It comprises two parts -
1) Sympathetic and
2) Para Sympathetic
Sympathetic dominates in the situation of arousal that requires alertness. Like emotional scenes or emergency,
Para sympathetic works in a calm and normal state.
Sympathetic or Fight or flight response
The sympathetic system is designed to address emergency, accidental, or acute stress situations, enabling our body to respond effectively. For instance, imagine walking down the street when suddenly you realize a violent mob is following you, possibly targeting you. Instantly, your body receives a surge of energy, allowing you to run at a speed of 20/30 km per hour. Similarly, consider returning home after a long day at work, looking forward to enjoying a hot cup of coffee and watching a movie. However, upon arrival, you discover that a family member urgently needs medical attention. In that moment, you set aside your own needs, rushing to take them to the hospital, consulting doctors, arranging tests at the lab, getting medications, and making necessary arrangements, all without rest or food for the past 4/5 hours. It is remarkable to observe how this strength and energy emerge in times of crisis, allowing you to care for your loved ones despite your own fatigue and hunger.
This is the body's defense mechanism, preparing us to cope with emergencies or unexpected situations by redirecting all resources towards enabling us to confront the threat. In the past, our ancestors relied on this mechanism to protect themselves from predators. It involves the release of hormones to help us respond to such scenarios, known as the fight-or-flight response. This response can manifest in different ways, such as choosing to flee in the face of a threatening mob or gearing up to confront a challenge head-on. Both options demand strength and stamina, with the decision on which path to take being influenced by our evaluation of the circumstances. This process is governed by our sympathetic nervous system, which is only activated during times of stress or emergency.
Your parasympathetic system comes into play during regular circumstances when your mind is at ease, calm, and relaxed, with no urgent situations to address. This is the time when our body focuses on self-repair, preparation, and self-care.
Currently, we are constantly under stress, signaling our brain that things are not going well. The brain perceives this as an emergency and releases cortisol, a stress hormone typically used for fight-flight reactions. This cycle of stress leads to the brain producing more cortisol, causing us to remain in a state of heightened alertness under the sympathetic nervous system.
Under normal circumstances, however, both work in tandem. It overall controls autonomic reflexes like-
Arterial blood pressure
Heart rate and rhythm
Gastro intestinal mobility and secretions
Urinary bladder filling and emptying
Sweating
Body temperature
If there is a sympathetic imbalance, then symptoms related to coronary heart disease, hypertension, CV stroke, etc develop.
If there is a parasympathetic imbalance, then symptoms usually related to bronchial asthma, irritable bowl syndrome develop.
Balancing them is the yogic way.
Yoga classifies sympathetic as - Ha- the sun energy or the male energy, and
Parasympathetic as - Tha - the moon energy or the feminine energy.
Balancing these energies maintains balance and harmony between body and mind. Anulom vilom Pranayama is the technique that brings this balance.
Stress- increases activity of sympathetic system, gives rise to cardiovascular disorders.
Pranayama and meditation increase activity of the parasympathetic system, aids relaxation and achieving positive health.
Concentration on chakras, the centres of generation and regulation of these energies, also helps in harmonising these two systems.
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