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Regulating your nervous system: Calming practices for a balanced life

November 11, 2024

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In this blog, we’ll explore how the nervous system responds to stress, the science behind meditation and breathwork, and practical techniques you can use to cultivate calm in your daily life. These simple tools can make a big difference in helping you feel grounded and in control.

Key Takeaways

  • Mindfulness reduces stress and improves emotional resilience.
  • Meditation and breathwork activate the body’s relaxation response.
  • Small, consistent practices can transform how you manage stress.

Understanding the Nervous System’s Role in Stress

Our nervous system is a sophisticated network that controls how our body reacts to stress. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) operates in two primary modes—the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
The SNS is known as the “fight or flight” system. It responds to perceived threats by increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels, and releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This reaction prepares the body to respond to immediate danger.

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
In contrast, the PNS governs the “rest and digest” state, allowing the body to relax, recover, and conserve energy. This system helps calm the body after a stress response, promoting a sense of balance and relaxation.

Effects of Chronic Stress on the Nervous System
Constant stress keeps the SNS activated, which can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and weakened immunity. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and breathwork activate the PNS, promoting relaxation and supporting both mental and physical well-being. Incorporating these practices can restore balance to our nervous system, helping us manage stress more effectively.

The Science Behind Meditation and Breathwork

Extensive research highlights the benefits of meditation and breathwork for regulating the nervous system and enhancing mental health.

Meditation and the Stress Response
Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce the body’s stress response, lowering cortisol levels and heart rate while improving emotional regulation. Regular meditation has also been found to increase gray matter in brain areas associated with emotional control and decision-making, contributing to long-term mental resilience(1).

Breathwork’s Impact on the Nervous System
Breathwork, especially practices like diaphragmatic breathing, has been proven to increase parasympathetic activity, which relaxes the body and reduces stress. A study in 2021 found that slow, deep breathing can decrease cortisol levels by up to 50% within just five minutes, offering immediate stress relief(2).

By engaging in meditation and breathwork regularly, we can retrain our nervous system to remain balanced and calm even in challenging situations.

How Meditation Regulates the Nervous System

Meditation encourages present-moment awareness and a non-judgmental observation of thoughts and sensations. Over time, practicing meditation strengthens our ability to stay calm in stressful moments.

Reducing Sympathetic Nervous System Activity
Meditation helps deactivate the SNS by bringing awareness to the present, reducing physical symptoms of stress like elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

Activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System
By focusing on the breath and calming the mind, meditation supports the activation of the PNS, which helps restore a balanced, relaxed state in the body.

Improving Emotional Regulation
Mindfulness meditation enhances the brain’s capacity to manage emotions, reducing our reactivity to stress and improving overall well-being.

Incorporating a daily meditation practice—whether it’s five minutes or thirty—can help train your nervous system to remain steady and balanced, even in stressful situations.

Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation

Breathwork refers to structured breathing techniques that can significantly affect the nervous system. By altering our breath, we can influence our emotional and mental state, achieving a sense of calm or focus within minutes.

Effective Breathwork Techniques
Several breathwork techniques are particularly helpful for regulating the nervous system:

  • Diaphragmatic Breathing: Also known as belly breathing, this practice uses slow, deep breaths that engage the diaphragm, helping to lower cortisol levels and activate the PNS(3).
  • Box Breathing: This involves inhaling for four counts, holding for four, exhaling for four, and holding again. It brings balance between the SNS and PNS, easing stress and anxiety(4).
  • Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana): A yogic practice that balances brain hemispheres, reduces stress, and increases mental clarity(5).

Even a few minutes of breathwork can have an immediate calming effect on the body, making it a powerful tool for relieving stress.

Incorporating Mindfulness into Your Routine

Adding meditation and breathwork to your routine doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Even short, consistent practice can create lasting change in how you respond to stress.

Tips to Get Started
Here’s how to start integrating mindfulness into your day:

  • Start Small: Begin with five minutes of meditation or breathwork each morning, gradually increasing as you become comfortable.
  • Be Consistent: The key to seeing benefits is regular practice, so aim to incorporate it daily.
  • Create a Calm Space: Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed, helping you focus on your breath and practice.
  • Be Patient with Yourself: It’s normal for the mind to wander. The goal is to gently bring your focus back to the breath or chosen point of focus each time.

With regular practice, you’ll build resilience, emotional stability, and a deeper sense of calm in both body and mind.

Experience Mindfulness at Mantra Wellness

At Mantra Wellness, we integrate mindfulness, meditation, and breathwork into our yoga classes to help you connect with your breath and calm your mind.

Our expert instructors guide you through techniques designed to balance your nervous system and improve mental well-being.

Join us to experience the power of mindfulness firsthand, whether you’re new to these practices or looking to deepen your routine.

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