Yoga is a self-empowering practice with a great potential to support grounding and safety. We can find nurturing embodiment through simple movements, befriend our sensations, become aware of the breath and hereby reconnect with ourselves and our surroundings.
In times of sudden changes, insecurity or stress, our mental resilience gets challenged and we often disconnect from the present moment. How we respond to the difficulties of life is highly individual. We might pull back or defend ourselves vigorously, we might suffer quietly coping with the given situation, or psychological pressure accumulates leading to mental illness.
The key for balancing mental distress lies in empowerment and accessibility. Not everything works for everyone. The way to sustain self-care in our lives often starts with something small and once it feels integrated, we might introduce one new thing at a time. Having the tools to explore the Self, our innate wisdom – to understand and deal with personal experiences and behavior motivates us to engage in the journey towards resilience and self-compassion.

How can gradual stabilization and a greater degree of inner freedom be promoted in meaningful ways?
First of all, it is important for me as a yoga teacher accompanying someone who is in anguish and despair to

• be a clear, approachable, reliable companion
• offer an environment in which one can feel safe
• start with a non-judgmental perception of what is and work open-mindedly with the client’s presented symptoms and strengths
• mindful not to get caught in a helper syndrome, but rather be clearly responsible for the encounter, offer full trust in the client’s capability and reinforce their confidence (“You can do it”)
• use the potential of yoga by working with the body, the breath and the mind and offer insight through the philosophical concepts (e.g., yama niyama)
• be sure, that there is some social network supporting the person and if necessary, encourage him/her to talk to a doctor – as a Yoga teacher it is essential to know our own limits and to concentrate on our core competencies!

Some key interventions for an immediate experience of self-centering are:

• a protected place (security cf. polyvagal theory)
• active listening, paraphrasing to allow the individual’s inner understanding and wisdom to emerge – a wonderful resource to dive into listening skills is a podcast by Dr. Lauren Tober “A grateful life – on listening well”
• progressing from thinking – being trapped in narratives, circling around diagnoses, circumstances, dead ends – to perceiving and conscious, non-judgmental body and breath awareness by
  • feeling the ground under the feet, arms and hands resting
  • connecting with sensations and breath by placing the hands on the body
  • simple breath awareness; noticing/watching the breath come in and go out with gentle curiosity and no need to change anything (involuntary flow of breath)
  • even breath coordinated with simple movements in samasthiti or in a stable seated position (a more voluntary way of breathing)
  • āsana supported by the ground; for example, on all fours perhaps humming from cakravākāsana sinking into bālāsana
  • rest poses during the practice to slow down and feel the effect
  • getting to know and cultivate helpful inner and outer posture(s)
  • observe the coming and going of sensations

What is already helping the person?
In my experience most people know what they need and what arises from within is much more motivating than every well-meaning advice could possibly be. So, it´s incredibly valuable to inquire about personal preferences and experiences aiming to make it easy to get started: “What can you do today to feel a little better/more at ease?”
Continuing this way, we build an “emotional first aid toolkit” of things that resonate and can be done:

• sigh out, make movements to release tension, connect with the body and breath, take a walk, repeat a Metta sentence, listen to a recorded relaxation practice, become aware of needs and boundaries, ask for support – we all need help from time to time…

Finding out what is helpful and feasible (less is often more!) loosens the grip of the entanglement. Everything is an experiment – day by day – and I encourage the person to acknowledge over time the things that have gone well.

Coming back to my own self-care I am aware that it is not about “I can fix this”. As the companion, remaining calm and settled during the encounter and winding down afterwards requires me to

• be clearly aware of my own role and be able to let go so that the issues of others do not overwhelm me; YS 1:33 fits well with this, especially upeksā
• be authentic, meaning “live what you teach” or the other way round “you cannot give what you do not have”
• let go of the fruits of my actions and don’t expect all my great ideas to be well received
• establish a ritual to clear my energy and protect myself
• maintain professional exchange and mentoring

The poet Terence once said, “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto,” meaning “I am a human being, nothing human is unfamiliar to me.” We all share the human experience, we care for each other and support emotional wellbeing and growth by our wholehearted presence, working together towards a state of mind that is called Yoga.

I am Katharina Lehman – registered yoga teacher (E-RYT500, YACEP), licensed practitioner for psychotherapy and art teacher. This article is inspired from working with my colleagues Janne Anger and Anneke Sips.