Sympathetic/Parasympathetic

Reading from Wednesday, March 6, 2013 yoga class

So... as you read this post, you may think... WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT!!  :)  But... this is really quite fascinating information about why, as a country, we are SO stressed out.  This is why, I LOVE teaching restorative yoga and guiding yoga nidra.  Both these practices help us "chill-out."  So... here's what I have gathered in what I have read on the autonomic nervous system. 

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

ANC is a vast network of nerves branching out from the spinal cord affecting every organ in the body.  It is responsible for maintaining the balance of our internal environment.  It is responsible for anything and everything we experience automatically, such as determination or dread in a threatening situation, the feeling of contentment, hunger, sleep...anything universally felt or known comes from this place.

ANS is divided into two distinct systems:
      
                      SYMPATHETIC... fight or flight=stressed-out=accelerator, pedal to the medal
                     
                      PARASYMPATHETIC...relaxation/regeneration=chilled-out=brake,clutch

ANS gets out of balance when an instinctual response to any situation is denied, for example: ignoring when we are tired and resting, but we continue to push ourselves and ignore what our body is telling us.   Health and vitality happen when there is HARMONY between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM

In our society, we are always on guard, unable to give in to our softer and gentler side...always pushing it away.  If this keeps happening, it can lead to a whole variety of stress related symptoms, which later on cause illnesses such as digestive disorders, sleepness nights, heart conditons, bad backs.  Stress will kill you... settles in the muscles of your body, blood vessels, intestines, depression happens, along with other emotional issues. 

When the sympathetic system rules, life becomes more and more uncomfortable, and if it continues to dominate, it will become more and more difficult to relax and give in to the parasympathetic system. 

PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEM

Home of all relaxing, warm and contented feelings.  Parasympathetic does everything in its power to restore harmony and balance. 

If the sympathetic is what we need to be in the world, the parasympathetic is what we need to be in heaven. 

The gurgles of digestion and a really good night's sleep all come when you are in the parasympathetic system. 

If you imagine the ANS as an ocean... the sympathetic would be the waves, tides and storms and the parasympathetic would be the ocean's depth, its stillness, its abundance.

The power of the parasympathetic is that it restores calm to the surface , harmony to the ups and downs of life.  So... to get more of the parasympathetic into your life, don't deny that you need to "CHILL-OUT" or try too hard to "CHILL-OUT."  The parasympathetic needs soft words, patience, gentle assurances, a little bit at a time, so it's not overwhelmed.  A regular and consistent practice of relaxation can bring back the parasympathetic to its former glory. 

Picture a cat, encountering a dog... he arches his back, hisses and expresses what he is feeling... the dog backs off and the cat stretches out and starts cleaning himself, lying in the sun.   A good visual on how the sympathetic and parasympathetic work.