Your Window of Tolerance (WOT)
What is the ‘Window of Tolerance’ (WOT) and how does it connect to your Yoga and Movement practice?
The WOT is the place in your body, emotions, parts and nervous system where you feel safe; life and emotions feel tolerable and you are present in the moment most of the time.
When explaining this, I like to visualise a window, with a frame, top and bottom - the top frame is your ‘fight or flight mode’ and the bottom is your ‘freeze mode.’ So, when you feel hyper-aroused, energetic, lively, you are situated closer to the top, and when you are hypo-aroused, relaxed, chilled, you are sitting close to the bottom. In life, we move continuously from top to bottom depending on feelings, circumstances and what’s generally going on in life.
For the majority of the time, we can live life within this window, despite the combination of high and low moments.
However, if we were to peak to the very top, or even past the top frame, we may experience feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, anger - and being out of control. If we dipped to the very bottom, we may experience disassociation, numbness, depression, tiredness. Spending too much time at the top or the bottom of your window would eventually lead to burn out or mental and physical health conditions.
Ideally, we want our Window of Tolerance to be so WIDE that we can cope with highs and lows of life that don’t lead to any of these debilitating challenges. This is where your Yoga and Movement practice helps out.
When you practice Yoga, although it’s proven to be a stress-reducing exercise, you are in fact putting STRESS on the body and mind in various ways; holding difficult postures, ‘feeling the burn’ in your muscles, breathwork practise, meditation - even savasana is a challenge - can you keep your mind in the present moment?!?!
However, this practise is happening in a safe and welcoming environment with experienced teachers you trust. Therefore, your nervous system doesn’t flip into fight or flight mode or dip into freeze mode, because it feels content. What you don’t realise however, that as you practise, your WOT is tested and in turn, your tolerance is increased. Imagine the top and bottom of the window frame getting wider, giving you more room to take on life challenges, without being physically or mentally affected!
I know, WOW. This is why Yoga and Movement are vital to living a healthy life - not just for your joints, muscles, coordination and injury prevention - but for your mind, your nervous system and most importantly, your resilience. Yoga can make you stronger in so many ways, more patient, less reactive and overall, a much kinder, calmer human being.
Can you see why we’d like everyone in the world to be a Yogi?!?!?
Best book your class now hey? ;)