How massage helps access your parasympathetic system… and why you want to do it.
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Remember how we said that chronic stress is bad for your body because it’s like your nervous system is in high gear all the time and your muscles are constantly held tight to be “at the ready” so you can spring into action and escape the bull?
When your sympathetic nervous system is kicked up into high gear it is in “fight or flight” mode and produces a constant flow of cortisol. It’s doing its best to divert energy away from inner life-sustaining processes like breathing and digestion, and channel energy to your body for life-guarding processes like:
fueling muscles with more glucose,
inducing faster, shallower breathing,
increasing your blood pressure
This can only be tolerated in the short-term. It is no good for the long-term, and certainly not sustainable or healthy.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
The parasympathetic system is known as the “rest and digest” system and when in operation, gives the other one a break. Accessing this system is healing.
Hunger, thirst, and sleep are the physiological manifestations of the body rejuvenating itself through the parasympathetic system. The muscles don’t need to be “at the ready” 24/7 any more.
Can massage balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems?
Yes! A massage can help get you out of this stressful mess and give your sympathetic nervous system a break! The two arms of the nervous system operate in yin/yang style. What goes up, must come down! Each arm balances the other. Massage resets your system through deep breathing and the experience of pleasant pressure and touch that feels good. Accessing your parasympathetic nervous system allows the body to get back to a healthy equilibrium. The sympathetic nervous system gets to chill out and take a nap in a hammock. Energetic and physiological balance is restored.
How do you know if the massage helped you access the parasympathetic system?
Well, after a massage, cortisol is reduced and serotonin is happily flourishing. If you are: hungrier, thirstier, and sleep better, this is great news!
If these things are heightened, you have accessed your parasympathetic system and restored balance once more! The energy has been diverted back to the restorative, life-sustaining processes of:
effective digestion,
slower blood flow,
regulated productive breathing and
brain revitalization through restorative deep sleep.
Give your body the gift of a nap in the hammock on a regular basis! And sweet dreams tonight!
