Joy & Your Parasympathetic Nervous System!
Did you realize that a shot of fun injected into the movement session you’re leading can seriously upgrade your movers’ experience physiologically as well as mentally?
“Making room for Joy” is one of the tools the Academy of Mindful Movement trains instructors and coaches in. That means we create a space where folks can laugh, find companionship, and feel a sense of ease in their surroundings. Non-judgmentalism contributes.
“The parasympathetic nervous system plays a crucial role in the body’s ability to achieve a state of calm and relaxation, which is fundamentally linked to the process of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. How to Activate Parasympathetic Nervous System: A Guide
What does that mean to us as instructors and coaches of movement? Well, laughter and physical activity - especially playful activity - both stimulate our body’s Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). It takes us out of the stressed-out “fight, flight or faint” response to situations. It helps our movers learn. They are happier, calmer and more open to our input.
Activating our students’ and clients’ Parasympathetic Nervous System can also result in:
Psychological Impacts
Anxiety and Stress: Decrease depression and anxiety
Sleep: Increase ability to enter peaceful and restorative sleep stages
Cognitive: Enhance neuroplasticity, brain healing, “re-wiring”.
Physiological Impacts
Cardiovascular: Lower blood pressure
Digestive: Facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients
Immune System: Improve body’s immune system responses
Add a good dose of Joy to your movement practice or classes and get you into your Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Moving mindfully with you,
Renée Tillotson