Nervous System.docx

**The Nervous System** Understanding how your nervous system works and learning how to work with your nervous system can play a transformative role in your life. During the course of this TT you\'ll learn a couple of tricks and exercises to help regulate, reset and improve the function of your nerv...

**The Nervous System** Understanding how your nervous system works and learning how to work with your nervous system can play a transformative role in your life. During the course of this TT you\'ll learn a couple of tricks and exercises to help regulate, reset and improve the function of your nervous system. However, it's safe to say that Yoga in general is one of the most supportive things you can do for your nervous system! Yoga helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest, relaxation, and digestion and practicing yoga regularly can significantly reduce stress levels, improve mental clarity, and promote overall well-being. Additionally, Yoga also boosts the production of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters and some of the more focused spinal movements directly impacts the Central Nervous System, while the stretching and detoxing (lymphatic & endocrine system) improves the pathways, connections and communications between neurons. You can think of your nervous system as an operating system or program that is always on and running in the background; whether you're awake or not and whether you're aware of it or not. So taking some time to uncover, identify and understand what your nervous system set-point and wiring is, is well worth the investigation\* But before we go deeper, just a brief bit of anatomy to familiarize yourself with the nervous system You have nerves that run throughout your body and they participate in every moment of your life. Let's start with the nerves that runs through your spine and connects your brain and body; the Central Nervous System. This cluster of nerves is responsible for basically everything your do; it converts signals from your body (like when you step on a thorn) to your brain and your brain then formulates a response (scream, lift up your foot, blame someone). Throughout your spine there are neurons that act as messengers that carry information up and down your spine. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is further divided into two main parts: the brain and the spinal cord. The brain, often considered the control centre of the body, processes and interprets sensory information sent from the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Till recently we believed that it is our brain that is mostly responsible for our thoughts, emotions, memories, and decisions. \*But the more we learn about the body, the more we realize that it's very much a two way communication system and more often than not, the body signals and informs the brain. The spinal cord acts as a conduit for signals between the brain and the rest of the body, it is protected by the vertebrae and consists of a bundle of nerves that transmits electrical impulses. These impulses allow us to perform both voluntary actions, like walking and talking, and involuntary actions, such as reflexes. In addition to the CNS, you have the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The PNS includes all the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord and extend to other parts of the body, including the limbs and organs. Here we include all Sensory Nerves; senses, nociception (pain), temperature, stretch and Motor Nerves; voluntary and involuntary. Also referred to as the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements, and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. Some specific things you can do to help your nervous system come back into balance; shaking, toning, tapping, deep stretching, breathing, twisting and crossing over the midline \*video In addition to Yoga, food and sleep also play an important role and is worth a mention. A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants supports nerve health and function where as food that causes inflammation can add unnecessary stress to the nervous system. Sleep is also an essential aspect of nervous system health; ensuring you get adequate, high-quality sleep allows your body to repair and regenerate, which is critical for maintaining a well-functioning nervous system. Whereas lack of sleep or poor quality sleep causes stress and strain and blocks the nervous system from performing the way it should. Yoga, as a form of movement meditation, also improves and supports healthy sleep patterns. Through understanding the nervous system we learn just how intricately connected our bodies and brains are. Going one step further, our environment also greatly impacts and influences our nervous systems and unfortunately this isn't always something we can control. The good news is that when we learn to work with the nervous system and find practises that help to support us, we learn how to regulate ourselves! And the better we get at regulating ourselves, the more we become the captains of our own ships and the masters of our fate. When we know how to regulate ourselves, we are no longer subject to the outside world but rather anchored in the stability of our own internal worlds. Lastly, engaging in activities that you enjoy and that bring you joy (like Yoga) can have a positive impact on your mental and emotional health, further supporting your nervous system. By taking as little as 5min each day you can find practices to incorporate into your daily routine leading to improved health, resilience, and a greater sense of peace and balance. So remember to have some fun