The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) work together to help you cope with and respond to daily life. For many people, daily life brings a myriad of stresses that activate the SNS. Loud noises, flashing lights, frustrating thoughts and advertisements for delicious frozen coffee all activate the sympathetic, or “fight or flight” mechanisms in your body.
The PNS and the SNS are connected like a seesaw; when one goes up, the other one goes down. If your SNS constantly jumps into action throughout the day, your daily experiences will tend to create an imbalance. By activating the PNS, yoga strengthens its circuitry and brings balance to the seesaw.
Many yoga practices including gentle breath-based vinyasa and slow, diaphragmatic breathing activate the PNS, or the “rest and digest” mechanisms of the body. Parasympathetic activation is the base state of the body, brain and mind.
PNS activation reduces blood pressure and slows the heart and breathing rates after a stressful event. Additionally, blood flow is redirected to the digestive and reproductive organs, and the endocrine and lymphatic system, those parts of your body that aren’t needed in order to survive. A yoga practice encourages you to pay attention to the sensations in your body and your reactions to those sensations. People who practice yoga therefore learn to be aware of and respond differently to stress-inducing thoughts and experiences so that the baseline of the PNS can be maintained.
Sympathetic Activation and Deeper Relaxation
Not all yoga is relaxing. Intense power yoga or dynamic vinyasa flow yoga classes can actually activate the SNS. Sympathetic activation is a change to the PNS baseline in response to a threat or an opportunity. However although vigorous practices like sun salutations and some breathing exercises stimulate the SNS, research has demonstrated that such vigorous practices followed by relaxation leads to deeper relaxation than practicing relaxation alone.
A well-rounded yoga practice often begins with sun salutations and closes with savasana or meditation. Because yoga includes both sympathetic and parasympathetic activation, your body and brain become even more relaxed into the PNS baseline.
Meditation and the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Meditation activates the PNS in several different ways. By relaxing, bringing attention to the body, and withdrawing attention from stress-inducing thoughts the PNS is lit up. Stimulating the PNS though meditation elevates mood, decreases cortisol, strengthens the immune system and increases physical and psychological well-being. A daily meditation practice, whether 20 minutes or one minute, strengthens the PNS.
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Blog based on an article by fellow yogi Eileen Pfefferle