Yoga and Stress
Stress is a natural part of life, but when it becomes chronic or overwhelming due to lifestyle or past trauma, it can affect our physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, sleep, and overall quality of life. Chronic stress has become increasingly common in modern-day living, shaped not only by the pressures of work, caring responsibilities, and social demands, but also by the wider geopolitical climate, economic uncertainty, and global events that impact our sense of safety and stability.
My approach brings together trauma-informed yoga, nervous system education, and practical self-regulation tools to help people understand the physiology of stress and build sustainable skills for grounding, resilience, and long-term wellbeing.
Understanding Stress: A Short Introduction to Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how the nervous system shapes our responses to stress, threat, and safety.
It explains that our bodies move through different states depending on how safe or overwhelmed we feel:
Ventral vagal (safe & connected) – when we feel calm, grounded, and able to engage with others
Sympathetic (fight or flight) – when stress rises and the body prepares for action
Dorsal vagal (shutdown or overwhelm) – when stress becomes too much and the system withdraws or collapses
These shifts are automatic, shaped by past experiences, and influenced by the body more than the thinking mind.
By learning how to recognise these states—and how to gently support our system back toward safety—we can change the way we respond to stress in everyday life.
How Yoga Can Help
Yoga offers powerful, evidence-informed tools for supporting the nervous system and managing stress.
Through movement, breath, and mindful awareness, yoga can help:
Increase interoception (the ability to feel what is happening inside the body)
Support regulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
Reduce physical tension and stress hormones
Improve mood, sleep, focus, and emotional balance
Build a consistent toolkit for responding to stressful moments
Strengthen resilience and a sense of groundedness
Resources
Books
Trauma Sensitive Yoga in Therapy, David Emerson
Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga, David Emerson & Elizabeth Hopper
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory, by Deb Dana
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Yourself whilst Caring for Others, by Connie Burk and Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
The Body Keeps the Score, Besse van Der Kolk.
The Myth of Normal , Gabor Mate with Daniel Mate.
Inflamed: Deep Medicine & the Anatomy of Injustice, Rupa Marya & Raj Patel.