On Why Calm Isn’t Always the Place to Start with Dr Lauren Tober
Have you ever been told to relax, and found you just couldn’t?
Or taught a yoga class for nervous system regulation, only to find your students struggling to stay still and looking unsettled or bored?
The first time I tried yoga nidrā, I spent forty minutes twitching and wriggling, waiting for it to be over, while my boyfriend (now husband) slept happily beside me.
In this solo episode, I share what that taught me about why calming practices don’t always calm us, and why nervous system regulation is about so much more than slowing down and long exhalations.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why calming practices can sometimes make it harder to calm down
- My first, very wriggly experience of yoga nidrā, and what it taught me about meeting yourself where you are
- What can help when you’re feeling wired: moving first, then gradually slowing down
- Hyperarousal and hypoarousal, rajas and tamas, in plain language
- Why nervous system regulation isn’t only about slowing down, and how to gently build energy when you’re feeling flat
- When feeling flat calls for rest instead, and how yoga nidrā got me through having two kids under three
- The three guṇas, and why we need a little rajas and tamas too
- Why you don’t need to be calm all the time
- A simple check-in: do you need to move, or to rest?
- For yoga teachers: what to do when students arrive wired, flat, or somewhere in between
LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY + EVERY WHERE YOU FIND GREAT PODCASTS
Dr Lauren Tober (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist, Yoga Teacher, founder of the Yoga Psychology Institute, host of the A Grateful Life podcast and author of Mental Health Aware Yoga: A Guide for Yoga Teachers.
Lauren developed the Mental Health Aware Yoga training to help yoga teachers make their classes safe, nourishing and transformative for all.
FOR THE SEEKERS
COMMUNITY
FREE EBOOK
The information provided on this blog is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.
Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs for professional training.
Any statements, claims or endorsements expressed by our guest authors, speakers and podcast sponsors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Mental Health Aware Yoga and the Yoga Psychology Institute.
MUSIC FOR NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION
Join our thriving community of seekers, dreamers, yoga teachers, health professionals and curious humans, and gain instant access to our curated Spotify playlist for nervous system regulation.
Designed to help you feel calm, focused and grounded in minutes, this playlist is your go-to tool to create balance in your day.
MORE BLOG POSTS
On AI in Yoga with Lizzie Lasater
Will AI take over from yoga teachers? Join Lizzie Lasater and me as we explore this new frontier of AI in yoga...
On Holding Nothing with Elena Brower
Join Elena Brower (she/her) and I as we explore her incredible new book, Hold Nothing. This conversation is an...
On My Journey with Mental Health Aware Yoga with Dr Lauren Tober
So many people keep asking me if I have an audio version of my book, Mental Health Aware Yoga, so I’m doing something...
BLOG CATEGORIES
Western Psychology
Yoga Psychology
Safe Container
Therapeutic Skills
Yoga Practices
Mental Health Crisis
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Hi, I'm Dr Lauren Tober!
As a Clinical Psychologist and Yoga Teacher of nearly two decades and the author of Mental Health Aware Yoga: A Guide for Yoga Teachers, I'm passionate about integrating yoga and psychology on the mat, in the counselling room and in the world.
With the growing interest in mental health and yoga, yoga students are attending yoga classes for the mental health benefits in unprecedented numbers.
In fact, 79.4% of yoga students report practicing yoga for the mental health benefits.
It's important that Yoga Teachers know how to support them.
I'm glad you're here.
LET'S STAY CONNECTED
Be the first to hear about online and world wide in-person trainings BEFORE registration opens
Receive your invitation to join our closed Mental Health Aware Yoga Facebook group for teachers
Download the Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober