The Nervous System and Physiological Functions of Breathing, Part I
1. The energetically, distinct effect of regulated breathing is its ability to shift or switch off the stress response in the body and transmute the prior into a relaxation response, which is referenced as the parasympathetic nervous system and is most beneficial during times of feeling stressed or undergoing anxiousness when the sympathetic nervous system has been activated.
2. When an individual is in the state of sympathetic nervous system activation, their breathing is fast, shallow, and short.
3. With consciousness, breath can be slowed, exhalation can be extended, and breathing can be regulated, creating a reflective effect on the body's stress response. Regulated breathing signals the systems of the body that safety is occurrent by the parasympathetic nervous system being switched on.
4. In the parasympathetic state, an individual feels calm and relaxed and experiences clearness of mind and peacefulness. The body recognizes the parasympathetic state is advantageous and can healthfully utilize all internal resources to balance and heal the body and mind.
5. In the parasympathetic state, there's optimal oxygen delivery to all the body's cells and tissues, such as the brain. In the parasympathetic state, a noticeable reduction in brain fogginess may occur and clearness of mind will present itself during breath practice.
6. The state of calm is advantageous to the nervous system overall, transmuting or shifting the fear locales in the brain. The state of calm also activates parts of the brain associated with complex thought and reasoning.
7. The autonomic nervous system or ANS, meaning (parasympathetic and sympathetic), is a branch of the peripheral nervous system.
8. ANS's involvement consists of either amplifying or calming an individual.
9. ANS maintains and supports several processes of the body, such as body temperature, digestion, heart rate, metabolism, saliva, and stress response, which may be referenced as fight or flight or the freeze response.
10. Regarding ANS, the sympathetic nervous system's design is to amplify and trigger the body's stress response & the parasympathetic nervous system's design is for calming and to trigger the rest and digest response.
11. During dangerous or stressful circumstances, the central nervous system or CNS sends signals to the adrenal glands, then adrenaline and cortisol stress hormones are presented and processes take place as a safety system designed to alert and activate the fight or flight response, which assists individuals with surviving certain situations.
12. During dangerous or stressful circumstances, an individual's pupils will dilate, an increased heart rate will occur, and the release of stored glucose will be dispersed, which will enter the bloodstream and will be utilized as energy toward the muscles and organs, vessels of the lungs will dilate to increase oxygen uptake, blood is channeled away from the digestive organs, and redirected to extremities (the somatic nervous system is involved) to support in the fight or flight response. The somatic nervous system is voluntary and the autonomic nervous system is involuntary.
13. At the time an individual feels secure that immediate danger has been resolved, adrenaline drops, and cortisol is released continuing to support the body's stress response for guarding, but not in its full capacity keeping an individual safe from prior danger.
14. Danger may be more psychological in modern and contemporary times because we aren't exposed to many aspects, elements, and factors of present danger through nature's wilderness, perhaps as some of our ancient ancestors were. This means that the condition of the mind, thoughts, and perceptions as a thought usually support or diminish the idea of ever-present danger and whether to activate the body's stress response or fight or flight response, freeze response, or settle into the rest and digest response.
15. While the body is in a mode of constant adrenaline activation this may sometimes feel amazing to some individuals, but will surely exasperate all internal resources, leaving an individual in a state of depletion with a body and mind that's being neglected into unhealthy states.
16. The advantage of healthful thought is the ability to transmute the body's stress response to the parasympathetic state while slowing down the heart rate. The parasympathetic state also supports and stimulates digestive activity, the activity of the intestines and saliva, as well as the rest and digest response, assisting an individual with effective nutrition, internal resources of the body, and balance of mood.
17. The ideal state is the parasympathetic nervous system or PNS if an individual isn't in a life-or-death situation, assisting with homeostasis and healthful well-being.
18. Stressors or a perceptive stressor is referenced as an overactive, unhealthy stimulus that exasperates or threatens an individual's homeostatic processes. Breath practice, pranayama, meditation, mindfulness, and yoga are engagements that can provide healthful signals to the nervous system supporting and maintaining the feeling or state of safety.
This information is provided for general informational purposes and is not a substitute or definitive to replace physicians' care.