How yoga increases nervous system resilience

Hi, and welcome back to the All of Yoga podcast. I’m Holly, and in today’s episode, we’re looking at something that’s really powerful and reassuring:

Yoga doesn’t just help you feel better in the moment; it helps you build long-term nervous system resilience.

Whether you’re dealing with day-to-day stress or coming out of burnout and overwhelm, this episode is all about how yoga can help your body and mind return to homeostasis.

This is where we’re going in today’s episode: 

• We’ll look at what nervous system resilience is

• How yoga helps nervous system regulation 

• What the science says about this - so you don’t just have to take my word for it

• Next steps if you’re looking to reduce, and reverse the impact of chronic stress

Let’s get cracking! 

Nervous system resilience 

So first, what do we actually mean by nervous system resilience?

In simple terms, it’s your body’s ability to return to a state of balance - known as homeostasis - after stress.

It DOESN’T mean to never get stressed, that’s just not realistic. But to recover quicker. To self-regulate. To feel safe. To not be stuck in overwhelm.

This is all thanks to something called the autonomic nervous system, which has two branches:

• The sympathetic nervous system — this is your “fight or flight” mode.

• And the parasympathetic nervous system — this is your “rest and digest” mode.

A healthy, resilient nervous system can shift between these modes fluidly. In an ideal world; when you’re faced with a stress trigger, you mobilise - fight or flight. When the threat passes, you settle - rest and digest.

But - and it’s a huge, and very ugly but, when we’re constantly stressed, juggling responsibilities, under pressure, not getting rest, that ideal world system becomes dysregulated. 

This is where yoga comes in!

How yoga helps regulate the nervous system

Yoga supports nervous system resilience in so many ways. Here are just a few, but if you want to know more about any of these, and any that don’t get a mention, keep your ears peeled at the end for some details about our free masterclass about the neuroscience of stress. But anyway, back to how yoga helps to regulate the nervous system:

1. Breath awareness

Slowing down and noticing your breath helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system. I mentioned this in the last podcast episode, but, think about it this way - anything that you wouldn’t do if a saber-toothed tiger was in the same room as you, if you do that: place your awareness on your breath, close your eyes, relax your shoulders and so on - if you do that, you’re telling yourself you’re safe. You’re not in survival mode, and this helps bring the body and mind back to balance. So, always remember, your breath is always with you, and it’s always something simple you can pause and notice. 

Taking this a step further - practices like ujjayi breath, three-part breathing, - listen to episode number 2 if you have no idea what I’m banging on about here, or, simply extending your exhale will over time, train your system to come back to balance, even during daily stressors.

2. Mindful movement

Whether it’s a strong flow or a gentle stretch, moving with awareness helps discharge stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

Over time, you train your body to feel safe while moving, which rewires your response to challenges.

3. The relaxation response

Practices like Yoga Nidra, restorative yoga, or simply lying in Savasana give your nervous system some recovery time.

These aren’t “lazy” practices — they’re profound medicine for overworked systems.

If in doubt, aim for three minutes minimum to be still without input. Herbert Benson, Mr Relaxation Response as I fondly call him, has conducted a huge amount of research and concludes that 3 minutes is the minimum for activating the relaxation response; aka the parasympathetic nervous system. 

4. Interoception and self-awareness

Yoga helps you tune into your internal cues — your heartbeat, breath, tension levels, and more.

This builds something called interoceptive awareness, which research shows is key for emotional regulation and stress recovery. Think about it - when you can feel yourself getting stressed, you’re more able to do something about it, to stop it in its’ tracks, and to reduce and reverse the impact of the stress. 

1. Body-wide tension reduction 

You may have heard of fascia; a tissue in the body that connects and supports absolutely everything in our body. When we’re in a state of stress, our musculoskeletal muscles, and our fascia, both tense up ready for action. Yoga reduces this tension, which, yes makes muscles feel more relaxed, but because fascia is part of every system in our body, this reduction in tension will likely have a positive impact on our respiratory system, digestive system and so many more. 

What the science says

There’s solid science behind this too.

Studies show that yoga increases vagal tone — a key marker of parasympathetic activity.

Higher vagal tone = better resilience, more calm, improved digestion, and even stronger emotional connections.

Neuroscientist Amy Arnsten has shown that chronic stress weakens the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain involved in focus, planning, and emotional regulation. But mindfulness and breath-based practices help restore prefrontal function while reducing overactivity in the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector.

 So practising yoga means supporting your brain and body in bouncing back from stress.

And that doesn’t have to mean 90-minute sessions.Even 10 minutes can make a real difference over time.

So, in summary, — yoga doesn’t just help you feel better today. (Although it most certainly does make you feel better today!) A regular yoga practice builds your nervous system resilience, meaning you’re more able to cope in stressful times, and more able to come back to balance after the challenging time, too. 

That’s nervous system resilience.

Next steps if you’re looking to reduce, and reverse the impact of chronic stress

If you’re curious to explore this more, I’d love to invite you to join our free masterclass ‘yoga and the brain: the neuroscience of stress recovery’ - we’ll have time to break down many of the mechanisms mentioned in this episode, and look at what the evidence says about reducing the impact of stress, and building nervous system resilience. 

Thank you so much for being here. If this episode helped you, please do share it with a friend or leave a review. It really helps more people find the podcast.

And as always, happy practising.