Fight and Flight VS Relax and Restore

Why do we need to practice relaxing and restoring?   We know that meditation helps us to relax our body, mind and spirit.  This will help refresh and restore ourselves.

In our modern lives there is little space for relaxing and restoring.

Many people try to relax and restore by watching TV at night or surfing on Instagram or Facebook.  Interestingly this is not actually relaxing or restorative to our brains or bodies and I am pretty sure not to our spirits either.  It “feels” relaxing because we are not “doing anything” however it isn’t actually creating space, it is filling any space that might have been there.

Our Sympathetic Nervous system controls the fight or flight energy.  This is helpful if a lion is attacking or a burglar is breaking into our house.  Any energy is diverted to key organs for survival, such as the respiratory system and our muscles.  This creates a stress energy that remains until we feel safe.  Sadly, we now spend most of our days in this stress state.

Our Parasympathetic Nervous System is about relaxing and restoring.  When we spend more time in this state it brings wellness.  In modern times we need to be very intentional about creating this space for relaxation of body, mind and emotions.  Meditation is a perfect space for this.

Today: practice by setting your timer and

Using your finger movements

Breathe in Peace & Calm

Pause (2,3,4)

Breathe out and Smile

Pause (2,3,4)

Repeat until your timer dings!

Then listen to the Rainbow Boundary Meditation– this is important because in a few days you will add another phase to your meditation and understanding this will help.