Your nervous system is a network of nerves that act in different key functions to keep your body moving, responding, functioning. Made up of the parasympathetic and sympathetic portions, the autonomic system is two halves of the same whole.
These are comparable to Yang and Yin. The former, more Yang, elicits excitatory, fight/flight, response, while the latter is Yin, restores the organ function back to rest. They are interconnected, interdependent and require homeostasis.
Our health depends on this homeostasis. One aspect elicits an immediate response to ‘get us out of trouble’ ‘fight or flight’. It diverts blood flow to the muscles of our limbs so we can run as quickly as possible if needed…from the (imaginary) tiger that is hunting us. Or the presentation we must stand in front of an audience and give…or the rush in the school hour traffic. Our nervous system, our nerves, our brain isn’t able to distinguish if this threat is ‘real’ or ‘psychological, it will still respond in the same way. The cascade of physiological events involve increase in heart rate, increase blood pressure, inhibits digestion, glucose is released from the liver, and adrenaline surges into the blood stream thus allowing the body to access reserve and heightened capacity. Caution, minimal use only, not for daily consumption!!! We cannot maintain health here.
And once the ‘threat’ has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system, restores day to day functions. The blood flow to our digestion, reproductive, respiratory systems is restored. Stimulation of the digestion and salvia is restored. Heart rate decreases and adrenaline production is inhibited.
So, if our body’s intelligence has a homeostatic mechanism to get us out of immediate threat, and to undertake normal day to day function, what happens in the 21st century when we are saturated with stimuli that can be unconsciously interpreted as ‘threat’? We become more ‘stressed’, we are taken away from our Yin, and more in Yang, and our homeostasis is tipped. We move out of optimal health, into some form of dis-ease.
–Qualities of yang are masculine, hard, doing, hot
-Qualities of yin is feminine, soft, resting, cool, nurturing, intuition
Our Yang gets enough attention in our western culture. The doing, the rush, all the lights and noise. It is time to invite Yin back into our way of life. To respect and honour the essentialness of quiet, of restfulness, of slowness, softness, simplicity, intuition, body intelligence. To allow basic body functions controlled by our parasympathetic to take place.
I invite you to go more slowly in your day. To make room for reflection, creativity, and nurture. This is where health is restored.