Your autonomic nervous system is composed of two parts – the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.  The sympathetic is the body’s accelerator or stimulator, increasing muscle contraction, heart rate and blood flow.  The parasympathetic is the resting aspect of this system and promotes muscular relaxation, slowing of the heart rate and relaxation of blood vessel walls.

When the autonomic nervous system is in “good shape” it transitions easily between these component systems and their functions  at the appropriate times. This ability to transition from the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic N.S. and the “rest & digest” response of the parasympathetic is akin to a dimmer on a light switch that increases and intensifies the light when more light is needed to see and concentrate and then dials down the light, perhaps later that evening, for a romantic, candle light dinner.  Thus a well functioning autonomic N.S. gives us the ability to react quickly and forcefully to a dangerous situation at one moment, then relax and rest, maybe even take a quick nap and wake up refreshed a while later.

This aspect of our nervous system is called “autonomic” because its functions can operate without our having to think about them.  At the same time,  the autonomic  N.S. allows for a certain degree of conscious control. A great example of this is the role of the autonomic N.S. in respiration. We typically breathe without thinking about it,(thankfully) but we do have the ability to speed up or slow down our breathing at will and ideally with relative speed and ease. So despite the fact that many of our autonomic functions can occur unconsciously, we do have the ability to affect these functions consciously and therefore we can practice or “train” this part of our nervous system to perform its functions better.

A strong autonomic nervous system intelligently uses aspects of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic and is able to switch gears when needed without taxing the body.  We can consciously train our nervous system to seamlessly make this shift between stimulation and relaxation, and this will help keep our cardiovascular system strong and supple and facilitate muscle recovery. Thus “training” our autonomic N.S. not only improves the health of our nervous system but also the health of our muscles and cardiovascular system.

Most modern humans spend significant time  in situations and engaged in activities that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to a mild degree.  This constant low-grade stimulation can become a habit, leading to missed cues that our body is neither resting nor fully engaged.  It’s as though we forget our light switch has a dimmer and leave the light on at the same brightness constantly, no matter the time of day or need for more or less light.

This “sympathetic overdrive” is also like a car running at idle, occasionally revving  the engine but never actually driving anywhere and never completely shutting off.  This can happen to all of us occasionally, and its not a big problem until it begins to manifest consistently when it will weaken our nervous system and its ability to shift from the sympathetic N.S. to the parasympathetic and it’s important functions.

Some signs of sympathetic overdrive include:

• Digestive problems
• Sleep problems
• fatigue, exhaustion
• shallow breathing
• moodiness, anger, upset easily
• high muscle tension
• muscle pain
• frequent colds or easily getting sick
• metabolic disorders
• high blood pressure
• blood vessel problems

To train your nervous system to be adaptable and functioning optimally, here are some key steps:

1) Breathe diaphragmatically all the time

Diaphragmatic breathing is the easiest way to turn on the parasympathetic response. When you breathe well, your shoulders relax, your whole abdominal wall gently expands 360 degrees and there is a slight pause between the inhale and exhale.

Signs of breathing dysfunction include:

• Spending your day sitting with a rounded back
• Lifting your chest or shoulders up while inhaling
• A chronically stiff and tight upper back
• Breathing in and out of your mouth
• Yawning or sighing frequently
• A resting respiration rate higher than 12 breathes a minute

Your diaphragm is one of your largest back muscles.  In order to draw air into the deepest part of the lungs, it has to contract during inhalation. This contraction is a downward movement and in order for it to move down, the abdominal wall has to expand.  This is virtually impossible to do if you are slouching.  Conversely, correcting a slouch with a military style posture of arching the back and pulling the shoulder blades together will also restrict the movement of the diaphragm and interfere with breathing.

See our earlier blog post on diaphragmatic breathing for more on this subject.

2) Learn to relax the body

Our muscles are designed to do two things very well- contract and relax. Consciously relaxing our muscles helps them to contract more easily.  A muscle that forgets to relax is more prone to strain, pain and adds to overall discomfort in the body. Training your muscles to relax is just as important as doing your daily workout at the gym.

Some techniques that help include:

• massage
• yoga
• tai chi / chi gung
• biofeedback
• meditation
• warm baths.

Try giving yourself permission to relax and rest in small chunks throughout the day. Also, check out this video showing a great way of relaxing the psoas muscle. It will help you remember how to let go of tension in the body and the nervous system.

3) Learn to relax the mind

The workings of the mind distract us from being in our body and hence being able to perceive the habits that contribute to sympathetic over-stimulation. Habits like holding our breath, tensing parts of our bodies, straining our eyes and getting frustrated with little things often manifest as result of tension in the mind. Taking a few minutes every day to let the mind relax is renewing and refreshing to the body.

My favorite way to do this is to sit or lie down in a quiet area, scan through my body to note areas of tension, visualize the tension melting with the image of sunlight and then letting my mind be free. Letting the mind be free is as simple as giving permission for your thoughts be free of any particular focus.

4) Exercise on a regular basis with a large variety of challenges.

Your exercise should be varied and daily.  Each day should include walking, weight resistance, stretches and movements that challenge your balance and your movement skills.  The more muscles you use, the more blood flow you will have and this increased blood flow will feed nerves and removes waste products from all of your tissues. Stimulating the nerves meanwhile builds their resilience and adaptability.

*Personal Alignment Training is ideal for training the nervous system along with muscles, bones, joints and the C.V. system!

5) Get deep rest

How many times have you felt ready for bed at 8pm but for various reasons, ignore the signals?

Try this experiment once a week:

Forgo TV after dinner and read something relaxing, like a good book (not the news). Dim the lights in your home after the sun sets. Adjust the light so its just bright enough to read. Put away your phone and computer- you can check them in the in the morning. Notice when your body starts to send the signals it is ready for bed (not the mind!).

Place no significance on the time…

Just go to bed…

…and notice how much more rested you feel the next day!

If you have ever been camping you are likely familiar with this type of letting go.

6) Spend time in nature

Being outdoors is very soothing to the nervous system.  Exposure to the natural colors of blue and green have been shown to calm to our sensory nerves.

Try getting outdoors more on your lunch break.

Or instead of going to the gym, do a hike instead.  Exercising outdoors will engage the nervous system differently than an indoor workout with all of its distractions.

7) Be mindful of the quantity of stimulants you are consuming

Caffeine causes your blood vessels to restrict which can result in more muscular tension. Coffee and tea are delicious and enjoyable but consuming more than 1-2 cups a day or having caffeine after lunch can interfere with your body’s ability to relax and get a good night’s sleep. For anyone struggling with sleep issues, I recommend slowly reducing your intake to 1 cup a day and perhaps switching to tea most days as it contains less caffeine and delivers it more gradually.

A well functioning autonomic N.S. is essential to our long term health and quality of life. These “training” tips will help you build a stronger, more resilient nervous system that will serve you now and for years to come!