Page 101 - Self Image Mastery - Week-5

STRESS AND RELAXATION 101
sympathetic pathway as the fight or flight pathway and the parasympathetic pathway as the rest and digest pathway.
As suggested by the fight or flight label, the sympathetic nervous system is mainly activated by stress. It then prepares the body to fight or to flee. This is a basic survival mechanism. When it is activated there are certain changes in the body:
• Heart rate increases
• Blood pressure goes up
• Blood sugar increases
• Pupils dilate
• And many others
From a survival perspective, it is important that all these things happen very rapidly and automatically.
The parasympathetic nervous system, when activated, has the opposite effect on the body to the sympathetic nervous system – it has a calming effect:
• Lowers heart rate
• Lowers blood pressure
• Promotes digestion
• And many others
When you breathe in and out you activate the autonomic nervous system. Breathing in tends to activate the sympathetic nervous system a little bit. And breathing out tends to activate the parasympathetic nervous system a little bit. This is why most meditation systems and relaxation systems focus on a prolonged outbreath.
The outbreath is the relaxation breath
EM COMMUNITY