Spotlight Series
Spotlight Series topic : Yoga to help regulate your nervous system
Guest Name: Ashlynn
Discussion Details: Hear one person’s experience using yoga to help regulate her nervous system
Benefit of Watching: Learn how one yoga student who had been through heart surgery and other medical challenges used gentle yoga to help regulate her nervous system and better tolerate position changes, improve mood, and improve motivation.
Ashlynn: Sure.
Natalie Johnston: before we get into the yoga piece. So, tell us a little bit about your your medical history background in the last few years, some of the stuff that you’ve had going on.
Ashlynn: Well, um I um let’s say the the last surgery I had was about five years ago, you know, and that was a triple bypass open heart surgery.
Natalie Johnston: Triple bypass open heart surgery. Not a small one.
Ashlynn: Yeah, it was a big one. Um I’m a diabetic. really. And then I have high cholesterol and hypertension.
Natalie Johnston: Okay. And so it’s
Ashlynn: um and you know it it’s one of those things that that that tend to you know
Natalie Johnston: Yeah. And thyroid problems because I had a pituitary gland tumor at one time.
Ashlynn: Okay. They removed it. It came back. So I had rad radiation therapy in my head things like that. So my thyroid is affected. So actually I’m you know kind of medically not really the best.
Natalie Johnston: Well, before you started doing yoga, did you have exercise routines at all?
Ashlynn: Uh, the only routine I did, uh, that was what the cardiologist recommended is because I’m not an exercise person. I never never never did since I was young. And, um, and he knew that if, you know, if I if he recommended something that’s really tough, I would give up soon.
Natalie Johnston: You wouldn’t do it.
Ashlynn: I wouldn’t do it. Correct. Mhm. And certainly aerobics and others. I tried when I was younger. It’s like after one lesson, that’s it. You know, you didn’t go back.
Natalie Johnston: You didn’t go back. It was too tough for you.
Ashlynn: I didn’t go back. It was too tough for me. I mean, well, I think there’s some people that can relate to that.
Natalie Johnston: Yeah.
Ashlynn: You know, sports because I was tall in my class, they would ask me to be a net ball player. But I I could not even do half of it. I was so tired.
Natalie Johnston: Yeah. And I think I always had problems of tiredness after extreme exercise.
Ashlynn: Okay. And so he he was he was smart. He recommended I would just do walking and simple normal walk. No speed walk. Just so that I would at least do it regular. And so to him he said regularity is the most important thing for you. Don’t overdo it because then you won’t continue.
Natalie Johnston: So did you?
Ashlynn: So I did. I just went to a mall because you can do it the whole year round regardless of the weather.
Natalie Johnston: So how many days a week would you walk and how long each time?
Ashlynn: It’s only 20 to 30 minutes, I think.
Natalie Johnston: Okay.
Ashlynn: That’s all. One round or one and a half rounds. And he said consistency is the most important thing. So it doesn’t matter that it sounds so little compared with aerobic people.
Natalie Johnston: No, but it can have effect.
Ashlynn: And it helped a lot. But I did know that even with walking I still needed a little bit more.
Natalie Johnston: So what made you start yoga?
Ashlynn: Well, I attended one of your guest speakers.
Natalie Johnston: That’s right. You came to a wellness speaker event.
Ashlynn: Yeah, about the feet, the shoes and all that. Then he saw me walking.
Natalie Johnston: Yes. Crackling away when you walk.
Ashlynn: My joints crackle when I walk. I didn’t realize that.
Natalie Johnston: Really?
Ashlynn: Really. So somebody suggested I do yoga.
Natalie Johnston: And then you just showed up.
Ashlynn: Yes. He said you probably have some ligament or joint issues. I asked what I should do. Other than the shoes he recommended collagen peptides and then he said yoga would really help strengthen ligaments.
Natalie Johnston: But you were hesitant about yoga.
Ashlynn: Yes. I came from a strong religious background where yoga was something people said not to do. But I became more open and realized it’s really just exercise in a certain way.
Natalie Johnston: And when you started yoga, what did you find?
Ashlynn: I discovered I had terrible motion sickness. I’ve always had it. Riding buses, planes, anything moving makes me nauseous.
Natalie Johnston: So yoga movements triggered that?
Ashlynn: Yes. Because I had to watch you and move up and down constantly. The first class I almost felt like throwing up the entire time.
Natalie Johnston: And you also had to learn how to manage food timing with diabetes.
Ashlynn: Yes. If I ate too little my sugar dropped. If I ate too much I couldn’t exercise. I didn’t know how to prepare for class.
Natalie Johnston: So what helped?
Ashlynn: Using a chair helped a lot. And you were gentle about it. You didn’t push me to do everything. That made me feel comfortable as a beginner.
Natalie Johnston: Eventually you started coming to the floor more.
Ashlynn: Yes, slowly. I became more confident listening to your instructions instead of constantly watching.
Natalie Johnston: And sometimes you even closed your eyes.
Ashlynn: Yes, but only when stable. If you say move the left leg back I can now do it by listening instead of watching.
Natalie Johnston: Turning it into an even harder brain exercise.
Ashlynn: Exactly.
Natalie Johnston: After several weeks I noticed you using the chair less and moving more confidently.
Ashlynn: That’s because I trust the instructions more now. And moving slowly helps a lot.
Natalie Johnston: Your story really shows how slow paced movement can regulate things like blood pressure, dizziness, and heart rate.
Ashlynn: Yes. Patience is the most important thing. You don’t have to compete with anyone.
Natalie Johnston: Exactly.
Ashlynn: Yoga can be hard but also soothing. It teaches you to relax your mind and tune into your body.
Natalie Johnston: We love having you here.
Ashlynn: Thank you.