SCIENCE OF YIN YOGA 79Autonomic nervous system dysfunction, or dysautonomia, nega-
tively affects the nerves that carry information from the brain and
spinal cord to the heart, bladder, intestines, sweat glands, pupils,
blood vessels and especially the vagus nerve. There is a wide range
of health concerns created by autonomic dysfunction, which might
include excessive fatigue and thirst, excessively high or low blood
pressure, irregular heart rates, difficulties breathing or swallowing,
constipation and other gastrointestinal problems, bladder and uri-
nary problems, and sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction in
men or vaginal dryness and orgasm difficulties in women. Autonomic
dysfunction also can be a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibro-
myalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis.That is quite a list, and unfortunately, it gets worse. Dr. Galitzer and many
other doctors are discovering new research on how sympathetic dominance
is emerging as a primary cause of the biggest killer diseases on the planet,
like heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Dr. G. Blake Holloway is a neuroscientist and clinical naturopath and has
an education in functional biology, clinical nutrition, orthomolecular medicine,
applied psychobiology, behavioral science, biophysics, addictionology, and
acupuncture. He is also the creator of NuCalm, the only patented system for
balancing and maintaining the health of the autonomic nervous system. Dr.
Holloway states the following about the sympathetic nervous system (quoted
in Galitzer and Trivieri 2016, 86):
People who suffer from addiction and/or PTSD (post-traumatic stress
syndrome), and also those for whom anxiety and depression are a
problem, are essentially stuck in sympathetic nervous system domi-
nance.We know that the traditional model of treating PTSD by prescribing phar-
maceutical drugs is failing because of the high suicide rates, especially among
returning veterans. In the current model, those who benefit the most are the
drug companies. In fact, Dr. Galitzer and Larry Trivieri write the following in
their book Outstanding Health (2015, 340-341):
The ongoing use of pharmaceutical drugs is one the primary causes
of dementia and other brain conditions, including delirium, in the
elderly. This is especially true of people who have been prescribed
more than one drug at a time. Common side effects related to the
brain that can be caused by regular drug use also include anxiety,
“brain fog,” depression, erratic behavior patterns, and suicidal
thoughts. In certain cases, drugs, either alone or used in combina-
tion, can even cause brain damage.