I don’t know if you know but I’m a real geek when it comes to the nature of how our bodies work and why. Some of the new research in fields like neuroscience and quantum physics are just now starting to explain how some of the ancient practices from different cultures have an effect on us. Wether it’s on a molecular level or quantum level some weird things are constantly happening in our inner worlds. The more we learn about these processes the easier it can become to live a happier and healthier life, instead of having a “oh woe is me” victim mentality.

I just listened to this podcast with Dr. Andrew Huberman ( Neuroscientist & Professor at Stanford University, Instagram Hubermanlabs https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab/?hl=en )where he was explaining the neuroscience behind why some people achieve their goals and others end up quitting. Dopamine (often called “the feel good hormone”) is released when we finally get that something we were craving/wanting ( like that first meal of the dat or that new pair of leggings we’ve been wanting )making us feel good or even euphoria at times. This then helps to mobilize us for action, if we can just learn to use this reward system in a constructive way, rewarding ourselves internally when reaching little milestones it’ll give us more drive and motivation to keep going forward.

So having a goal like learning how to handstand or competing in the Arctic Ultra race is great and all but can also be quite scary, overwhelming and frustrating to even start thinking about. In these stressful situations our bodies release epinephrin (adrenaline) which dilates our pupils turning our vision into something like“portrait mode”,racing pulse, sweaty palms, shallow breathing toward hyperventilation, sweaty underarms, weak in the knees, random thoughts, and inability to concentrate, as well as all the other “fun” involuntary effects of the “flight, fight or freeze” response.  This fear factor at the beginning of new skills/situations is where many people decide to quit, at the first sign of difficulty or if they don’t start seeing immediate progress. The way the adrenaline makes them feel internally doesn’t help to motivate us in this process UNLESS we learn to overcome the fear and anxiety. This however is not something that can be learned overnight but ask any professional athlete or performer and they will tell you, that  the more we put ourselves out there and grab that fear by it’s horns, the less scary it becomes.

The same thing happens when we get on our mats each day and face those hard poses we’d rather skip, we teach our bodies not to react to stressful situations(on and off the mat). When our breath is calm we quiet the body and when the body is quiet our minds are calm.

For me learning how to enjoy the whole the process, filled with all the ups and downs keeps me going daily. Each time I learn how to be in a yoga pose more comfortably or hod that handstand a second longer, each new shape or press I learn is a small victory in and of itself. This is dopamine in full effect, when released it helps to suppress the feeling of agitation and anxiety letting us actually ENJOY the effort process. Not to mention this process of duration, path and outcome eventually leads to neural plasticity. Meaning that with time things become reflexive and our brain learns these movements/thought patterns or whatever “by heart” . Then we no longer need to think while doing them(like driving a car or walking).!!

WIth time, during all those crappy(trust me there were and are still MANY) practices and training sessions I started to learn how to NOT be down on myself, unlike before constantly criticising. We can stop the negative thoughts fro coming in, but what we CAN DO is introduce new positive ones. Ok, so maybe I didn’t reach my “goal” but hey I showed up. I gave it my all. I got stronger in the process. I didn’t quit. I’m on the right path. I didn’t decide to eat a pint of ice cream instead. Each time new neural pathways were formed and I taught myself that I CAN still feel good about myself even if I don’t “WIN” every time . Which wasn’t an easy process with my history of of childhood trauma, depression, low self esteem and  addiction. Luckily the chemicals in our body don’t discriminate. These systems are generic and once you learn how to release dopamine into your system, during lets say yoga or handstands, this important skill can also be transferred into all other areas of our lives.

So I guess it really is true what they say, what doesn’t kill us literally makes us stronger and with this mindful approach to life we can make all those fails count as wins propelling ourselves forward, living a happier more fulfilled life.