FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM?
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, and it is the most important system in your body. It coordinates and regulates all the communication and processes within your body, as well as helping you adjust to an ever-changing environment.
Some of the unconscious processes the nervous system controls are digestion, the immune system, heart rate, blood pressure, coordination and balance, pain reflexes, and sweating.
Your nervous system controls every cell, tissue and organ of your body. It controls and regulates how your body functions.
WHAT IS FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT (WHAT IS THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM)?
The nervous system is in a sympathetic state (fight-or-flight), or it’s in a parasympathetic state (rest and digest). It cannot be in both at the same time.
Fight-or-flight is an excellent way for the mind and body to deal with danger or threatening circumstances. When a threat is detected, the nervous system stimulates the adrenal glands releasing adrenaline and cortisol. Thereby increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, tensing up your muscles, so you are ready to fight or run away from the danger.
In small doses, Fight-or-flight is also helpful in instances where you are under pressure to perform well. It motivates you to take action in work, school or sport, for example.
WHAT IS REST AND DIGEST (WHAT IS THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM)?
A healthy body should be in rest and digest for the vast majority of its day. When the parasympathetic nervous system is active, our heartbeat slows, and digestion and healing are enhanced. The immune system is activated to fight and protect against disease. The job of the parasympathetic nervous system is to calm the body down and keep the vital functions stable.
When the body is in fight-or-flight, the rest and digest system switches off, which is why chronic stress is responsible for so many physiological and psychological illnesses.
WHAT IS THE VAGUS NERVE?
Your Vagus Nerve is the largest and most important nerve in your body. It is the main parasympathetic nerve, and it regulates your parasympathetic nervous system. It carries messages to and from your brain, gut, heart, and other major muscles and organs.
The Vagus Nerve plays a crucial role in determining your psychological and emotional states. Many common psychological and physical symptoms, from anxiety and depression to migraines and back pain, indicate that the Vagus Nerve is not functioning correctly.
Common issues like inflammation, stress, or physical trauma can interfere with the Vagus Nerve’s ability to function. Luckily, Supercharged Meditation is a quick-and-easy way to activate and exercise the Vagus Nerve, strengthening its function and restoring your body to good health. This class will help you unlock the power of the Vagus Nerve to heal your body and get back to a state of balance.
WHAT DOES STRESS DO TO THE BODY?
Stress prevents digestion, causes inflammation, prevents healing, hinders recovery after exercise, stops the processing of grief and trauma, dysregulates hormones, increases pain, causes poor sleep, causes reflux, raises blood pressure, increases brain-fog, leads to addictions, affects relationships, causes sexual dysfunction and infertility, and weakens the immune system.
HOW DOES STRESS MAKE US FEEL?
Stress makes us feel anxious, depressed, emotionally reactive, angry, overwhelmed, ashamed, worried, and a whole host of negative emotions.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION
Improved Gut Health
Increased Vagal Tone
Increased insulin sensitivity
Improved gut permeability
Improved cortisol regulation
Decreased depression
Less anxiety
Better memory
Increased divergent thinking
Greater ability to get into stage 3 and 4 REM cycles
Decreased allergy responses
Improved inflammatory regulation
Increased neuroplasticity
Faster brain signals
Less dependent on drugs and alcohol
Increased motivation
Rehabilitation after stroke, TBI and other brain-related injuries
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Healthier mind
Calmer, happier, relaxed and more confident
Greater emotional stability
Increased performance at work, school, sport
More fulfilling relationships
Better sleep
Healthier body
Less reliance on addictive behaviours
More self-worth
Higher self-esteem
More time to do the things you love
Able to pay more attention to the things you love
Better focus
More engaged in life
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MEDITATE?
For those of us that have done damage to our nervous system, through trauma, stress, or illness, our body will be in a chronic state of fight-or-flight. In this state, the world will seem unsafe, and we will have a general feeling of uneasiness. Our minds will overthink, we will ruminate about problems from the past and problems that haven’t happened yet.
When our body is in fight-or-flight, the nervous system behaves as though there is physical danger in the environment.
If we truly are in danger, the last thing the body wants to do is close its eyes, because you won’t be able to see the threats coming your way. Therefore the nervous system does all it can do to encourage you to open your eyes.
Your mind will start racing, you will think about all the “threats” in your environment. Since there aren’t any immediate physical threats, your brain will scan for threats to your income, your self-worth, your ego, or your image.
You will think about bills, problems that might happen in the future, and everything that’s left on your to-do list!
You’ll ruminate over current relationships, past relationships, and you’ll remember every bad thing that’s happened to you in the past.
This “noise” will feel overwhelming to many of us, and the most common answer to a frantic mind is, “my mind is too busy to meditate, so I’m going to give up”.
The good news is, even without Supercharged Meditation, most people will be able to calm their nervous systems down with several weeks of daily mindfulness meditation practice. They just need to persevere through the uncomfortable stage.
The even better news is that with Supercharged Meditation, the nervous system calms down in less than 11 minutes. This means we can accelerate the learning and healing process, diving straight into an extended meditation.