7 secrets of silence: how neurophysiology helps to deal with stress

Thousands of years people create technology awareness and relaxation in the most diverse cultures and religions. These practices have activated the so-called parasympathetic nervous system, although its existence then, no one knew. Scientists now much better understand what is happening in the brain when we achieve peace and "the silence of the mind."

Parasympathetic awarenessShow the finger at someone at least once in my life have experienced stress. And the farther into the forest, the harder it is: multitasking, side projects, the need for self-actualisation to be a good parent and child at the same time, to develop and find time for a hobby…

It seems that reality requires us too much. The old hackneyed phrase "chronic stress", which each finds its own, a very sad sense. And not only from a psychological but also from a physiological point of view.

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 When a person is under stress, muscular tension takes a lot of energy. It is a kind of energy vampirism. That is why a person feels tired, but also excited.

Phe effects of chronic stress gradually accumulates in the muscles, and this makes them thicker and shorter because connective tissue is formed more than you need. Of course, stress leads to a state of combat readiness of the sympathetic nervous system, which is already active. And we get "twice as active" the nervous system. Pleasant enough.

One of the main reactions that saved the life of our ancestors and does for us, — the reaction of "fight or flight"that includes the sympathetic nervous system. However, the brain can not always be in a state of alertness. He needs to reboot to work normally. And here come into play the opposite reaction — awareness and relaxation ("relaxation response"). But they trigger the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for the process inhibition.

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Not so important, what methods are used and to what extent they trust modern medicine and every one of us in particular. It is curious here that. Visualization, meditation, prayer, visualization, and even hypnosis practitioners, based on the principle of open attention. They have a common goal: to reduce anxiety and advance in the "braking" of the nervous processes.

Mindfulness and the brain Somehow, the Dalai Lama said the following sentence: "When new discoveries are in conflict with the doctrine of Buddhism, it should change up with the science." Studies of meditation, which involved many scientists, showed that mindfulness positively affects the brain. For example, Richard Davidson and his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin has identified areas of the brain responsible for the fact that people consciously and quite clearly lived every minute of life.

Davidson and colleagues conducted an interesting experiment: they studied the brains of Tibetan monks with modern equipment. It turned out that the monks have, for decades engaged in the meditation of compassion, more active part of the left orbitofrontal cortex. Moreover, it is thicker than those of people not engaged in meditation or similar practices. This is one of the reasons that they look at life more positively.

In the experiment, the monks were asked to "include" a sense of empathy and compassion (which for them is not difficult). The instruments showed that at this moment simultaneously activated multiple neural connections.

When the neurons are synchronized at the same time, the brain produces the signal with frequency between 25 and 40 cycles per second is the gamma rhythm. Interestingly, gamma waves are active not only at the moment when monks meditate consciously, but in a different time. It turns out that mindfulness changes the brain on a physiological level.

Seven scientific principles of mindfulness Awareness and conscious meditation affect specific areas of the brain. For example, the prefrontal cortex takes part in the process of reflection, and is aimed largely meditation. This area of the brain called the centre of "thinking about thinking" (or center of consciousness). And this is due to the parasympathetic, the "braking" system of our brain. How?

There are seven basic principles of activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the basis of yoga, meditation, relaxation exercises, hypnosis and other similar techniques.

1. Rhythmic breathing: when people are watching their breathing, breathe deeply and consciously, heart rate slows down and comes total peace.

2. Concentrated attention: the so-called "open attention" gives you the opportunity to be in the present moment, "here and now". This state activates the prefrontal cortex, which in turn inhibits the activity amygdala (amygdala) — home "alarm button" of the brain and the sympathetic nervous system.

3. Tranquil environment promotes concentration. And after a while, if you practice, one develops the skill to consciously relax regardless of noisily next to him or peace and quiet.

4. Mesocenozoic and the position of accepting the situation when a person refuses to expectations, just observes and evaluates what is happening, the stress goes away. As the saying goes, if you long to sit by the river, you can see how swims corpse of your enemy. We are not talking about enemies, but rational grain in this.

5. Relaxed posture. Stretching exercises — not a bogus class and not the whim of the yogi. They benefit, which has a scientific explanation. The brain needs to have blood done to him constantly. During stretching, the blood, deprived of oxygen, again rushes into the lungs for more O2. This supports the flow of blood adequately saturated with oxygen. This mechanism causes the brain to work at full pressure and relieves stress.

6. Observation: instead take to heart every little thing, it is better to distance yourself from stress. This Supervisory position involves the parasympathetic nervous system. And over and over again — faster and faster.

7. The naming of emotions: when the man calls by their names (and hence conscious) emotions, reduced activity amygdala and activated the left frontal lobe is responsible for positive emotions. This is proven by studies using imaging methods.

 



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You can think of these principles as a guide to action, as practice, is able to refresh the brain, helping to concentrate, become more energetic and feel calmer. Neuroscientists have noted that mindfulness and relaxation increases the level of stress.

So, you can try a couple of minutes a day to devote to the practice which you consider acceptable for themselves, to reconfigure the brain to a more relaxed wave.published  

 

 



Source: ideanomics.ru/articles/7524

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