n Conversion of glycogen to glucose in
the liver (blood sugar balance)
n Secretion of adrenalin and noradrenalin
in the adrenal glands (increases stress
and affects behaviour, motivation
and attention).The parasympathetic nervous system
stimulates ‘rest and repair’ throughout the
body. The vagus nerve is one of its major
components. The solar plexus also acts as
a relay station for the lower branches of
the vagus nerve, supplying parasympathetic
impulses to the intestines, the kidneys and
the spleen.
The solar plexus also communicates
sensory information from the abdominal
area back to the central nervous system.
During the final relaxation at the end of
a yoga session, this sensory information
considerably deepens body awareness.Conscious control of the
solar plexus
The solar plexus includes a number of
smaller plexuses: hepatic plexus, splenic
plexus, gastric plexus, pancreatic plexus,
and adrenal plexus.om body
S
low and rhythmical abdominal
breathing is part of every yoga
session. Each time you breathe
using the diaphragm, your solar
plexus is being stimulated. Here,
we’ll explain how the solar plexus can
function as a gateway to gaining conscious
control over the autonomic nervous system.The sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems
The sympathetic and parasympathetic
nervous systems are the two branches
of the autonomic nervous system, which
regulates all involuntary body functions.
The sympathetic nervous system elicits
the fight or flight response of the body in
order to cope with stress. The solar plexus
acts as a relay station for the abdominal
section of the sympathetic nervous system,
connecting it with organs, blood vessels
and glands in the abdominal area.Sympathetic nerve impulses which are
relayed by the solar plexus promote:
n Inhibition of peristalsis (digestive
movement) and inhibition of secretion
of gastric juicesA gateway to consciously balancing your
nervous system. By Swami Sivadasananda
THE
SOLAR
PLEXUS
The hepatic plexus, the largest offset
from the solar plexus, receives filaments
from the right phrenic nerve. The phrenic
nerve provides the only motor supply to
the diaphragm.
Only the impulses of the left and right
phrenic nerves allow this movement of the
diaphragm. The connection of the right
phrenic nerve to the celiac plexus suggests
an influence of the movements of the
diaphragm on the functions of the solar
plexus (and thus the autonomic nervous
system) and vice versa.
This is an indication that conscious
diaphragmatic breathing as practiced in
asanas and pranayama, might have a
voluntary influence on the solar plexus.
Self-observation shows that this influence
tends to balance the ‘fight and flight’
activity of the sympathetic nervous system
with the ‘rest and repair’ activity of the
parasympathetic system.
Visualising the connection of the phrenic
nerve via the diaphragm to the solar plexus
can help in understanding how conscious
abdominal breathing is a major tool in
achieving: