101 Ways to Create Parasympathetic Mind

In clearing out stuff, I came across something from my career in mental health: a laminated rack card called “101 Ways to Cope With Stress.” It now being many years later, I read through it with new eyes. I realized that most of the recommendations were ways to calm the Sympathetic Nervous System response. Some were unrealistic, some not helpful, and some (for me, anyway) would create more stress. So, I decided to take the idea and add what I have learned from working with SCENAR and the Parasympathetic Nervous System for the last 6 years. (This list is not in any order.) Morgana Morgaine, life coach and humorist, defined Parasympathetic Mind best: “Relax, Rest, Release, Restore.”

If you have other helpful ideas about creating Parasympathetic Mind, please feel free to comment. (For more information about releasing your own neuropeptides and balancing your autonomic system, go to the Healing Tips page.)

1. Take 10 minutes before you get up in the morning and before you go to bed at night to quietly focus on your breathing. To keep your mind focused you might count your breaths up to 5 and then start over. Take any moments in daily life when you are waiting (red lights, grocery store lines, etc.) as an opportunity to remember your breath. Simply take a deep breath and notice your body relax.
2. Have a SCENAR treatment or lay in the Multilayered Therapeutic Blanket. Learn what Parasympathetic Mind feels like.
3. Prepare for the coming day by thinking of those things you will be doing that make you feel good.
4. Reach for any thought that makes you feel better in any situation that feels stressful. Pay attention to how you feel. If you feel bad, find a thought, any thought, that makes you feel better.
5. Forgive negative people and move on to interactions that feel better to you.
6. Have fun on purpose. Seek to feel joy.
7. See challenges as opportunities to see things differently. Look for the silver lining.
8. Regularly write down what you appreciate in as much detail as you can.
9. Go outside and enjoy the sunshine or curl up with a good book when it rains.
10. Learn to care for and comfort yourself.
11. Make it your intent to find and hang on to any and all things that inspire you, especially thoughts.
12. Make a list of your personal attributes that you value and using 3 or 4 of them write a Mission Statement for your life.
13. Notice negative self-talk and stop. Then remember your Mission statement.
14. Use affirmations and/or mantras to remind yourself that you want to feel good.
15. Practice grace when under pressure.
16. Feeling good activates the Parasympathetic nervous system. The Parasympathetic nervous system activates good feelings.
17. Pay attention to the moment. A moment missed is a moment lost and unconscious moments make for unwanted consequences.
18. Remember that stress is an attitude. Remind yourself that you are NOT a victim.
19. Quit judging or trying to “fix” other people. It only makes you feel bad.
20. Look for options. In any conundrum, ask yourself, “What are my options here?” You will quickly discover that options give you a sense of freedom and control.

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The Body’s Natural Process of Healing Itself

All forms of holistic health care follow the innate principles of the built-in way the body heals itself. The goal of all who are involved in natural healing is to assist the body in this natural process.

Our bodies are always engaged in an ongoing effort to create and maintain homeostasis. This effort is centered in the processes of the Parasympathetic nervous system. The operating principle is “self-regulation” whereby the body organizes its functions to restore balance from imbalance. Just as a tightrope walker is always moving and correcting in order to maintain their balance on the wire, so the body is always in a dynamic process of restoring its own balance which we call health.

If the body encounters a challenge that it is unable to completely resolve, it will temporarily “adapt” by reorganizing itself in a new way that will allow it to continue functioning even though there is still an unresolved issue. This kind of reorganization is called an adaptive reaction or response.  It is an interrupted cycle of self-regulation that is acceptable to the body in the short term because it maintains function until the problem gets resolved.

However, issues may remain unresolved because the body has  “lost sight of them” through a reversal of cellular polarity, or because of prioritization of energy and resource utilization the body may be unable to address them. Over time, the adaptive reaction can interfere with healthy self-regulation and evolve into other new challenges to health and well-being. Those in the natural health field search out these unresolved adaptations and assist the body in completing the goal of moving the adaptation to reintegration and healing. Read more »

A Way to Hang on to Parasympathetic Mind in the Current Political Fracas

Morgana Morgaine, a life coach and humorist, has posted on her blog a very practical and interesting idea about “maintaining your sanity when all about you are losing theirs.” She relates how to respond to the current political fracas by “leaving the coliseum” that will help you maintain your Parasympathetic Mind through a perspective that is both self-preserving and humorous. It is a great read, and wanted to pass it along. Check it out!

Parasympathetic Mind Through Meditation Linked to Cellular Health

A new study investigating the physiological effects of meditation has been conducted by researchers at the University of California. It was discovered that there is a link between feelings of positive well-being and the presence of higher telomerase, an enzyme important for long term health of the cells in the body.

In a previous study we cited on this blog about the positive effects of slow breathing on pain, the lead author said, “The first change that occurs with slower breathing is greater parasympathetic response which provides a counterbalance to sympathetic activation that is often aroused by pain, and that engenders feelings of anxiety and nervous tension. A greater state of calm induced with slower breathing also opens the mind to a greater capacity to feel emotions other than pain, providing perspective, flexibility, and choice in the regulation of inner states. In doing so, slow breathing reduces the dominance of the fight/flight response within us, extending the calm influence of parasympathetic activation to allow for better emotional regulation and cognitive shifts from helplessness to action.”

In the current study, it was found that participants who underwent meditation training “showed increases in such beneficial psychological qualities as perceived control (over one’s life and surroundings), mindfulness (being able to observe one’s experience in a nonreactive manner), and purpose in life (viewing one’s life as meaningful, worthwhile, and aligned with long-term goals and values). In addition, they experienced decreased neuroticism, or negative emotionality. Meditation may improve a person’s psychological well-being and in turn these changes are related to telomerase activity in immune cells, which has the potential to promote longevity in those cells. Activities that increase a person’s sense of well-being may have a profound effect on the most fundamental aspects of the physiology.”

Both of these descriptions point to what I have called Parasympathetic Mind that I became aware of by seeing it consistently in clients who have had SCENAR treatment, which stimulates the parasympathetic aspect of the autonomic nervous system to promote the body’s own healing response.

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Someone Else’s Thoughts on Parasympathetic Mind

Here is a link to Morgana Morgaine’s thoughts about Parasympathetic Mind. It is an excellent elaboration, and creates new information about what PSM is and why it is important from the life coach’s point of view.

SCENAR Promotes Homeostasis and Well-Being

Webster’s dictionary defines balance as the state of equilibrium between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements. From planetary ecological balance to being able to stand up on our feet, balance is a delicate, intricate, and wonderfully orchestrated cornerstone of our outer and inner reality. We ignore this cornerstone at our own peril.

In our work with SCENAR great attention is paid to assisting the body in returning to its inner state of balance or homeostasis. This involves working with the autonomic nervous system which, for the most part, operates without our conscious control. It maintains the internal balance of the organs and systems in response to external stimuli.

There are two aspects to the autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic system (often called the “fight or flight” response) and the parasympathetic system (called the “rest and digest” response). These two aspects operate in opposition to one another. When one is operating, the other one isn’t. When you are running from a saber tooth tiger, the last thing you want to do is “rest and digest.” Ideally, there is a balance between the systems based on the fluctuations of conditions. The sympathetic system keeps us alert and responding to the environment in ways that promote our survival, and the parasympathetic system rests, heals, and restores the body from all the activity required by the sympathetic system. The sympathetic system uses up the resources of the body and the parasympathetic system recovers and restores those resources to be available if needed again.

Our modern world challenges our bodies in maintaining the balance between these two systems. In general we are inundated with demands, information, time urgency, conflicts, and confusion that our bodies interpret as being threats to our survival. We worry and feel anxious, angry, resentful, or frustrated. We don’t have time to attend to eating well, resting, relaxing, and even when we try to rest or relax we are still ruminating about the issues. The parasympathetic system is shut down. Our bodies are in a near constant slow sympathetic system boil. We have a word for this: STRESS. We have lost our inner balance. Living too long in this state leads to disease as the body is unable to heal itself.

When the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are working as they should, the tendency is to rest often and easily. One can, however, perform at “peak ability” with equal ease. When challenged by stress, the balanced person is able to respond with vigor and fortitude. The parasympathetic system reduces the activity of the brain, the muscles, and the adrenal and thyroid glands. When no situation is pressing, the balanced person can comfortably choose to rest and can sleep deeply. They engage in lifestyles that allow the body to be nourished and restored.

When we are stressed and the sympathetic system is dominating, the sensations of pain are amplified. The SCENAR addresses pain by activating the parasympathetic system which releases neuropeptides to address the pain and restore the inner balance. In only a few minutes of treatment people will visibly relax. After a few sessions, very frequently people will become interested in taking better care of themselves and talk about ways they can do that. They also usually have an overall improvement in their mood. It is amazing to watch. (Read about some of our clients’ experiences on the “What Our Clients Say” page.)

If you are stressed and in pain, you might want to look into experiencing a SCENAR treatment series. It could make a big difference not just in your pain but in your overall health and sense of well being.

Nine Supplements to Boost Your Mood

Part of the action of SCENAR is to boost mood through the stimulation of the parasympathetic system causing the release of endorphins and the neurotransmitters that regulate the emotional state. Our experience of happiness is a unique biochemistry in the brain, and nutrition also plays a vital role regulating it. I have found that clients who pay attention to their diet and lifestyle around eating respond much faster to SCENAR treatments. If the body has at its disposal the nutrient building blocks needed for the production of regulatory peptides, the availability of the internal pharmacy for healing is greatly enhanced, facilitating a rapid recovery.

The major cause of mood regulation difficulty is stress. When the sympathetic system is turned on for long periods of time, the parasympathetic system is turned off and the body can’t recover well. Stress depletes the body of the chemicals it uses to heal itself, including the “feel-good” neuropeptides (endorphins) and neurotransmitters(serotonin, dopamine, nor epinephrine, and gamma aminobutyric acid – GABA). The most used pharmaceutical drugs these days are for reducing anxiety and depression. Before turning to these drugs, which can have significant side-effects, it is worthwhile to try a natural route.

Other than regular exercise, a good multivitamin, and fish oil which improve overall health and help with mood regulation, there are some supplements  that can help lift depression, reduce anxiety, improve your resilience to stress, and improve sleep.

Be Aware: If you are already taking drugs for depression, anxiety, or insomnia, talk with you doctor about adding natural supplements. There can be negative interactions which you want to be mindful of. It is always a good idea to thoroughly research any substance you are considering taking into your body, whether pharmaceutical or natural.

There are nine nutritional supplements that can help you reduce the effects of stress and improve mood: Read more »

Parasympathetic Mind: Living Within Your Means

A friend of ours, Raye Rufty, has At Your Service, a custom decluttering, organizing, and concierge business. She sends out tips from time to time about how to de-stress your life by simplifying your personal environment. This one seemed so pertinent to the art of creating the sense of spaciousness in life that is characteristic of Parasympathetic Mind, that I wanted to share it.

We’ve all heard about and strived to “live within our means”.  What does this have to do with clutter and disorganization?  Consider these pursuits:

- “live” within the SPACE you have (the size of your home, closets, drawers, purse, tie rack, desk filing space, etc.) meaning to scale back if you are bulging at the seams,
- “live” within the TIME you have (to clean your home, answer your emails, mow your lawn, do your laundry, maintenance of home/office equipment, file documents, etc.) meaning look at how things own us instead of us owning them,
- “live” within the ENERGY you have (to run errands, do chores, clean or mow or launder, love on people, etc.) meaning if you are running of out energy, rethink your priorities,
- “live” within the FINANCES you have (surely you have already thought about this) and scale back,
- “live” within your VALUES and PURPOSE in life (to not overspend, over discipline, over compensate, under-plan, under-estimate, etc.) which will feed your soul … it’s the opposite of a diet, and
- “live” within your personal realistic EXPECTATIONS (of all of the above).

All of these are resources we have:  space, time, energy, finances, values/purpose, expectations, etc.  I have observed that when I live outside of my means on any of these categories, I am doing a disservice to myself, my loved ones, my clients, and everyone around me.

When we become aware of the importance of encouraging calm, not chaos, in our lives, we are choosing to engage our Parasympathetic Mind. Living within that state encourages health, peace, and happiness.

Healing Innovations Introduces a Monthly Series of Talks

Beginning on April 29, Healing Innovations will hold a series of monthly talks and demonstrations on the SCENAR and Parasympathetic Mind. You will have an opportunity to experience pain treatment using the revolutionary technology developed in the Russian Space program, as well as learn ways to improve your autonomic system balance, reduce stress, and improve your quality of life.

The first talk will be held at the Natural Health and Homeopathy office, 54 Merrimon Avenue from 6:30 to 8pm. Featured will be the natural healing process of the body, called the Parasympathetic System, and ways you can access this healing system in your everyday life.

Space is limited, so please call 337-6854 to register. These talks are free to anyone who is interested in self-healing and ways to promote health naturally. It is a lot easier than you may think!

New Study Shows Efficacy of Slow Breathing in Reducing Pain

A new study reported in the April issue of the Journal of Pain reports on the effects of slow breathing on reducing pain. It is the first study to directly examine the benefits of breathing rate on physical and emotional reaction to pain.

It is a small study using 27 women with Fibromyalgia and 25 healthy women. The results show that slow breathing reduced rating of pain intensity as well as negative emotion in the healthy women. Those with Fibromyalgia who had the capacity to feel positive, felt less pain with slow breathing.

The study’s lead author, Alex Zautra, Foundation Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, says: “Slow breathing provides a natural means for damping activity in the stress system of the brain, leading to a reduction in pain. The first change that occurs with slower breathing is greater parasympathetic response which provides a counterbalance to sympathetic activation that is often aroused by pain, and that engenders feelings of anxiety and nervous tension. A greater state of calm induced with slower breathing also opens the mind to a greater capacity to feel emotions other than pain, providing perspective, flexibility, and choice in the regulation of inner states. In doing so, slow breathing reduces the dominance of the fight/flight response within us, extending the calm influence of parasympathetic activation to allow for better emotional regulation and cognitive shifts from helplessness to action.”

Zautra is now conducting clinical trials to test the benefit of their body/mind intervention in a five year project funded in part by the National Institute of Health.

It is wonderful to see the scientific community validating the effects of Parasympathetic Mind.