Is yoga helping or hurting you? How do you know? PART 2!

PART 2!

We’ve been talking about Interoception and how yoga is generally an interoceptive activity.

Quick refresher!

What is Interoception?

Our awareness of our internal homeostatic processes. (See part 1)

Guess what body parts are associated with Interoception?

• Vagus nerve
• Diaphragm
• Pelvic floor
• Viscera
• Tongue

(to name a few)

So, what makes Yoga predominantly an interoceptive activity?

Simply put, it’s the focused awareness of feelings, respiration and bringing ones' attention inward when producing movement.

And, if you use different chants or humming (please excuse me I don’t know what you guys call them) this would be a vagus nerve activation.

Contraction of muscles could also be considered interoceptive because the receptors of the surrounding connective tissues (called C-fibers) are activated.

fMRI studies have shown C-fiber neurons primarily result in activation of the Insula Cortex (the center for Interoception).

Wow! Yoga is power packed with interoceptive skills and associations.

Consequences of sensory mismatch and dysfunctional Interoception include:

• Feeling a lack of body ownership
• Cardiac issues
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Gut sensitivities
• Difficulty understanding or explaining feelings
• Feeling ungrounded
• Addictive behaviors
• Breathing issues
• Balance problems
• Serious trunk instability

(AND, many more)

Is Yoga healthy?

Remember the answer?

It depends!!!

Now you know why!

And, I left out a TON of info.

You see, some people with lousy Interoceptive maps will do wonderfully with activities like Yoga.

Others will become over-sensitized and it could send their autonomics through a tailspin!

Think about it as activating something that is already inappropriately active. You would be exasperating a sensory mismatch. This happens to people all the time with interoceptive activities, especially chronic misapplication of stretching and tissue work.

This topic is loaded folks and I could go all freaking day!

Do you want to do PART 3?

We’ve just begun.

Cheers.

About the Author:

Taylor Kruse, recently featured in Men's Health, is dedicated to empowering you with the truth and tools for improved health and performance.

His inspiration stems from more than 10 years of education and coaching through systems like Zhealth Performance, The Burdenko Method, and various movement practices.

In 2013, he co-founded The Movement Project with girlfriend, Alisha Hale. Both are dedicated to inspiring people, coaches, and trainers into their best health and performance.