Even the most chilled-out yogi is likely to have experienced stress during 2020. But, now in a new year, can yoga stop us tipping into overwhelm or even burnout? Stress happens when the body/mind system feels under threat. Our rational brain (the prefrontal cortex) is hijacked as the emotional brain interprets stressors such as fear of losing our job, trying to manage childcare or worrying about falling ill as danger
This triggers the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline via the fight or flight response. There is no problem if we rest after the emergency has passed, as then our parasympathetic system (the other branch of the ANS) can repair the body.