Mind Over Matter
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All photos courtesy of Lauren Snelgrove.
Lauren is one of those kind of friends. We've known each other since high school journalism, but only after we both graduated and reconnected in our college years did we discover we share a love for yoga. She is one of very few people who I feel super comfortable with talking about my yoga, and she brings ease and peace into all aspects of her life (and her friendships!). Lauren is working on her teacher training right now and has done some amazing work on visualization techniques and meditation as well.
Last Christmas when I was home, she came over for dinner and afterward guided me through the most amazing savasana -- complete with little hand adjustments and massage technique that left me feeling super relaxed. It was so lovely.
Lauren is a fearless, bright, beautiful lady with a lot to offer her yoga students. Here are a few of her reflections on the practice of meditation. I completely agree with what she has to say about our ability to control our perception of the world around us -- once we begin to engage with our own story, we can write it the way we want to.
Enjoy!
How's that for fearlessness? :) Man, I love this girl.
by Lauren Snelgrove
Many practices of yoga are said to incorporate the mind, the body and the spirit. The physical benefits of practice are probably the most obvious ones, and the quickest to show. In my own life, I've been most grateful for the mental effects of yoga and meditation.
One of the greatest neurological discoveries, in my opinion, is neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain and nervous system in all species to change structurally and functionally as a result of input from environment. In other words, no matter what age you are, you have the ability to rewire your brain and change who you are as a person through your behavior, thoughts and environment.
This concept has been incredibly empowering to me. Formerly, scientists thought that once a brain was wired that it was permanent. Turns out, it's not.
If you are a practitioner of yoga or meditation, you are doing wonderful things for your mind and body. Practicing things like breathing techniques and toxin release on a regular basis imprints in your brain a desire for these activities, as well as other things that make you feel the same way. It's no wonder you see people start practicing yoga and shortly afterward fall into healthier eating and lifestyle patterns.
Science has proven that repeated thought and action rewire your brain. The more you do something, the stronger the neural networks that support that behavior become. The tranquility, strength and stress coping mechanisms you practice in yoga and/or meditation can become deeply engraved into your brain and allow you to practice these things off the mat--in traffic, on the phone with your mom, at the office, etc.
In 2009 I spent time researching these benefits in Cape Town, South Africa. I worked with a group of 11 teenage girls in a home for abused children. Specifically, I utilized visualization techniques through creative writing exercises and yoga practice. At the end of one of our carefully structured yoga classes, I led the girls through a meditative narrative I wrote, targeting a specific emotion or situation. For example, we focused on anger for a period of time. I provided the girls with vivid imagery within the narratives which they could associate with a specific feeling. The girls became active characters in their own stories.
After a while, the girls could change their mental associations to help them cope with abuse or the emotions caused by their abuse. They practiced rewiring their brains to not react violently to anger or stress, among other things. Not all of the girls showed improvement; but then, not all all of the girls took it seriously or believed in me or themselves. The power lies inside the person.
The longer a neural network has existed in your mind, the longer it will take to rewire it. If you have felt incompetent your entire life--not pretty enough, not strong enough, not good enough--the change you're seeking won't happen overnight. With consistent practice and faith in yourself, though, you can rely on your brain and body to transform yourself.
Yoga has changed my life. If you want change in yours, don't become discouraged, don't give up, and go find the power that's living inside you. With willpower and focus, you can change.
Thanks, Lo, for taking the time to share, and for your compassionate perspective. Namaste!
