How yoga can help you notice yourself

If you haven’t yet read The Body Keeps the Score, drop what you’re doing and bump it up your reading list. The book is written by Bessel van der Kolk, MD: widely known as the world’s leading expert on the treatment of trauma.

It’s a New York Times best-seller, and for good reason. While it describes van der Kolk’s research and experiences in treating traumatic stress, his insights have tremendous value for – frankly – anybody.

It might not surprise you too much that yoga comes up as one of the recommended treatment paths.

Why? As van der Kolk puts it, yoga (and other non-Western practices) “can help you notice yourself.” This interoception (the ability to notice what is going on inside your body) can be a powerful way to come into the present and help your body find calm.

The calm voice of the yoga teacher, and the quiet encouragement to just focus, to not dissociate, and the guided power of breathing to just feel what you’re feeling and to notice that your feelings are there and keep changing… You become aware of what actually goes on in your body.

And the next time someone doesn’t say good morning to you, you don’t get overwhelmed by your feelings; you notice what goes on in your body… And instead of [hurting] yourself, you may take some time to breathe and to notice what’s going on, and to restore that inner sense of calm without popping a pill...