A Journey Into Yin Yoga

SCIENCE OF YIN YOGA 77

Cutting-edge doctors are speaking about the importance of healthy para-
sympathetic activity. Dr. Michael Galitzer and Larry Trivieri, both nationally
recognized experts in integrative medicine, state the following (2016, 64):

The parasympathetic system is devoted to nourishing, healing and re-

building the body. When actively dominant, it stimulates and enhances

immune function, circulation, digestion and overall gastrointestinal

function. It improves functioning of the liver, stomach, pancreas and

intestines. It also lowers heart rate and blood pressure levels, while in-

creasing production of endorphins, your body’s “feel good” hormones

... Only when your body is in a state of parasympathetic dominance
are you able to achieve deep levels of rest and recuperation. Achieving
and maintaining a healthy parasympathetic state is essential for heal-
ing on both the physical and mental-emotional levels of your being.
Parasympathetic dominance enables you to be more relaxed, content
and fully present in the moment. You are able to meet and respond to
daily life challenges both calmly and more energetically.

The parasympathetic nervous system is closely related to the vagus nerve,
which is the primary pathway that the parasympathetic uses to send nerve
impulses and signals. The vagus nerve originates in a part of the brain stem
called the medulla oblongata. From here, it travels all the way to the colon,
providing parasympathetic nerve fibers to the organs along the way. Because
of this, the vagus nerve helps to regulate the homeostasis for a majority of the
body’s internal organs and the functions they perform. This includes heart
rate, respiration, and gastrointestinal peristalsis. It is also involved with vision,
hearing, speech, and control of the skeletal muscles.
The more rest and restoration you experience, the more dominant the
parasympathetic nervous system, and therefore

• the more you can effectively manage stress,


• the better your sleep quality will be,


• the more you will be able to regulate the body’s inflammation response,


• the healthier the cells will be,


• the better you will feel,


• the higher your brain performance will be,


• the more you will slow the aging process,


• the healthier and happier you will be, and


• the higher your quality of life will be.