Wellness After Covid Symposium – Day 2
by Guest Contributor Paul Fox Yoga in Healthcare Alliance
Everybody bounced into Day 2 on a yogic high – it was palpable in the chat. Robin Rothenberg captured the mood with her welcoming remarks, sharing how inspired and validated she felt after Day 1. Especially the endorsement of yoga by Prince Charles and the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The head of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Alyssa Wostrel, described the conference as looking at Covid through multiple complementary lenses, creating a rich learning environment for all.
It fell to Chelsea Roff from Give Back Yoga to unleash her speaker crush and introduce the powerful duo of Eddie Stern and William Bushell, who have brought science and yoga together in research and on the mat. They presented a multi-hypotheses preliminary model of possible practices for the head that might enhance nitric oxide, melatonin, antimicrobial peptides and other bio-chemicals. The battled against Covid – the theatre of war – is the nasal and other cavities in the head which can be activated by yoga. It is through these nasal cavities that invading pathogens are engaged and destroyed at their port of entry, and the process of adaptive immunity activated.
This was a preliminary presentation that will be set out in detail in a forthcoming research paper, subject to peer review.
There is evidence that proning can increase respiratory efficiency – less gravitational pressure on the lungs – and sooth the parasympathetic nervous system. Health ministry in India has recommended rotating through proning, supported sitting up, side lying (R/L) and back to proning. Eddie and Bill have shown how adapted yoga postures using props could mimic and enhance some of the prone postures.
Like Buteyko Breathing leader, Patrick McKeown, Eddie and Bill emphasised that Nitric Oxide (NO) generated in reservoirs in the sinuses is anti-viral, anti-microbial, bronchodilator, immune-modulator, and stimulates adaptive immunity. NO levels are enhanced by humming on inhalation and exhalation (Brahmari breathwork). Several studies have already been done on this and healthcare workers in Covid hotspots have been encouraged to hum. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika instructs bee breath on inhale and exhale, but it is now mostly taught on the exhale only. Eddie gave a demonstration on humming on inhale and encouraged us all to follow suit.
Eddie and Bill’s Yoga of the head supports the chemosensory systems – such as smell and taste – which are seen as crucial defences against infectious diseases.
Melatonin “probably posseses more anti-Covid properties than any other substance”, said Bill. It is anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, stimulates adaptive immunity, reparative/regenerative processes, and anti-oxidative. It dissolves inflammatory complexes in the brain’s glymphatic system (works with cerebrospinal fluid to clear inflammatory complexes from the brain – so may be relevant to Long Covid. Also connects to the lymphatic system).
Yoga practices can also increase anti-microbial peptides, immunoglobulins, and beta-defensins. All play a crucial role in combatting Coronavirus at the point of entry. Eddie said a yoga practice that included triangle, tree, warrior, down dog and Savasana all appeared to boost these substances.
Cannabinoids block viral entry into endothelial cells, decrease replication of Covid virus and decrease inflammation and fibrosis, increase anti-viral action and increase immunomodulation. The practice of Shambhavi mudra (3rd eye gazing) stimulates the endo-cannabinoid system.
Also found to be helpful are simple head movements that we see in ancient yoga practices and kriyas.
Even daily sunshine (which also boosts melatonin levels at night) can help to combat Covid-19 – sun salutations anyone?
A truly riveting and ground-breaking presentation.
Like a Box set you just can’t stop watching, the next presentation was another thriller with Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. He set out the research evidence for the mental health challenge posed by Covid. Systematic reviews show the widespread deterioration in areas like anxiety, stress and depression and the need for holistic interventions. Depression, anxiety and PTSD has affected one in five US healthcare workers, studies show. The 50 Long Term effects of Covid 19 shows fatigue as the most prevalent symptoms, but with dozens of other effects reported.
Sat Bir explained how – as long ago as the 1930s – yoga researchers in India were able to demonstrate that we can self-regulate our internal state – both psychological and physiological. This has become a foundation stone of mind-body practices.
Autonomic regulation, stress reduction through breathing practices, and concentration/meditation practices to reduce mind-wandering all contribute to the positive impact of yoga.
Yoga improves fitness, self-regulation, awareness and spirituality – said Sat Bir – leading to improved global human functionality. A study of beginner and experience yoga practitioners shows that people come to yoga for fitness and wellbeing but stay for stress and spirituality.
Yoga is effective for stress and anxiety. It also has a role in healthcare worker burnout, which in the US is thought to contribute to around 400 suicides a year by physicians (more than one a day). Building resiliency among medical students and resident physicians has been part of Sat Bir’s work at Harvard Medical School.
Professor Stephen Porges delighted everyone by asserting that academics like him sit on the shoulders of the yogis who came before us. As the world-leading expert on the vagus nerve, and originator of Polyvagal Theory, he explained how the vagus emerges from the brain and connects to almost every organ in the body. It constantly watches our body and regulates our body.
This session saw Heather Mason interview Professor Porges. It was like dropping in on a cosy fireside chat. Their mutual affection and respect soon brought the conversation around to how we co-regulate each other. A Symposium love-in! Stephen confessed that he much preferred the interactive format rather than delivering a lecture as the absence of connection and social cues created distance. We are social creatures.
Professor Porges said beathwork-based yoga uses the portals of the body to support the social engagement network. There is a close relationship between polyvagal theory and yoga as the former identifies the systems that get activated by the latter.
People like to speak about improving “vagal tone”, as measured by things like heart rate patterns. Stephen was keen to spell out that what that really means is the efficiency of the feedback loop between the nerve and what it connects to.
Professor Porges told an interesting anecdote about having acute back pain,but finding that the pain faded from his awareness when involved in interaction (over Zoom). The social engagement systems were being upregulated, and the body’s defence mechanisms (including feeling pain) were being downregulated.
There is another pandemic coming he said – how to be get people feeling safe enough to engage in the face-to-face world. Everyone will have to find what they are comfortable with – for example having house guests once again, as a start. What are the ways that make us feel connected? It used to be people, but many have found that watching nature has provided a new way for our bodies to feel connected.
Don’t head off to a Himalayan cave! Dissociative spirituality has its dangers because it removes social connection and co-regulation. Everyone needs a good co-regulator nearby! Cues of safety can be given to others without direct communication – just being nearby, meditating or praying together.
Stephen had some advice for those teaching on Zoom. Be sensitive to what participants may feel and their level of comfort at being in a group. And avoid visual and head cues that could have a detrimental impact on those attending and be a trigger that removes a sense of safety. We need to be aware of and honour our own body’s response to Covid – and work from there. This will be a process of getting the body to no longer be defensive when the threat is no longer there.
Dr BN Gangadhar described the breathing practices and postures being offered free in India as “TeleYoga” sessions to meet the needs of existing patients at his clinic, and those with ongoing Covid-related symptoms.
The barriers to yoga for diverse populations and how to create an inclusive yoga space was explored by Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist from the University of North Carolina, Jennifer Webb. The data from surveys of yoga participation – apart from showing the huge (37 million Americans) numbers practicing yoga – also found that participation was limited by gender (female dominant) and affordability (high earners were more likely to attend class). Barriers included perceiving that yoga did not cater for all body shapes, equipment costs, and questions about the quality of teaching.
Jennifer explained how her team’s research into 20 years of yoga magazine covers had shown white females with a body aesthetic, and more recent covers had shown more of their bodies and focused on more challenging yoga asanas. Between 2010 and 2015, the covers of mainstream yoga magazines showed a similar bias towards physical prowess, body shape and female models.
In recent times, safe spaces, black women, different body shapes and an emphasis on inclusion has moved up the agenda – with less emphasis on weight loss and appearance. Jennifer reported that she has been in involved in running a Yoga At Every Size, and has a forthcoming intervention for 30 black college women.
Training, self-assessment and reflectivity is needed among the teaching community to grasp diversity and accessibility she said. Yoga in healthcare, and yoga in schools is, she said, a welcome broadening of access to yoga.
The final main session of the day involved four amazing and brave women who came to the Symposium to share their stories of Long Covid/Long Hauler syndrome. Suzy Bolt spoke about the detrimental effects on her health – a stammer, lung and head pain, insomnia and join pain, brain fog and depressive moments. All this alongside the pressure to try to carry on as normal. The compelling testimony continued with Victoria Santos, Starr Sanborn and Nikki Jackson who had a common theme of reminding people to really tune into how they felt and honour it. It was a reminder whey we were at the Symposium.
So another day of highlights. For the organising team, it was hard to top the sight of Lee Watson from Fierce Calm accidentally appearing on camera during the Bollywood dancing with Josefin Wilkstrom and treating us to some enthusiastic moves around his front room!
