09/07/2022
If you think relaxing is unproductive or consistently find yourself over working or driving yourself too hard, this is for you!
Within our nervous system are two branches: the sympathetic or “fight-or-flight” and the parasympathetic “rest and digest.” If you are constantly working and never taking a break or time for yourself, you may be living in "Fight-or-Flight," which could potentially make your sympathetic nervous system dominant.
The body cannot function properly, let alone heal when it is in “fight-or-flight” mode and studies now show that over 85% of us live this way!
So, how can you nourish your nervous system starting today? Here are our top 3 ways!
🧘♀️ Meditation And Breathwork - Five minutes a day of deep breathing through the nose is clinically proven to reduce stress levels and click you in to your parasympathetic nervous system. Gentle yoga classes and regular breathwork such as alternate nostril breathing can also be fantastic for moving the body out of a stress response.
❤️ HeartMath - The sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate, while the parasympathetic (including vagus) nerves slow it down. Heart-focused breathing is about directing your attention to the heart area and breathing a little more deeply than usual. HeartMath has been able to stop panic and anxiety attacks within 5 minutes.
🚿 Cold Showers - Cold water stimulates our immune system and activates our vagus nerve, which reduces our stress response. This is a nerve that is part of our autonomic nervous system and the nerve that connects the brain and digestive tract. Think of it as the communication highway between your brain and gut. The vagus nerve regulates our heart rate and our digestive system and how each function.
For more on how you can heal your nervous system, visit: https://thewholejourney.com/nervous-system-healing-tips/
