Rest and Digest

We all know that stress can negatively impact our health. It can cause all sorts of ailments like IBS, insomnia, and migraines and more.

But instead of thinking about how stress can be harmful – which just stresses us out more – let’s flip the equation.

How can being relaxed improve my health?

While we all may theoretically want to be more relaxed – without a concrete reason to get relaxed and a clear plan of how to get there – our goal of relaxation will remain very theoretical.

Being in a state of stress means that your sympathetic nervous system is in full gear and your body is in fight or flight mode. That essentially means that blood is diverted away from digestive and reproductive organs and towards your brain and skeletal muscles to allow you to either fight against or run away from an impending danger.

Being in a state of stress means that you can’t digest your food properly. 

Being in a state of stress means that you are on edge.

Being in a state of stress means you can’t sleep properly.

That is ok when we are in danger. But most of the time we’re not in danger and we need our bodies to function properly.

What we really want is to allow your parasympathetic nervous system to shine. This system is your rest and digest mode. It allows your body to reset itself after having dealt with a particular life stressor – which can happen multiple times in a day.

Rest and digest mode allows the blood to once again properly nourish your digestive and reproductive systems. It allows you to relax, unwind, go with the flow. 

Being in rest and digest mode means that you will have better digestion.

Being in rest and digest mode means you will feel calmer.

Being in rest and digest mode means you will sleep better.

The question is – how can you shift your body from fight or flight into rest and digest mode?

You guessed it – with your breath.

Here is my favorite technique to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system:

1. Sit or lie down with your back straight
2. Place your hands on your belly and begin to notice your breath
3. Count to 4 inhaling through the nose
4. Hold the breath for 4
5. Count to 6 exhaling through the nose
6. Hold for 2
7. Repeat, go back to inhale (#3)

I recommend practicing it before meals if you suffer from digestive ailments.

It can boost your metabolism and even help with weight loss!

I recommend practicing it when you get into bed if you have trouble sleeping.

And I recommend practicing it any time you notice you are feeling stressed.

We can’t eliminate stress, that’s just part of being human in this crazy wonderful world of ours.

But we CAN learn to bring our bodies back into balance, every single day, so that the effects of stress don’t wear us down and make us sick.