How yoga affects the nervous system

Yoga and it’s effects on our whole body and mind. 1. Why is it important to learn to regulate the nervous system? ‘The endocrine system secretes hormones into the blood and other body fluids. These chemicals are important for metabolism, growth, water and mineral balance, and the response to stress. Hormones provide feedback to the brain to affect neural processing. Reproductive hormones affect the development of the nervous system.’ (https://faculty.washington.edu How the nervous system interacts with other Body systems. As we can see here, the nervous system controls various organs of the body directly. The brain also receives information from many organs of the body and adjusts signals to these organs to maintain proper functioning. Some of the organs affected by high stress levels: Heart, blood vessels. Muscular system: The brain controls the contraction of skeletal muscle. The nervous system regulates the speed at which food moves through the digestive system. The endocrine system: secretes hormones into the blood system. Hormones provide feedback to the brain to affect neural processing. This system is important metabolism and response to stress. Reproductive hormones affect development of the nervous system. Lymphatic system: The brain can stimulate defence mechanisms against infection. Respiratory system: The brain regulates respiratory volume and blood gas levels. The brain regulates respiratory rate. Digestive systems: affects building blocks for some neurotransmitters. The brain controls muscles for eating and elimination. Integumentary system: Nerves control muscles connected to peripheral blood flow and sweat glands. What is the primary underlining reason why yoga relieves stress? Yoga is a mind and body experience that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. According to many studies, Yoga may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lower your heart rate and affects many of the systems above, if not all. What are some examples of yoga techniques that trigger the Relaxation response? In yoga we can practice: visualisation, progressive muscle relaxation, energy healing, breathing techniques quiet contemplation and meditation, mindfulness, certain poses that are calming. What is the relationship between yoga, vagal tone, and relaxation? The vagus nerve plays an important part in the role of our emotional and physical health. The vagus nerve extends from the brainstem down into your stomach and intestines, enervating your heart and lungs and connecting your throat and facial muscles. Yoga poses stimulate these areas of your body, therefore they can stimulate the vagus nerve. “Healthy vagal tone can be thought of as an optimal balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system” (Dr. Arielle Schwatz,A mind-body approach to wellness). Practices that stimulate the vagus nerve have a calming effect on your body and mind. Examples: Conscious breathing Half smile! With shoulders and jaw softened. Your vagus nerve is connected to facial muscles. Open your heart movement. Place hands on shoulders and inhale as your expand across your chest and look up. Exhale as you fold your elbows forward together and look down. Cat and cow pose. Standing poses: extended arm mountain pose. Warrior poses. Tree pose. Self- compassion or “loving kindness” meditation. Engage in your mind in the act of friendliness toward yourself and others. Yoga Nidra and Restorative yoga. Yoga Nidra is a form of ‘yogic sleep’ or meditation in relaxation. Learn more in Yogamotorskills training courses for children to teens throughout Australia. Register interest via website: Yogamotorskills.com Further questions explored in future blogs: Description of four additional ways that yoga helps relieve stress? What has research shown is the effect of Uijayi Pranayama as it relates to stress? What is GABA and how is it related to stress, fear and anxiety? What has research shown is the impact of yoga on GABA levels?

Mindfulness for children

New findings in neuro- plasticity means that the more we practice something the more we in-grain this on our brain pathways, so they become new habits over old ones almost subconsciously. Debra Burdick (2014) explains it like a worn out pathway that keeps getting trodden over and over again (Mindfulness for kids and teens). Repetition is then the key. MINDFULNESS helps to decrease the negative pathways in the brain. Encourage children and particularly teens to share with their parents what they are learning. Build up in duration of time for mindfulness as the child gets older and according to needs. Turn mindfulness into a game for kids: Mindfulness of breath. Mindfulness of surroundings Mindful listening Seeing, tasting, touching and motion. Then add: Mindfulness of intention, Relationships, intuition and compassion. What else can we do? R= Recognize- notice what you are experiencing A=Accept-Allow and acknowledge those feelings I=Investigate-Try to find an attitude of interest, curiosity towards those feelings. Ask why? N=Not Identify- not self- don’t identify with those feelings/thoughts as ‘that’s just me’, you don’t have to be that thought or feeling. See them as parts of you arising and falling. Reduce what’s negative, increase what’s positive with mindfulness. Identify what is a thought, what is a feeling and what is a behaviour. An easier one for younger children: STOP- stop what your doing, take a deep breath, observe what your feeling, then proceed. Put them on a note in their pocket or as a reminder on phone. Tracey Maclay

Gratitude for kids

http://blog.thewellnessuniverse.com/practice-gratitude-with-children-holiday/

Trauma based yoga.

Trauma based yoga Learning to be in the present moment. Be in their body. Knowing they have choices. Eg. Coming out of a pose if it hurts. Moving closer to a fan etc. They are not stuck in situation. Given choices to make movements bigger or smaller. For example in 'neck rolls'. Learning to feel into and listen to their bodies in a safe place. Being able to make healthy choices and setting personal limits. Having the choice to make small changes in the room- taking effective action, can be helpful. Guiding principle of trauma sensitive yoga is giving back a sense of power and control to the survivor. Mountain pose - feel feet on the floor, feeling grouNded with their connection to the ground, the earth. Feeling as if they can support themselves. Teaching Ng being mindful of each step and stance we take. X please note that moving into relaxation can go against resilience building in some trauma sufferers, particularly in the acute stages. Clients made need to build their strength and feelings of being able to be-friend and support their bodies again with more grounding, strength building poses before using their breath to relax, which could trigger vulnerability again. Taking effective action- moving for comfort. Notice you have total control over what you are doing with your body. Shoulder rolls, eg. Small or bigger movements. Creating interpersonal rhythms- Raising hands with breaths and then lowering. 54321 then release. Practice this instead. Ratio breathing or belly breathing. Rock forward and back and side to side then centre. Tree pose Sweeping arms out and over from mountain. Seated forward fold. Points to remember when teaching trauma sensitive yoga children to teens: - avoid emphasising- going a bit further, holding a bit longer. Students could feel they have to push their bodies rather then listening to it. Also implies being pushed into pose. - over emphasis on proper alignment. - using straps and rubber cords. - ask rather than direct. - feeling like they cannot keep up. - emphasise mindfulness and connection to their body gently. - be patient, gentle and compassionate. - help them to befriend their bodies once again. - use structure but also choice. - emphasise reading their body cues, understand their reactions. - help them to live in the present moment. - understand that this is hard as they are letting their guard down. - present moment experiences eg. Feeling connection of feet on the floor- body awareness. - help them to overcome their fears and feelings of helplessness by giving choices. Balance choice with specific instructions to also build trust and lessen anxiety. - offer choice that if it is painful they can stop. Listening to their bodies. -encourage self-care and setting personal limits. -listen to signals from their bodies to avoid injury. - emphasise doing things to help themselves feel in control and feel the experience. Yoga for trauma therapy and mindfulness benefits clients to feel whole again. Asanas for autism and special needs assists clients to feel they can acheive at something with physical benefits ts and reach their goals. Benefits: 1. Healing stored up negative energy, muscle pain and tension in the body through asanas (postures). For instance; start therapy session using one yoga pose for restoration, stretching. Open and close each session with a yoga-based practice- yoga postures, breathing exercise, guided muscle relaxation, mindfulness practice. Integrate into session to help self-regulate, self-awareness. To help: attend yoga classes yourself, use videos. Participate along with your clients for a shared experience. Grounding poses for hyperarousal- calming the body- standing mountain. Breathing exercises eg. Follow line of breathing on a drawn line- up and down. Hand on heart breathing. Hypoarousal- increasing activation of the body when unmotivated, poor posture. Seated forward fold. Recommend for clients to listen to their bodies and stop if they feel uncomfortable for any reason. Start gentle, for example; adding a little to your in breath and a little to your out breath- called, 'adding a little breath.' Centering practice- for balance in mind and body. Tree pose - the centering practice is visceral and mindful. Finding your center- noticing how you are sitting in your chair- connection to the seat, maybe rock forward and backward gently. Make your movements smaller and slower back and forth and circular. Draw in your lower belly to feel strength and stability here. Use this centering practice to investigate your centre as a source of stability. Co ordinating breath with movement- seated sun breaths. My experience- teen with anxiety. Awareness of and ability to regulate internal states. Example plan: Seated mountain pose. Breathing practices. Bringing a sense of curiosity to their thought patterns. Not so much their body- particularly if some body dismorphia has been experienced. Less focus on belly breaths - more on chest breaths. Grounding feet to the floor, standing or seated. Hypervigilence behaviours can make body calming exercises create anxiety- the body trying to protect itself and feel safe. In this case mindfulness based practices may work better. Modifying yoga based practices fr trauma sensitive clients: Use of language, assists, teacher qualities, environment, and exercises. Gently, but clearly direct attention to internal experiences whilst also inviting mindful moving and breathing. Use of 'notice' 'be curious', 'feel' for mindfulness. Assists- including what is right and best for each student to identify themselves. Environment- cleanliness, lighting, privacy, temperature, and music options. Games for those on the spectrum- child: Mirror me poses, including facial expressions. Characters for behaviour regulation - we have 'silly Cyril, balanced bear and slow turtle. We are aiming for balanced bear. Matching pose games. From my own experience - teaching high anxiety- Noticed my client- intellectualises - a 'commonly used defence, is when we spend considerable time trying to figure something out but never get to the essence of whatever it is we are trying to work out. ' Moving from his body focus from his mind seems to assist him in disengaging from over analysing his thoughts. Once his mind is more focused on his body and counting his breath he can then step more inward into understanding underlying emotions and cognitions. He learns to remain present and to notice his thoughts but not to engage in the story line of them and to develop a new relationship with his body. He can go home with a 'quieter' mind, which in turn has positive effects on his family relationships, 'and on living in the world.' This is coming about by twice weekly practice. Thx! Parent feedback/testimonial- 19yr. Old. 'He gets so worked up it’s hard for him to use an app.' 'Yoga really is helping him. Thx so much for your support and understanding🌷' Anxiety buster activities: Where do you notice stress in your physical body? Are you in the present moment? Do you practice mindfulness to disengage from the story-line you are telling yourself? If stress is there we look at problems with greater influence and narrow mindedly. We fix our thoughts and usually hold onto a limited perspective of what is happening. Ideas: reduce stress with regular physical exercise: walking, jogging and yoga postures. Daily mindfulness/ meditation practice. Eg. 10 minute breath exercise. If distracted - simply label it then return to the focus of your breath. Notice any process of 'reactivity' to what is going on around you. Write a list: What's happening. My reaction. ( include bodily sensations). When reactions happen: what are your choices? Re-connect to your breath. If your feeling stressed your thinking part of your brain is affected. You are unable to think clearly. Don't let old memories cloud your responses to experience in the present. Remember we are hard-wired to remember the bad, the fears as this was necessary for humans to survive. Do a mountain mediation from the book 'Mindfulness for mums and dads. ' Mantra ' I am safe, I am grounded and I trust that the universe has a solid plan for me.' I have access to infinite potential. Everything is a teaching for me. I am being guided, protected, and inspired every moment.' Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. 6 week beginner yoga, chakra balancing and meditation/mindfulness course. Individual Averydic diet plan. Vision boards, realistic goal planning . $95 per person 6 weeks- Tuesdays 10-12pm. Maximum of 6 participants. Find your true self. Feel more balanced and centred. Work through your inner energy systems and work on those that need support. Find mindfulness and the feeling of living in the present moment. Do away with negativity and bring in positive energy. Build your self-esteem and courage. Stop pretending to the world that which you are not. Become less judgemental and more forgiving. Find your purpose and serve others. Practice gratitude. Learn to observe your thoughts and begin taking control of your mind. Feel compassion for others no matter what they say or do to aggravate you. ' Dodge the arrows' thrown at you.' Be around people that, ' zap you and don't Sap you' of all your goodness. It's all up to you. Make the change happen within your body, mind and soul. Stay on the path to your own enlightenment. It's there for you, it needs commitment and time, but it can be found. It doesn't need fancy, 'out there' language and a non- analytical mind, just one that is willing to heal in its own time with its own reality and positive belief system. It needs an open mind and just respect for where these philosophies came from and how they have helped so many find a healthier, happier path with good morals and a positive outlook. Averydic diet. I have recently been more mindful of my diet and I've found benefits from following on from a diet based on my 'doshi', which is my personality type. I am mainly a 'vata' type and need nourishing, starchy type vegetables, especially in winter eg. Casseroles, hearty soups. Not too spicy foods, herbs light ginger and chamomile tea. I used to think potatoes and breads were a no no for me, but I need them to keep my weight in check and to feel full and grounded. If you would like to know more about your type of 'doshi'. I will be offering some help in this area and guidance if you'd like to try. I really do feel better and am less prone to sickness. Yoga with this type of eating has set me on a good path. Thinking 'why me?' Just leads to more misery. Pausing to breathe then thinking, what now? With compassion for yourself and others will lead to a better path. Have faith. Mindfulness what is mindfulness? Being aware of our surroundings. Focusing our minds. Mindfulness emotions: being aware of the impact our emotions can have on us. Self centred acts produce misery. Protecting ourselves from any challenge to our happiness by dwelling on ourselves and our perceived notions of outside disturbances causing our suffering, which may not even really exist but in our minds. Altruistic motivated actions work better if we are to stop the cycle of searching for happiness and creating more suffering by the self/centred behaviour. (Dalai Lama) Traditional cognitive therapy centres on how you explain your thoughts to another. Yoga therapy supports healing of your inner body and physical self, 'your emotional states that are imprinted in the state of the body's chemical profile' (Emerson,d. Hopper,e, 2011). Dealing with our emotions at a deeper level and recognising them as they arise. By noticing and observing our thoughts we can then learn to control them better and not be overwhelmed by them. Yoga therapy also focuses on treatment relating to learning to be in the present moment. Mantra ' I am safe, I am grounded and I trust that the universe has a solid plan for me.' I have access to infinite potential. Everything is a teaching for me. I am being guided, protected, and inspired every moment.' Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. 6 week beginner yoga, chakra balancing and meditation/mindfulness course. Individual Averydic diet plan. Vision boards, goal planning . $95:00 per person Tuesday mornings 10-12pm. Maximum of 6 participants. Find your true self. Feel more balanced and centred. Work through your inner energy systems and work on those that need support. Find mindfulness and the feeling of living in the present moment. Do away with negativity and bring in positive energy. Build your self-esteem and courage. Stop pretending to the world that which you are not. Become less judgemental and more forgiving. Find your purpose and serve others. Practice gratitude. Learn to observe your thoughts and begin taking control of your mind. Feel compassion for others no matter what they say or do to aggravate you. ' Dodge the arrows' thrown at you.' Be around people that, ' zap you and don't Sap you' of all your goodness. It's all up to you. Make the change happen within your body, mind and soul. Stay on the path to your own enlightenment. It's there for you, it needs commitment and time, but it can be found. It doesn't need fancy, 'out there' language and a non- analytical mind, just one that is willing to heal in its own time with its own reality and positive belief system. It needs an open mind and just respect for where these philosophies came from and how they have helped so many find a healthier, happier path with good morals and a positive outlook. Averydic diet. I have recently been more mindful of my diet and I've found benefits from following on from a diet based on my 'doshi', which is my personality type. I am mainly a 'vata' type and need nourishing, starchy type vegetables, especially in winter eg. Casseroles, hearty soups. Not too spicy foods, herbs light ginger and chamomile tea. I used to think potatoes and breads were a no no for me, but I need them to keep my weight in check and to feel full and grounded. If you would like to know more about your type of 'doshi'. I will be offering some help in this area and guidance if you'd like to try. I really do feel better and am less prone to sickness. Yoga with this type of eating has set me on a good path. Thinking 'why me?' Just leads to more misery. Pausing to breathe then thinking, what now? With compassion for yourself and others will lead to a better path. Have faith. References: Mindfulness for mums and dads. Overcoming trauma through yoga. Tracey. Yogamotorskills.com

Chapter 11- 1st generation-life with family domestic violence 1950's chapt. 9 My mother's story.

My brother and I played out on the street alot and my dad used to whistle at night at about 6pm to get us to come home. my mum and dad both worked every weekend at the Manly Fun Pier in Manly, Sydney. They would be there long hours and I would be taken in a basket when I was a baby and sit with mum in the ticket box. When I was older I went on the rides and to the beach and joined Manly swimming club. My parents would get home about 10pm at night and I would have done some housework for them and cooked my own dinner from the age of about 12yrs old. The atmosphere in the house was often very bad. During the week my dad would go to the pub every night and drink six to 10 beers in a sitting then come home. He was consistently drunk and came home in a really bad mood. My mother would sometimes nag him and he would get angry. My father lost his temper on many occasions. He was always very aggressive towards my brother who didnt like to retaliate. All I ever remember is my father shouting at my brother, "are you man or mouse!" At about 15yrs my brother defended himself in a fight and my dad put his fist through the wall. My mother would often faint on the floor after these episodes. My brother and I did not bring many friends home. I spent a lot of time in my bedroom looking out over the little creek outside my window with my little transistor radio up high so I couldn't hear the arguing. One time my father came home and the dinner knife was not straight on the table so he lost his temper and was saying my mother was slovenly and ripped the whole tablecloth off the table and smashed everything. My brother had a girlfriend and she fell pregnant at 19. My mother gave them Johns bedroom to sleep in for 6 months but it didnt work out as my mother and my brothers girlfriend didn't get on. So my brother and then wife left home at about 20. My father moved immediately into my brothers bedroom. The arguing continued and got worse through my teenage years. The arguing was so bad sometimes that I would go and sit out on the back steps. When I got a boyfriend we would sit out on back step and wait till the arguing died down so we could go out. My mother slept with a hammer underneath her pillow. One night I came home and my mother's nose was broken and she had black eyes. She never called the police and we were never allowed to let any of the family or friends and neighbours know what was going on. I ran around and shut all the windows so nobody would hear. My mother would tell people she had walked into a door or something to explain bruises. At 15yrs I went to live at my uncle Daves house and asked my mum to join me, but she replied, "who will make your dads lunches?' I stayed there for about three months and my mother rang me every day pleading me to come home. Eventually I came home.

Part 2 - yoga for trauma/anxiety- teens

Anxiety buster activities Where do you notice stress in your physical body? Are you in the present moment? Do you practice mindfulness to disengage from the story-line you are telling yourself? If stress is there we look at problems with greater influence and narrow mildly. We fix our thoughts and usually hold onto a limited perspective of what is happening. Ideas: reduce stress with regular physical exercise: walking, jogging and yoga postures. Daily mindfulness/ meditation practice. For example; a 10 minute breathing exercise. There are many good apps. available to guide you. If distracted - simply label the emotion/thought, then return to the focus of your breath. Notice any process of 'reactivity' to what is going on around you. Write a list: What's happening? My reaction. (include bodily sensations). When reactions happen: what are your choices? Re-connect to your breath. If your feeling stressed your front thinking part of your brain is affected. You are unable to think clearly. Don't let old memories cloud your responses to experience in the present. Remember we are hard-wired to remember the bad, the fears as this was necessary for humans to survive. Guiding principle of trauma sensitive yoga is giving back a sense of power and control to the survivor. Mountain Pose Meditation: Mountain pose feel feet on the floor. Neck rolls and choices Taking effective action- moving for comfort. Neck rolls for choices. Notice you have total control over what you are doing with your body. Shoulder rolls. Small or bigger movements. Creating interpersonal rhythms. Raising hands with breaths and then lowering. 54321 then release. Practice this instead. Ratio breathing or belly breathing. Rock forward and back and side to side then centre. Tree pose Sweeping arms out and over from mountain. Seated forward fold.

yoga for kids to teens, including treating trauma and anxiety.

Yoga involves a lot more than just the asanas- yoga postures. In my yoga classes I try to pass on ‘The eight limbs of yoga’ within the classes. The first limb is the set of Yamas and Niyamas- five observances to follow within our lives to gain more contentment and less attachment to our worries and other people. The first one being- Ahimsa: non-violence: being kind to others even if they are not kind to you. Which is harder then we think sometimes, but worth trying, as then we can see that everyone involved is less stressed if we take this action. Being kind to ourselves is something that can be followed within our yoga asana practice also. This would be by way of listening to our bodies and not over straining them to create the perfect pose (which in actual fact doesn't exist, as the perfect pose is what is what feels perfect to us within our own body. 'Himsa' is being kind, so if we treat our body as our 'temple' to cherish and care for, then we can also be more patient with ourselves and kind to our bodies as well as our inner self.Making our body our friend again is important in healing trauma. Feeling comfortable in our body and knowing we are safe and that we are in control again. The second Yama is Truthfulness. Third is 'non-stealing'. Your body is your sacred vehicle which takes you through life and we should treat it with respect by taking care of it. we don't need o obsess over it either, because that is when we loose touch of our true self.What lies beneath your outer shell and your thoughts is truly who you are. Your pure essence as you were when you were born, not tated by outside past and present influences and experiences. The fourth is 'honouring your body'. The fifth is 'non-greediness'. Even in the under 5's to teens we can mention these observances, for example; being kind, 'himsa', acting without judgement of others, sharing equipment, being respectful, helping to pack up. Did you know that the Sun Salutation is usually done with your eyes closed? This is not necessary when you first start, however over time you may find yourself doing this naturally, as it becomes a moving meditation. This traditional way must help you see that yoga is not about comparing yourself to others.Your breath and your mind are closely working together. Mental healing and physical healing can take place simultaneously. When your eyes are closed you can use a mantra like, 'so-ham' to focus your mind or count your breaths. ‘Perfection’ can be paralysing, particularly for teens, giving up and stopping them from even starting a task Again they learn from you. Do you worry over every tiny detail at work or home? Teach them to take scheduled breaks and reward themselves for completing a task. I remember in primary school I had almost no pages left in my exercise books because I'd ripped so many out due to my perfectionism. Come year 12 and I was burnt out and didn't sit my Yr. 12 exams, incase I failed! I was still awarded a pass though as the teachers thought I deserved something for all my hard work. I later went back to mature age learning. Kindness, persistence, humility and honesty are just as important as academic skills. Do you talk negatively about your own school experience to your children? Less efficient and effective learning takes place when we are multi-tasking. Encourage focus rather than multi-tasking. Do you often multi-task yourself? Be a good role-model for your child and help them to focus. Overcoming peer 'meanness' is important. If you shield him/her from trying to overcome these things teens won't be learning important life skills, including how to resolve conflict. Encourage pre-teens and teens to feel empathy for 'mean' girls, as there is usually a reason in their background that has made them behave the way they are behaving. Teach your teen to stand strong, show strength in their confidence in themselves to not be affected by another's behaviour. Top tips to help your child: #Encourage open communication with you as the parent and help them come up with their own solutions to problems. #Help them to move on eventually from the 'clique stage' to including and meeting new friends anywhere and anytime. #Encourage both close and casual friends. Not to limit herself to one friend. #Encourage her/him to be around friends who build her up and don't try to tear her down. #Be a good listener and explain to her that her friendship dilemmas should diminish (hopefully) as she gets older. #Help them to recognise the difference between a 'bitchy' gossiping clique and a more positive one, but don't try to force her to change her friends as she may then want to hang out with them more. #Subtle observations of her friends comes across better than belittling for them so the teen has to defend them. #Get to know the parents of your child's peer group. #Social connectedness and peer group acceptance is important to developing resilience. This can happen either in school or in the outside community. Both is even better. #Having at least one friend in a peer group that they can be honest and open with, helps your teen. #A sense of acceptance and belonging is the number one resilience building factor in your child's social and moral development. #Choose a school that supports psycho-social and emotional well-being as much as academic prowess. Kindness, persistence, humility and honesty are just as important as academic skills. #Try a loving, kindness affirmation with your child: - ‘May I be kind, may I be happy, may I feel at ease with my peers.’encourage them to use affirmations often to create a positive mind-set. Exercises: Mirror breathing exercises Mirror stretch exercises with them. This helps students reconnect with themselves, you as a parent and maybe a sibling. Counting the breath up to five or back from five can help children experience time and presence more clearly and see the beginning and end of a practice. As in life, we can more forward to something else without looking back or getting stuck in a posture or a thought. Reframe the behaviour- for young children. A good out-line is conveyed in the ‘Cognitive principle matrix’ of this suggestion. Relate back to and find the possible stressors, unmet needs or skills deficits that the child may be acting out because of. Read and relate to yoga- suffering and fear. Kleshas- considered in yoga philosophy as the root cause of all our suffering. (Pantanajali's yoga sutras). 1. Avidya - ignorance When we are ignorant of our true nature we experience pain and suffering. This is the part of you deep down that is always loving, peaceful and unchanging. 2. Asmata- egoism When we forget our true nature we overly identify with the concept of 'I, me and mine'. We forget that our energies are all connected and can also take things too personally and put ourselves done. 3. Raga- attachments Strong attachment to our desires. Let go of the attachment to desire things, rather have goals to work towards, which is healthier than having an obsession or perfectionism. 4. Dvesa- Aversions Letting ourselves be controlled by our desires means if they are not met then we can turn away from them and develop aversions towards them. Fear- (relates to cognitive matrix) If above ways of being are taking place we can then start to feel fear of change. If we eliminate the first Klesha, ignorance we can then dissolve all the other afflictions. If we meditate and do yoga with focus on our true nature, then there is no room for all of the above. Daily rituals of mindfulness and meditation can help. Affirmations starting with 'I am .........' ‘I am love. I am peaceful.’ This advice does not heal trauma from physical pain- tissues, bones. Here it relates to suffering of your inner self, your soul. Although you can hang onto pain in your body after the trauma, which can also be a sauce of on-going suffering relating to your true self and ultimately needs to be released with proper professional support. References: Emerson,D. Hopper, E. Overcoming Trauma through yoga. Reclaiming your body. North Atlantic Books, California. http://kids health.org. Meek, J. The five klesha said-the roots of pain and suffering. Yoga times (accessed 5 Sept. 2017). Worsley, L. The Resilience Doughnut. The secrets of strong kids. Karres ,Sherin, E. Branstetter, R. The conscious parent’s guide to raising girls.