Viscera

 

 

The viscera cannot be consciously controlled; moreover, they are influenced by processes associated with feeling and emotion….Because the cerebral cortex has no control over the functions of the viscera, reason cannot check a racing pulse by demanding that it act differently.  Nor can it fill an empty heart.

The Owl Was a Baker’s Daughter, Marion Woodman

 

 

The autonomic nervous system has two components.  The para-sympathetic system which regulates a relaxation response and the sympathetic which regulates the fright, flight, freeze response.  Both are necessary for living.  While the para-sympathetic system controls the body at rest, digesting, making love, creating, the sympathetic system prepares the body to protect itself when faced by a threat. 

 

Many of the diseases of the heart, the circulatory system, breath, and endocrine system are rooted in an over reactive sympathetic nervous system and an underactive para-sympathetic system.  Evolutionarily, a strong sympathetic nervous system allowed us to protect ourselves against the many environmental threats.  Blood is routed away from digestion and creation to the chest, arms, and legs enabling us to run fast and fight back.  Even though we no longer face the same existential threats of ancient humans, our body is still wired through the pituitary gland to react to threats in the same way.  If we were unable to protect ourselves from a physical or psychological violation especially as children or if the violation was repeated, the sympathetic nervous system can get stuck in overdrive.  Then our bodies will initiate the flight, fright, freeze responses in situations that are safe but which feel enough like the inciting event that the sympathetic nervous system labels them as unsafe.  When the sympathetic nervous system is continuously firing, all the systems of the body suffer from inflammation and over exertion and our ability to digest, rest, create, and relate intimately to ourselves and others is compromised.  We can’t think ourselves out of this traumatic overreaction and without interruption it will create a feedback loop which intensified.    

 

It is amazing to me that the ancient yogis recognized this negative feedback loop over 3,000 years ago.  They developed the system of yoga as a remedy for the overactive sympathetic system, under active parasympathetic system and the residual loss of self.  For when we are in flight, fright, and freeze, we are lost to our Selves.  The ancient yogis recognized understood how the practice of the eight limbs of yoga builds up the para-sympathetic nervous system and calms the sympathetic system, and lifts the deeper Self up so that it can manifest in the world. 

 

After a challenging day at work, by simply lying down in Virasana (hero) pose, I can feel my viscera unfolding and all the muscles of the abdomen relaxing down.  The thick muscles that connect my spine to my legs stretch and soften. My chest is opened flooding the deepest fibers of lungs with oxygen and whole the thoracic cavity with a plentiful supply of blood.  My brain settles and spreads.  I am not thinking about relaxing but the pose itself is nourishing me into well-being and calm.