How the Body Reacts to Stress
When your command center for emotions, and behavior in your brain (the amygdala) recognizes a threat:
It then sends a message to the hypothalamus, that releases a hormone that tells the pituitary gland to release a hormone, that tells the adrenal glands to produce a hormone called cortisol. Wow!
Pulse rate and blood pressure go up. Sight, hearing, and other senses become sharper. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs. Muscles tense up and blood flows away from any non-essential body systems. It rushes out to the limbs to prepare you for the “fight or flight”.
We begin to breathe more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide to assist the lungs to take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the back of the brain. It moves away from the frontal lobes where reasoning takes place and retreats to the Pons in the back of the brain where reaction happens.
This is a great mechanism!! It’s what gets us to jump out of the way of an unexpected flying object.
Optimal amounts of cortisol are very life-serving. This includes controlling the body’s blood sugar levels, acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation; controlling salt and water balance, influencing blood pressure, etc.
Although, when you’re under stress continuously, your adrenal glands keep pumping out cortisol. This is what leads to adrenal fatigue/exhaustion. Chronically high levels can lead to serious challenges.
When we have too much, it can suppress our immune system, increase our blood pressure, decrease libido, make us fat, gives us pimples, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, mood swings, plus more.
Sounds like everything you don’t want, doesn’t it?
It’s no fun to be in this condition or be around someone is. If you’re wondering why you or someone else is so crabby, adrenal fatigue is probably the reason.
When we are relaxed everything works to it optimum level. In fact, the only way we can take a deep, full breath is by being relaxed. When we are stressed there is tension in the diaphragm and it is impossible to breath as deep as we can. We start out breathing abdominally at birth, then tensions, anxiety cause us to move to chest birthing. It has become a bad habit for most people, because of our daily race/rush.
I find myself in the “hurry up” mode frequently. How about you? Are you racing through life? Day after day, rushing to do this, that or the other thing?
When we take time for ourselves to do things that we know will assist in our happiness, we feel happier. Yes?
There are plenty of ways to stay calm and relaxed no matter what. Such as: doing daily meditation, tai chi or yoga, getting proper exercise, enough sleep, eating healthy and of course, getting regular bodywork.
There’s a new form of bodywork called: CranioSacral Therapy CST It works with the connective tissue, via the central nervous system and stimulates the relaxation response. CST is a gentle non-invasive form of bodywork that addresses a myriad of things, like migraine headaches, back pain and even learning disabilities. It’s light touch and goes deep. Read more about CST
I combine touch for health – energy kinesiology with it. Read more about Touch for Health. That is, we do lots of pre-checks, including muscles, posture, breath, emotions and attitude. When we are done, you will be able to breath deeper and fuller, stand up straighter and have a renewed positive outlook. You will feel uplifted, inspired and revived.
“When I came to you last week I was not at my best, almost in that dreaded pit. You pulled me out and I have been great ever since. Love that magic stuff you do!” V. S.
This CST absolutely does seem like magic. Want to give it a try? Make an appointment before April 15th, 2016 to receive super discount of 50% off regular price.
I would love to hear your comments.