Harnessing Yoga for Emotional Healing: Find Balance Through Breath and Movement

Introduction

In a society overflowing with ways to connect, we seem more disconnected than ever. Why is that? At the root of this paradox lies our lack of education and tools to regulate our nervous systems and reconnect with our inner compass—the intuition we all possess but often ignore. The main culprits? Stress and emotional overwhelm.

Fortunately, there are powerful tools available to help us reconnect, one of which is the practice of yoga. Among its many benefits, yoga serves as a bridge between our physical and emotional well-being. By combining various pranayama (breathing techniques) with intentional movement, yoga creates a rhythmic cadence—a flow state, akin to that of a runner. This harmonious union of breath and body allows the mind to soften, offering a much-needed space for clarity and presence—a gentle invitation to ground deeply.

Through this process of coming to know ourselves, we uncover parts of our being that have patiently waited to emerge. This practice offers us the chance to pause, breathe, and move with intention—a gentle invitation to reconnect with what we may have forgotten within. As we journey deeper, we’ll explore how breath and movement can serve as a balm for the soul, guiding us toward balance amid life’s chaos. Let’s step onto this path together.

A River of Energy

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine you are sitting on the bank of a river, watching the water flow freely downstream. There is grace in the movement of the current, a peaceful rhythm in its gentle sound. Though the river may be wide and powerful, you can still see the bottom clearly, where pebbles rest undisturbed. Now, imagine that a few giant trees fall into the river. The water must still move downstream, but it runs into resistance. The current is forced to navigate over, under, and around the fallen trees. In the process, the water becomes muddied and disturbed, flowing less smoothly than before.

This river is much like the flow of energy in our bodies. In yoga, we refer to the pathways of this energy as nadis—over 72,000 energetic channels that transport prana, or life force, throughout the body. Three primary nadis—ida, pingala, and sushumna—are particularly significant, acting like the arteries of our energy system. When these channels are clear and unobstructed, we feel aligned, balanced, and at peace. But when blockages occur—whether from emotional stress, unresolved trauma, or daily tension—the flow of prana is disrupted, just as the river becomes muddied by fallen trees.

Think of it this way: just as the river’s current is impeded by debris, emotional blockages can disrupt the flow of energy in our bodies. These emotional “obstructions” often settle in specific areas, such as the hips, heart, or chest. When unresolved emotions become trapped in these regions, they create tension and imbalance—much like the river struggling to find its course. For

example, emotional tension in the hips may cause lower back tightness or digestive issues, while heaviness in the chest may affect our breath and openness.

Yoga is the practice of clearing these blockages and restoring the natural flow of energy. Through mindful breathing and movement, yoga helps us process and release stuck emotions, allowing the energy to flow freely again. Each asana and breath serves as a tool to break up the debris, creating space for emotional release and balance. In this way, yoga becomes a powerful practice for emotional regulation, helping us reconnect to our inner flow and cultivate a sense of peace. Through specific poses, intentional breathwork, and meditation, we can release emotional tension and unblock the flow of prana. Below are some key yoga poses and techniques that are especially helpful for stress and emotional release.

5 Key Yoga Poses

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How it helps: Encourages grounding and introspection.
Tip: Let your hands drift to the front of your mat. Rest your forehead between your shoulders. Release your jaw. Let the belly melt toward or between your legs, and send the breath to your back.

Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

How it helps: Releases emotional tension stored in the hips. Tip: Sink deeper into the pose with each exhale.

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

How it helps: Opens the chest, promoting emotional vulnerability.
Tip: Curl your toes to lift your heels higher. Start by bringing your hands to your lower back, sending your breath to your chest, and shining it toward the sky.

Twists (Supine Twist)

How it helps: Detoxifies the body and releases tension in the spine.
Tip: Let gravity do the work. Use your exhale to drift deeper into the pose. Notice the muscles, and release any tension. Softness and relaxation are your friends here.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

How it helps: Provides stillness for integration and reflection.
Tip: Find a comfortable place to lay your arms. Take up space on your mat. Let go of expectations.
It’s helpful to take a body scan, starting with the face, noticing any tension, then releasing it. Work down the body.

Breathwork and Meditation for Deeper Healing & Awareness

Breathwork is an integral part of a yoga practice, serving as a grounding tool to anchor our awareness in the body and the present moment. Through the breath, we embark on a journey of cultivating mindfulness, observing the fluctuations of the mind, and calming the nervous system. This creates the space needed for emotional release and deep healing.

We can think of breathwork as a collection of techniques that harness the power of the inhale and exhale to "clear the static"—those persistent, distracting thoughts and emotions that cloud our clarity. By doing so, we lay a solid foundation for emotional regulation and processing.

One such technique is Nadi Shodhana, or “alternate nostril breathing.” Simple yet profoundly potent, it offers a practical way to balance the nervous system and harmonize the mind. To practice, gently use your thumb or index finger to close one nostril and inhale deeply through the open side. Pause briefly at the top of the breath, then switch nostrils, closing the other side as you exhale fully. Continue this alternating pattern, maintaining a steady focus on the rhythm of your breath as it flows through each channel.

This practice is deeply grounding and is renowned for its ability to quiet mental chatter, invite clarity, and balance the body's energy pathways. Whether you're seeking to calm anxiety, improve focus, or cultivate a sense of inner harmony, Nadi Shodhana serves as a powerful tool for reconnecting with your inner stillness.

Why a Yoga Retreat is the Perfect Setting

In order for a caterpillar to transform into a butterfly, it must create a container for itself, one that allows it to morph into a bigger, more expansive version of itself—something beautiful. But unlike the butterfly, we don’t have to create our own container for transformation and reflection—it already exists, waiting for us to step in.

Mari’s retreats aren’t about forcing change or chasing perfection. They’re about creating an intentional space for you to explore your inner world through practices like yoga, breathwork, and meditation. With her gentle, intuitive guidance and the integration of healing modalities like Thai Body Work, Reiki, and Sound Healing, these retreats become a container for real transformation—whatever that looks like for you.

Ultimately, yoga serves as a practice of uniting the mind and body, bringing us into union with the present moment. It becomes a tool for understanding our human condition—the traumas, emotions, thoughts, and everything in between. If yoga is truly about union, then perhaps the key to emotional regulation lies in immersing ourselves within a community designed to foster radical connection. As human beings, we often process emotions and even traumas through dialogue and shared experiences. This collective space of understanding and support can amplify the healing power of yoga, allowing us to grow together and move toward emotional

balance. Give yourself the greatest gift: immerse yourself in a collective of inspired community. When you’re ready, it’s here, waiting for you with a smile. :)

Written by: Jesse Gold

https://jmanwrites.my.canva.site/

DEPRESSION AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT? Let's talk about depression!

Our bodies are made of energy. And before we become physical our energy body organizes itself into chakras and meridians.

Chakras are main energy centers that emit and receive energy and each of them serves different functions, has different location in the body and also influences organs located around a certain chakra.

Due to trauma, energy centers begin to close, therefore effect the energy flow through them.

The flow of energy can be seen as a blood flow on a physical level. When it is inhibited organs of the body are at risk.

Same happens with the organs that are in proximity to a particular chakra.

But why our energy does not flow freely at first place? Due to stuck emotions. Emotions are energy in motion and when we experience trauma, it inhibit the flow of energy. Trauma is a distress without resolution. Meaning the energy has been accumulated but has not been processed correctly.

Today I want I to talk about heart chakra. Heart chakra is located in the center of our chest at the front of the body and in between shoulder blades in the back of the body.

Chakras no only effect internal organs but also the composition of the body itself on the outside.

Heart chakra is responsible for functioning of our cardiovascular system, lungs as well as shoulders, arms, upper back and breasts.

When the heart chakra is blocked, the energy from the lower body does not flow freely into the upper chakras, so the development of breast in women can also be hindered.

Now I am talking from my own experience.

My while life I considered myself having small breasts, whilst none of the women in my family have small breast.

I didn't suffer from it much, I eventually came to a full acceptance of my breasts.

But recently as I was progressing on my healing journey, working with my emotions, healing my traumas, processing stuck emotions in the body I began loosing weight in my lower body. It felt as thought my hips, where we all store a lot of emotions, began to let go of guard.

In January this year I have experienced a 180 degree change in my moon circle. That month I bled 2 times, first on the Full and then on the New Moon again.

I knew it was a good thing because New Moon is an energy of planting new seeds and welcoming change. At first I had a hard formation in my right breast and as my second circle on the New Moon came around, the formation was gone but my breasts had become fuller and bigger.

The moral of the story is that when you heal your emotions, you HEAL on all levels and don't be surprised that how many changes you will be witnessing.

Psychedelics in my Healing Journey

I used LSD and Mushrooms in my early 20's as a party drug and loved the feeling of seeing colors and how it changed my perception, but I remember, sometimes during a concert, I would just want to layoff in the grass, on the middle of a music set and hundreds of people around me, I would just fall asleep, my friends at the time would move me to the side, or make a circle around me with everyone's stuff, so no one would step on top of me. The only thing I remember from that time is that I would switch to an internal trip and go very deep, I would feel calm and have "Dreams", but I was not aware of the consciousness of the LSD/Mushroom and the benefits of it into my subconscious, what's that even mean?