yoga & mindfulness for people who stare at computers all day
TRANSCRIPT
Yoga and Mindfulness— for people who stare —
at computers all day
Julie Cameron @jewlofthelotus Tech Lead RYT 200
Why are you here?
How did I get here?
Technology brought me here.
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So I just did yoga.
And it’s helped to manage the pain and
stress associated with my computer bound lifestyle.
And so here I am.
Yoga & Mindfulness
Balance
What We’ll Cover• Our digital based lives
• What is mindfulness?
• Mindfulness techniques
• What is yoga?
• In the workplace
• Practice
Our digital based lives
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PAIN
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STRESS
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Balance
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Being present.
Being aware.
Just noticing.
Accepting where you’re at.
Acknowledging your feelings—
But not letting them control you.
Being grateful.
Acting from a place of love for all life.
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Bringing awareness to your desk & computer habits.
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Posture Science• Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember
positive memories or think of something positive1
1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
Posture Science• Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember
positive memories or think of something positive1
• Good posture in the presence of stress can increase self-esteem, improve your mood, and lower fear2
1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
Posture Science• Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember
positive memories or think of something positive1
• Good posture in the presence of stress can increase self-esteem, improve your mood, and lower fear2
• Body language can affect mood and decision making - power poses decrease cortisol and increase testosterone - increasing disease resistance and leadership abilities3
1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
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Computer Vision Syndrome• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Neck pain
• Fatigue
• Eye strain
• Dry eyes
• Irritated eyes
• Double vision
• Vertigo
• Polyopia
• Difficulty focusing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vision_syndrome
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Apple Night Shift
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Pranayama
Pranayama
life force
Pranayama
expansion
life force
The Science
• Breathing is a faculty of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
The Science
• Breathing is a faculty of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
• The ANS is comprised of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
• When fight or flight fires up:
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
• When fight or flight fires up:• heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
• When fight or flight fires up:• heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up
• stress hormones enter the bloodstream
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
• When fight or flight fires up:• heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up
• stress hormones enter the bloodstream
• breathing speeds up (in order to load the body up with oxygen in preparation for reaction)
The Science• The sympathetic nervous system
commands your fight or flight response
• When fight or flight fires up:• heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up
• stress hormones enter the bloodstream
• breathing speeds up (in order to load the body up with oxygen in preparation for reaction)
• Non-life-threatening stressors can also trigger this response
The Science
• The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
The Science
• The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
• When the parasympathetic system is dominant:
The Science
• The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
• When the parasympathetic system is dominant:
• heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers
The Science
• The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
• When the parasympathetic system is dominant:
• heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers
• breathing slows down
The Science
• The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
• When the parasympathetic system is dominant:
• heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers
• breathing slows down
• the body and mind calm down
We can intentionally slow down and deepen
the breath to return to a parasympathetic state.
The Science• “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in
mice”, Krasnow, 2017
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
The Science• “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in
mice”, Krasnow, 2017
• They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
The Science• “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in
mice”, Krasnow, 2017
• They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing
• They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
The Science• “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in
mice”, Krasnow, 2017
• They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing
• They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention
• When these 175 respiratory neurons were silenced, mice reacted calmly when put in a normally stressful situation
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
The Science• “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in
mice”, Krasnow, 2017
• They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing
• They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention
• When these 175 respiratory neurons were silenced, mice reacted calmly when put in a normally stressful situation
• When breathing is slowed, these neurons don’t signal the arousal center
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
The Natural Breath
Sama Vritti PranayamaEqual Breathing
Sama Vritti PranayamaEqual Breathing
same fluctuations
Ujjayi PranayamaVictorious Breathing
AKA Darth Vader Breathing
Kumbhaka PranayamaRetention Breathing or Square Breathing
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Meditation is about noticing and letting go.
Proven Benefits
• Less anxiety
• Less stress
• Less depression
• Less loneliness
• Less pain
• Less inflammation
• More focus
• More creativity
• Better memory
• More positivity
• More compassion
• Increased immunity
Source
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intelligentchange.com/products/the-five-minute-journal
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Yoga
What is yoga?
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Yoga is for everybody.
Yoga is for everybody. every body.
Yoga is a practice.
Yogato unite
Yoga
to tie the strands of the mind together
Yoga
to tie the strands of the mind together
to attain what was previously unattainable
Yoga
to tie the strands of the mind together
to attain what was previously unattainable
directing the mind without distraction or interruption
YogaYoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought
collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1
1 The Joy of Yoga
YogaYoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought
collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1
Yoga has its origins in the Vedas - the oldest record of Indian culture (5000-1700 BCE)
1 The Joy of Yoga
YogaYoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought
collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1
Yoga has its origins in the Vedas - the oldest record of Indian culture (5000-1700 BCE)
1 The Joy of Yoga
Yoga became systematized sometime before 400 BE by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra
Patanjali defined an “8-limbed” path called, Ashtanga, that provided instruction for living a meaningful life of purpose, morality, self-care,
and clarity of mind.
Rachael Flatt
1.Yamas - Self-restraints
2.Niyamas - Purification & Self-Study
3.Asanas - Physical postures
4.Pranayama - Breath control
5.Pratyahara - Control of the senses
6.Dharana - Control of the mind
7.Dhyana - Meditation
8.Samadhi - Bliss / Oneness / Nirvana Greed
A system for living a meaningful life—full of
purpose, morality, self-care, and clarity of mind.
The alignment of mind, body, and breath.
The physical practice (asana) is a moving meditation.
We focus first on the breath.
Yoga can be as challenging as you want it to be.
Yoga is what you make of it.
Physical Benefits• Increased flexibility
• Increased muscle strength
• Improved respiration
• Balanced metabolism
• Weight loss
• Reduced chronic pain
• Boosts immunity
• Improved cardio & circulatory health
• Protection from injury - prevents cartilage and joint breakdown
• Better bone health
• Improved posture
• Increased blood flow
• Reduces blood pressure
YogaJournal
We need to keep moving.
Yoga is a mindful way to heal and protect your mind and body.
In the workplace
Benefits Include• Enhanced emotional well-being
• Increased resilience to stress
• Increased empathy and patience
• Improved self-confidence
• Enhanced ability to focus and multi-task
• Improved engagement & performance
• Reduced burnout
• Reduced back pain
• Relief from repetitive & strain related pain
• Reduced illness-related time off
• Reduced healthcare costs (up to 43%!!1)
1 Study
What company doesn’t want all that for their people?
Things To Try
• Group meditations
• Group breathing exercises
• Group yoga classes
• Online mindfulness training
There are plenty of fantastic online resources available. Use them. Or hire out, if the budget allows.
You can do all of this at your desk, at any time.
Workplace mileage my vary.
Let’s practice…
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Mindfulness is a practice.
Tech is a giving culture.
We need to give back to ourselves first.
Namaste@jewlofthelotus
Articulate
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