Nervous system healing seems to be a hot topic these days, and for good reason. The last 20 months have been nothing short of stressful and anxiety-inducing. So it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to relax and heal their nervous system.
The nervous system is a pretty important part of the body. It regulates all of your body functions, telling the heart when to beat, glands when to produce , breathing when to occur, and muscles when to contract and relax. It controls everything we do and feel. There are many factors that can affect your nervous system, but it’s often the simplest things like diet or stress levels that have the biggest impact on us.
When you’re under constant pressure, your brain releases adrenaline which causes intense feelings of anxiety and panic. These hormones also cause various physical reactions such as increased heart rate or shortness of breath. In this blog post, we’ll discuss 3 ways you can find some nervous system healing.
3 tips to facilitate nervous system healing
Belly Breaths
Firstly, deep breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response. Specifically, exhaling is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls our body’s ability to relax and calm down. Taking a few deep breaths is a simple exercise that you can do to combat the effects of adrenaline on your body. And, you can do it anywhere, from standing in line or at work to sitting on the couch or in bed. It doesn’t matter. Start by inhaling through your nose and filling up your belly. Hold for 3 seconds and then exhale slowly for 5 seconds. When you feel like you’re ready, extend the time it takes to inhale and exhale.
Belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the head down the neck, through the chest, and into the colon. When you take a breath with your belly, it presses on the vagus nerve which in turn sends a signal to your brain that everything is ok. It if wasn’t, you wouldn’t be able to take a deep breath as easily.
Put some weight on it
One of my personal favourite ways to relax and initiate nervous system healing is to add a little weight. The weight gives the brain proprioceptive input, which can calm and organize the nervous system. Daily activities like carrying grocery bags, lifting up your kids, or even chewing gum also create proprioceptive input.
There are plenty of ways to give yourself proprioceptive input and help your nerves calm down. You can lift weights or use flex bands. But, if you don’t have any, bodyweight exercises work just as well.
For a gentler way to relax, try a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets are a good way to get deep pressure, which has been shown to help lower the heart rate. Furthermore, weighted blankets may help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improve their attention and impulse control.
Looking for your own weighted blanket, check out Hush. It’s the one I use and I love it!
Lucia Light Meditation
Meditating with the Lucia N03 activates deep nervous system healing by holding you in the state between wakefulness and sleep. This is an extremely restful place to hang out. Our nervous system loves this state. I like to call it the in-between. The Lucia light activates a deep state of rest by using a combination of solid and flashing light. This light goes in through the retina and stimulates the pineal gland. Researchers don’t understand the function of the pineal gland fully, but they do know it produces and regulates hormones, like melatonin. Melatonin plays an important role in regulating sleep patterns. Who doesn’t love a solid night of sleep?
If you’re in the Vancouver area and want to give the Lucia light a go, click here and book yourself a demo. You will not be disappointed!
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