie gathering at a friend's house last night with some delightful people. Middle class, ages ranging from 30s to 60s and most of my conversations somehow ended up turning to the stresses and strains of coping with life.
Thyroid problems, back problems, coping with change, coping with 'the change',working 12 hour days, headaches; for some reason last night people were drawn to telling me about their lives, and I saw beneath the smiles.
My heart reached out to touch these lovely ladies, to give them something back to make their living easier, healthier, more fulfilled. So we talked about yoga and how it helps keep the spine healthy, so often key to a healthy body. We talked about the breath and its direct link to the mind and its potential for positive effect on health and physiology. And we talked about emotional resilience.
It seems resilience is a much needed skill. It can be taught and people can benefit tremendously. Here are the components of resilience that I found in a modeling study I did a couple of years ago:
- emotional regulation ; resilient people have the skills to control their emotions, attention and behaviour. Eg stay calm under pressure
- control of impulses; they have strong personal discipline and a healthy sesnse of ego. Eg they don't blurt out inappropriate responses or indulge in inappropriate behaviour
- positive inner attitude; they are realistic optimists with empowering beliefs
- problem solving; they have strong thinking strategies and are able to accurately analyse their problems and be flexible in their thinking. They can also read others accurately (empathy) and not 'project' and 'bulldoze' others' emotions or desires
- self empowered; they have an internal locus of control and see themselves as in control of their own destiny, believe they can solve the problems they are likely to experience and have faith in their ability to succeed
- social skills; resilient people build a support network and reach out to others to help them in adversity
These elements form the basis of my one to one and the BEST programme of psychological resilience I have developed: building resilience; embodied living; synchronisation of the 'brains' of the body; and transcendence or self actualisation. Yoga is a huge part of this programme; simple postures linked with the breath, breathing, mindfulness and simple meditation, and relaxation.
Thyroid problems, back problems, coping with change, coping with 'the change',working 12 hour days, headaches; for some reason last night people were drawn to telling me about their lives, and I saw beneath the smiles.
My heart reached out to touch these lovely ladies, to give them something back to make their living easier, healthier, more fulfilled. So we talked about yoga and how it helps keep the spine healthy, so often key to a healthy body. We talked about the breath and its direct link to the mind and its potential for positive effect on health and physiology. And we talked about emotional resilience.
It seems resilience is a much needed skill. It can be taught and people can benefit tremendously. Here are the components of resilience that I found in a modeling study I did a couple of years ago:
- emotional regulation ; resilient people have the skills to control their emotions, attention and behaviour. Eg stay calm under pressure
- control of impulses; they have strong personal discipline and a healthy sesnse of ego. Eg they don't blurt out inappropriate responses or indulge in inappropriate behaviour
- positive inner attitude; they are realistic optimists with empowering beliefs
- problem solving; they have strong thinking strategies and are able to accurately analyse their problems and be flexible in their thinking. They can also read others accurately (empathy) and not 'project' and 'bulldoze' others' emotions or desires
- self empowered; they have an internal locus of control and see themselves as in control of their own destiny, believe they can solve the problems they are likely to experience and have faith in their ability to succeed
- social skills; resilient people build a support network and reach out to others to help them in adversity
These elements form the basis of my one to one and the BEST programme of psychological resilience I have developed: building resilience; embodied living; synchronisation of the 'brains' of the body; and transcendence or self actualisation. Yoga is a huge part of this programme; simple postures linked with the breath, breathing, mindfulness and simple meditation, and relaxation.
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