Sound Wellness Institute - Calgary

The Dance of the Autonomic Nervous System

Let’s take a look at the software that handles stress or relaxation. The autonomic nervous system has 2 divisions that work like a teeter-totter. One division takes control, and the other yields. And then the other takes control.

1. Sympathetic division, commonly known as the fight or flight response. It’s purpose is to protect us, and to keep us safe from all danger, real or imagined.
2. Parasympathetic division, which is the relaxed state where you rest and digest. It’s purpose is to restore health.

The Amygdala largely runs the sympathetic nervous system. When it senses danger, it’s job is to shut off the thinking brain and revert to the emotional brain and memory to react. Hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline) are immediately released that flood your body. This allows you to move quickly when you step out onto the street and you realize a car is coming. Because the amygdala can react much faster than the ‘thinking brain’, this process is sometimes referred to as an amygdala ‘hi-jack’. This is essential because, when in danger, there is no time to think about what to do – you have to react. Fast.

When the danger passes, the amygdala relinquishes control back to the ‘thinking brain’, which returns to the parasympathetic division. Hormone levels return to normal and the body can return to a relaxed state.

Our bodies are designed such that the stress response typically lasts less than 90 seconds.

However, when we are held in a state of fear, our stress levels remain elevated. and the consequences can be severe.

In addition to an increased heart rate, and increased muscle tension, Nitric oxide production is slowed or stopped all together. Nitric oxide is a key component of our immune system, and when production slows, we become much more susceptible to colds and the flu.