Mother, mother 

There’s too many of you crying 

During the pandemic I engulfed myself in booze and music. Usually inattentive to lyrics I started to memorize my favorite words as I religiously sang night after night. I can imagine that the constant sounds of me shrilly, loudly, and drunkenly, singing along with Marvin Gaye or Barbara Streisand while baking cookies at 3am (daily), drove my neighbors up the wall.  

But I didn’t know how else to cope. It wasn’t the quarantine that was frustrating, the introvert in me actually welcomed the time inside. Instead, I didn’t know how to cope with what was going on outside. I had gotten to a point where I purposefully disconnected myself from current events and lived in a stubborn head-in-the-sand state of mind. The news would prompt a bone deep feeling of weariness. Naturally, I felt guilty because I had begun to resent the constant stream of trauma and suffering that I encountered every time I turned on my television. I resented the newscasters and the politicians, my co-workers who could talk of nothing else, and the social media creators who took away my one source of escape from the real world. Whatmore, I felt guilty because I was centering myself and my struggle when I should have been focused on those who were being harmed. 

Brother, brother, brother 

There’s far too many of you dying 

Instead of confronting the truth, I would go home and drink alone every night, put Netflix on a loop, online shop, blast music, and engage in many other avoidant behaviors. I truly believed I was the only person experiencing this funk until studies on the rise of news fatigue, depression, and anxiety started rolling out. Over two thirds of Americans were experiencing the same funky mood and this perked me up a little. I told myself that there was something to this idea and they were going to figure out a solution. So, I waited. Articles on yoga started flooding my feeds. I kept waiting. Brands like Tonal and Peloton increased their advertisements. And I waited. My job was offering meditation courses. Then, shocked, I realized that this was their solution, no reduction in negative news or innovative social media filters, no legislation to address the systemic issues underfoot, and definitely no happy pill to make it all a bit more bearable. 

For a long time, I was flabbergasted that all these scientists and innovators had managed to come up with was something I had done sporadically since college: alternative health care. I was skeptical, disappointed that there was no easy fix. But one night, as I gazed doubtfully at a meditation app, I paused and remembered how I used to feel so elated every time I reached the end of a yoga class. The peace and clarity of mind after meditation, as if the volume of a boombox had been turned down, I suddenly craved that feeling. I knew it would take work to grasp that sensation but I dove in. 

You know we’ve got to find a way 

To bring some loving here today, yeah 

Relaxation. That was the feeling, no, the state of being that I had been craving. I had been in a chronic stress loop from before the onset of the pandemic and onslaught of traumatic news that followed. The alternative practices I picked up, like meditation, made a hell of an impact and I loved the sense of ease I floated through the days with. But unfortunately, I didn’t stick with those practices for long. Like clockwork, my job became busy again, I had obligations to family and friends, the sun started to set sooner and the leaves became crisp and brown. I barely noticed the slow and incremental conquest that stress had on me. I thought I was still doing great. Yeah, I hadn’t worked out or done any breathing exercises in a few weeks but did it really make much of a difference? 

Father, father 

We don’t need to escalate. 

That song again...stuck in my head repeating over and over. I was at the sink rinsing out a whiskey glass for the third time that night, while I hummed that old Marvin Gaye tune, I was trying not to cry, and I realized, things were starting all over, not that they had really abated. I had gotten good at ignoring my stressors. I had also learned how to mask my own stress and anxiety but now the threads were starting to come loose. I was going through it. I had ignored it for a long time and I didn’t know the cost.  

Ok! What a long-winded journey but we needed the context to get here. Do me a favor and think about all of the things stressing you out right now, whether you’ve admitted it to yourself or not.  

Exactly. Sis, you need to chill and here’s why. Nikesha Elise Williams wrote an eye-opening article that outlined the following reasons to get back into the relaxation inducing practice of fitness: 

1. Epigeneticists have found that black families are dealing with the stress from their own lived experiences AND their ancestors 

2. Black women also experience heightened levels of race-based triggers that activate and release, the stress hormone, cortisol over an extended period of time 

3. As a result, black women have heightened cortisol levels 

4. Cortisol can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension 

There are even studies showing things like the positive correlation between everyday discrimination and the incidence of hypertension and breast cancer for black women. The studies I scrolled through had me sweating. To think that we’re more prone to these diseases because we’re not only black but also women is sobering and a little unfair. But that’s how it is and this isn’t a blog for women who would take that news sitting down. I’m writing this for YOU! I know you’ll act upon this fact: fitness isn’t just exercise, it’s also comprised of alternative practices like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing. Today we’ll be learning about yoga and how it can benefit the body – for example: did you know that it can trigger the relaxation response, “a physiological state characterized by a slower heart rate, metabolism, rate of breathing, lower blood pressure, and slower brain wave patterns” (Benson, Herbert, and Eileen M. Stuart. The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining Health and Treating Stress-Related Illness. Carol Publishing, 1992.)? Don’t worry, I’m going to make sure that all the suggestions here in this blog are accessible to everyone, so let’s dig in! 

When I first got into yoga, I was surrounded by a sea of skinny white women. I went to a predominantly white college and wasn’t surprised. In fact, at the time, I barely noticed. It wasn’t until post-grad that I looked around the room of my yoga class, in the heart of chocolate city, and realized that, once again, I was the only black woman. It struck me as wrong, outside there were black people shopping and sitting on their stoops and yet an eerie microcosm of whiteness invaded their space and also excluded them. I didn’t realize how shook I was until I found a yoga studio in Maryland that was owned by a, drumroll please, badass black woman! The students were majority PoC. I was floored, ecstatic, and enthusiastic. I felt like I finally belonged. This innovative black female wellness business owner had a saying I absolutely loved: Yoga is for everybody and every BODY. No matter race, creed, income or size there was a spot on the floor for everyone. 

And that’s what I have to share with you about yoga. It’s a wide and diverse practice made for a wide and diverse race of people. No matter your budget, time restrictions, abilities, past experiences, or physical obstacles, yoga is for YOU. So, let’s get into it. 

The Proof 

In their 2021 study, Yoga Practice Is Beneficial for Maintaining Healthy Lifestyle and Endurance Under Restrictions and Stress Imposed by Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic, Nagarathna and Anand found the following: Those who exercise but do not practice yoga report higher anxiety and lower energy than those who do practice yoga. 

Some of the other proven benefits of yoga: 

• Increases flexibility and agility 

• Promotes better balance 

• Increases feelings of well-being and improves body image 

• Regulates high blood pressure 

• Reduces pain 

• Helps relieve depression 

• Reduces stress 

• Reduces tension, anxiety, and worry 

• Helps relieve premenstrual and menopausal symptoms 

• Increases cardiovascular function 

• Elicits the relaxation response 

What more needs to be said? The rest of this article will dig into the different kinds of yoga, what they’re good for, and who should try it. 

Ashtanga Yoga 

For you if: you like reliability and would appreciate a practice that has the same postures, in the same order, from class to class. 

What it is: Ashtanga yoga “is a body awareness technique that helps you experience deeper levels of peace, increased energy, better health, and greater happiness.” (MacGreggor, Kino. Introduction. The Power of Ashtanga Yoga, by MacGreggor, Boston & London, Shambhala, 2013, pp. xi-xvii.) In plain terms, it is a practice that is arranged sequentially so that each pose builds on the previous one and increases in difficulty. It requires three points of attention to the yoga poses (asanas), yogic breathing techniques, and a specific gazing point for each movement. This two-hour class is practiced every day except for Saturdays, new moons, and full moons by a student who moves through the sequence on their own while the instructor walks around the class giving individualized instruction (Stephens, Mark. "Modern Hatha Yoga." Teaching Yoga, Essential Foundations and Techniques. Berkeley, North Atlantic Books, 2010, pp. 29-30.). The Primary Series is the beginning level of this highly focused practice. 

Proven to: Ashtanga yoga has been found to increase postural stability, optimize tasks where judgment needs to be minimally influenced by external signals, have positive effectiveness on bone density, and to help calm the mind by minimally reducing brain activity. 

26&2 (Bikram) Yoga 

For you if: you like the sound of Ashtanga yoga but need some added heat. 

What it is: Bikram yoga is a set of twenty-six postures and two breathing exercises practiced in a room set to at least 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Each posture is performed twice in a set sequence that doesn’t change from class to class. In acknowledgement of recent controversies surrounding the practice’s creator, Bikram Choudhury, this class is now commonly called 26&2 in an increasing number of yoga studios. 

26&2 has been found to impact the following: increased lower body strength and range of motion, improved balance, decreased BMI, decreased cholesterol, less time needed to fall asleep, and improved mindfulness and perceived stress. 

Iyengar Yoga 

For you if: you are looking for a disciplined practice as well as a practice that welcomes you as you are, no matter your physical limitations. 

What it is: Iyengar yoga is a precise yoga practice that focuses on a very specific alignment in each pose, a deep awareness of how each part of your body is positioned, and being able to find comfort in that posture. Poses are held for a long duration so that alignment can be perfected. However, within the teaching of the practice, a focus on stability is stressed before delving into intricacies. Props (such as walls, chairs, blocks, straps, and blankets) are used so that the yoga is accessible to anyone and also to further improve alignment. Eventually, it is anticipated that the practice becomes reflective and meditative. 

Iyengar yoga has shown to improve pain intensity, to improve breathing capacity, energy, and sleep, and to significantly decrease the symptoms of depression. 

Kundalini Yoga 

For you if: you want a practice that focuses more on the meditative component of yoga. 

What it is: Kundalini yoga focuses on breath, physical movement, energy, and chakras. During this practice “a variety of techniques are used to move energy up through the chakras using several different asanas, pranayama, mantras, and mudras.” (Stephens, Mark. "Modern Hatha Yoga." Teaching Yoga, Essential Foundations and Techniques. Berkeley, North Atlantic Books, 2010, pp. 39-40.). Kundalini is an intense practice that seemingly stretches you beyond your limits for a transformative effect. 

Kundalini yoga has been proven to lower cortisol levels, decrease perceived stress, foster post-traumatic growth, and facilitate both short- and long-term improvement in executive function. 

Restorative Yoga 

For you if: you want to heal the effects of chronic stress in a way that nurtures your mind and body without the physical intensity of other branches of yoga. 

What it is: Restorative yoga is a practice that puts you into a state of active relaxation. Unlike other kinds of yoga that start off with active poses followed by a few restorative postures, this type of yoga places all of the emphasis on the restorative postures. Partially created by and wholly inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar, restorative yoga is typically practiced while lying down with a plethora of props. The postures create specific physiological responses that are beneficial to health and can reduce the effects of stress-related disease (Lasater, Judith Hanson. "Restorative Yoga: The Antidote to Stress." Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. 2nd ed., Berkely, Rodmell Press, 2011, pp. 3-9.). It relieves the effects of chronic stress through the use of props, moving the spine in multiple directions, including inverted poses, stimulating and soothing the organs, and balancing masculine (prana) and feminine (apana) energies. 

Restorative yoga has been proven to alleviate stress, benefit positive emotional outcomes and decrease fatigue, and improve fasting glucose levels. It has also shown to be is an easier practice to commit to and maintain. 

Trauma-Informed Yoga 

I think it’s important that we discuss the role that trauma plays in our lives and how we can address it. Trauma is the emotional response to a distressing or disturbing event that can cause an individual to feel helpless and unable to cope. The sudden and unpredictable nature of traumatic events also undermines the individual’s sense of safety and creates the perception that catastrophic events could happen at any time. 

Trauma-informed yoga seeks to create a safer yoga practice for individuals with a history of trauma and to improve emotional and physical wellbeing. Students of trauma-informed yoga tend to report improved emotional self-regulation as well as emotional and physical wellbeing. Many kinds of yoga can be viewed as trauma-informed and it is always good to ask before booking your class.  

Where to Start & Tools 

If you’re just getting back into your yoga practice or if you’re completely new, start off with five minutes of yoga twice a week. This is easy, attainable, and fast. The point is not to create a grand plan that you end up failing to maintain. Make your goals small to start so you feel more accomplished. Stay where you need to stay for as long as you’re comfortable, until you are finally motivated to add on more time to your practice. 

Here’s What’s Coming 

This is just the first in a three-part series on relaxation techniques. The other two techniques we will dive into together are breathing and meditation. Expect to start seeing more wellness content from September Set as well as resources to help you achieve your wellness goals. We are committed to providing accessible and fun information that answers your questions. If you have any questions or suggestions for future content, please let us know in the chat below!