by Carol Blanchard, Master Wellness Volunteer

When I contemplated this question what popped into my mind was Tina Turner’s poignant song “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” Tina’s soulful song describing the anguish of heartbreak answers its own question. Love has everything to do with “it”, meaning life. Without love, life is empty and can feel painful.

Similarly, yoga and meditation, provide the foundation of being well and at peace with ourselves by discovering that we each have our hands on the dials and levers of our own happiness and joy. Yoga and meditation are deep mindfulness tools that, when practiced, slow down the automatic thinking that dominates our experience of life. In other words, these mindfulness practices reduce stress. Stress is what weighs us down emotionally and leads us into making unhealthy eating, exercise and even relationship choices. Over time, these unhealthy patterns become ruts that limit and blind us to what life has to offer.

So exactly how do these tools actually work? The answers are found in hundreds of scientific research and studies beginning with Dr. Herbert Benson’s “Relaxation Response” that I’ve hyperlinked here for you to read.. I also like Dr. Stephen W. Porges “Polyvagal Theory” body of work that expands our understanding of our autonomic nervous system and how that relates to healing emotional and physical trauma. Not being a scientist, I rely on training from yoga and meditation masters steeped in the arts of yoga and meditation developed over thousands of years in India, China and other cultures.

Again, yoga and meditation work with mindfully working with our breath, body and mind softly releasing stress and replacing uncontrolled thoughts with selected images, words or sounds. These practices have endured the test of time. But no amount of scientific evidence will make a difference unless the results show up in our own everyday life.

The results in our life show up when we are able to observe and slow down our quick responses. Then we can see other choices than the ones we know so well. Imagine yourself lurching for your cellphone, just as you always do when it is ringing, but this time, calmly telling the caller that you will call them back in a few minutes. Or food shopping past the easy to reach pastries, fully considering their tastiness, but then selecting a fresh fruit plate instead. There are are so many such choices every day, including patterns of anger or resentment towards people that define our relationships. The inner strength gained by a regular yoga, meditation, or mindfulness practice can lead to some surprisingly fresh reactions to chronic stimuli.

So like love, wellness has everything to do with opening up possibilities of happiness and the possibilities of life. I hope you will give it a try soon.