It is common for a person with post-concussive symptoms to describe feeling as though they are not the same person as before their injury. Or they may notice a change in an aspect of their personality or the loss of a valued talent. This can be frustrating and lead to a lack of participation in meaningful daily activities or even the loss of life roles that give a sense of purpose to that person. Post-concussive rehabilitation focuses on improving an individual’s symptoms as far as possible. But what happens when one or more symptoms persist, and it becomes necessary to develop strategies to compensate for those symptoms in daily life? What happens when change seems permanent? When full recovery is a distant hope or seems unlikely? At these times, it becomes critical to develop resilience for managing post-concussive symptoms.
Resilience: Natural Disposition or Cultivated Mindset?
When someone bravely endures challenging circumstances in life, we will often hear people around them say, “He/she is so resilient!” These kinds of statements make resilience seem like a naturally acquired trait. To be sure, certain people have a personality that is more inherently cheerful, positive, or upbeat than others. But resilience is much more than positivity or a naturally cheerful “glass half full” outlook that will get you through the tough times. Resilience is a thoughtfully cultivated response to life’s challenges, and it runs deep in the human soul.
What is Resilience with Post-Concussive Symptoms?
Synonyms for resilience include strength, flexibility, elasticity, hardiness, toughness, and buoyancy. Resilience is powerful because it allows one to acknowledge the fierce winds of the storm without allowing the storm to change the inner person. Think, “bend but don’t break.” Resilience allows the person with post-concussive symptoms to acknowledge and manage the symptoms without principally identifying oneself with or by those symptoms.
Yoga for Resilience with Post-Concussive Symptoms
Traits known to help people be resilient in the face of difficulties include realistic optimism, facing your fears, social support, physical and brain health, and cognitive flexibility. Yoga can facilitate development of each of the traits listed above. Yoga’s physical requirements allow a participant to realistically embrace physical limitations while simultaneously celebrating personal strengths. It also offers the opportunity to conquer a fear of movement in a supportive class environment. After an injury, the brain has an amazing ability for neuroplasticity. In other words, it can make new neuron connections to compensate for those neurons lost to injury. Repetitive movements performed in yoga promote neuroplasticity after concussion. Yoga promotes both physical and cognitive qualities necessary for resilience post-concussion.
Conclusion
There are a variety of therapies available for treating post-concussive symptoms and Concussion Care Centre of Virginia provides multi-disciplinary care for the concussion community. However, resilience is an essential skill for ultimately managing those symptoms and returning to a full and meaningful life. Yoga empowers the participant to practice and enhance the essential qualities that promote resilience when managing post-concussive symptoms. Brain injury adapted yoga is now available online through Eye Brain Academy, LLC. Click on the link to learn more about brain injury adapted yoga and to register for a class.
