Mental States, Brain-waves & Balancing the Nervous System

For the best athletic performance, it is important to prepare the nervous system to
operate at its highest level, and also to ‘reboot’ an athlete’s system after games or
high-pressure performance situations.

One of the methods we can use to fine-tune the nervous system is by making a breath-control practice or Pranayama, taken from Raja yoga practices such as Kundalini, and meditation part of our daily routine as the simplest mechanism for brain-wave entrainment. What is interesting, for example, is that alpha, theta, and delta brain wave patterns affect the production of three important hormones related to increased physical well-being, and improved performance; cortisol, (the “stress hormone”), DHEA, (our energy hormone), and melatonin, (a ubiquitous neurohormone and potent anti-oxidant), and that regular deep meditation dramatically affects the production of those three important hormones.

For the more advanced classes and coaching I use restorative yoga postures and specific pranayama breath-work (kriya), as an adjunct to performance enhancement. Restorative yoga combined with the breathing techniques help to reinforce muscle memory, deepen mental calm, facilitate relaxation, and promote restful sleep, and are a highly effective means of balancing the nervous system and enhancing the immune system, for injury prevention and rehabilitation, that will allow you to perform at your fittest and your best.