Improving Your Parasympathetic Tone- What does this even mean???

Lets break this down.

There are many reasons why you may be curious how to “Improve your Parasympathetic Tone” and WHY is this topic even important?

You just got your gut testing back… your autoimmune blood work back… your therapist brings it up… you’ve got trauma to process… you find yourself stuck in a survival mode… you’re clearing limiting beliefs…you’re trying to not snap at your kids…whatever the cause or trigger, you’ve had someone tell you or you’ve READ and decided that you need to “work” on your Parasympathetic Nervous System to “help” you.

I give this advice often- as a neurologist, mom, friend, and to my Self.

Daily.

I use this “hack” of the Nervous System in my every day life and I guarantee you that there is no system of the body that is NOT beneficially affected by improving Parasympathetic Tone.

For a practical example & an overview of the science… Lets look at this through the lens of how this would come up with Gut Testing: (skip to below if you just want the tips)

When reviewing someone’s gut testing, we look at a level called Secretory IgA. (Ig = Immunoglobulin, also called “antibody”; A= the type of immunoglobulin, you also have IgE, IgG, IgM- all of these antibodies/immunoglobulins have different jobs, they look different and they are released by cells in different situations, for example IgE is seen more in “true allergy” situations and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions like “anaphylaxis” (throat closing up), IgG is a more chronic, long lasting antibody that indicates prior exposure to a particular virus or bacteria, for example having IgG antibodies to Epstein Barr Virus, ie: EBV-IgG positive, indicates you’ve been exposed to this virus in the past and your immune system has memory of this in the form of an IgG antibody; and then IgM is a larger, bulky antibody that is typically seen in “acute” or active infections… and we use the ratio of IgM to IgG antibodies to help us determine if a virus is acute or chronic, etc; Secretory = secreted by cells, found in the mucosa.) This particular type of antibody is the immunoglobulin secreted into mucosal surfaces. Think moist environments exposed to the “outside” world- it is found in FAR higher levels than the other antibodies in these mucosal regions, think tears, sweat, mouth, saliva, skin, colostrum (breast milk), prostate and urinary system secretions, and your GUT. It is secreted in the GI tract by the intestinal cells. Its job is to serve as FIRST LINE of defense to protect the lining of the gut against “bad bugs’, toxins, and food allergens- and it alerts your immune system if something is there that shouldn’t be there. If this secretory IgA level is LOW… one of the top things I recommend is to work on spending more time in the zone of your Parasympathetic Nervous System.

So what does Secretory IgA levels, Gut Health, and The Nervous system have to do with one another?

A lot. In order to produce IgA, your body has to be able to dedicate energy and resources to making this antibody. If you are running from a tiger, you’re body is not going to use its resources to produce secretory IgA… its got more important things to direct your energy towards such as blood flow to your heart and muscles so that you can run. Your nervous system is the connection between your thoughts and perception and your physical body. So even if you just THINK that you’re being chased by a tiger or find yourself in a situation that is “stressful,” for example you have been nervous all week due to an upcoming presentation or an argument with your boss, your body is going to turn up the volume on your sympathetic nervous system to “cope” with the threat that you are perceiving. Being nervous or “worrying” about something indicates you are perceiving a threat. Your brain and body is wired for survival… so it takes a perceived threat (real or imagined) seriously and will turn on body mechanisms to prepare. Your nervous system is the “activator” of these processes. Your Autonomic Nervous System in particular. “Auto”-nomic in that you don’t have to “think” to make these changes… they happen below the level of your conscious awareness… SUBconsciously. (Sub = Below). This is by design. Think about how long it would take you to consciously turn on all the things you need to enable you to jump out of the way from a snake in your path… You’d be bit before you could even say “jump” to your muscles. Your body is incredible. Your nervous system is miraculous and is literally listening to your thoughts and perceptions that are SUBCONSCIOUS. (Lets just take a second to pause on that… and give gratitude to this incredible system we live in.)

SO… when you are experiencing a perceived threat, your sympathetic nervous system is turned UP, and the second part of your Autonomic Nervous system is turned DOWN… the Parasympathetic Nervous System. (Your Autonomic Nervous System has TWO parts= (1) Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight, Flight, Freeze, & Please Response/Behavior), (2) Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest, Digest, Repair, Restore, Reintegrate). ** Activation of your Sympathetic Nervous System prevents your gut from making digestive enzymes and secreting secretory IgA… because digestion is not needed to run from a threat (or freeze in panic, or appear as a baby or people-pleaser to those in front of you in your world). **

This is not new information. There is a reason why we can measure an increase in digestive enzymes, reduction in bloat, improvement in absorption of vitamins and nutrients when someone is eating a meal as their ONLY activity… not in front of a computer, having had 3 deep belly breaths, sitting outside in the sunshine… as opposed to eating a meal while driving a car and having a meeting over bluetooth audio in between home and work. Your Parasympathetic Nervous system is called “Rest & Digest” for a reason. It is important to your DIGESTION. We think of it in the sense of an extreme example, often times we use the restful, sleepy, “full” feeling after eating Thanksgiving dinner to be a great explanation of the Parasympathetic Nervous system at work. But it works in a far more eloquent way than by only being active after “stuffing our faces.” :-)

So when I see a person’s Gut Testing showing me this:

We need to work on their Nervous System- particularly INCREASING their Parasympathetic Tone. Their body is telling me that they are not directing attention to their main line of defense for their gut mucosa/lining. This is typically due to spending more time within the Sympathetic Zone … Fight or Flight/low level of chronic stress and alertness… therefore they spend less time in the rest and digest/restore state. Their attention is going elsewhere. And yes, there are LOTS of things that can drive down your Secretory IgA… gut dysbiosis, chronic gut infections, leaky gut being very common… but the biggie, the most easily modifiable, and the one that none of these others can be healed without- is Low Parasympathetic Tone. Hence the recommendation to IMPROVE your Parasympathetic Tone. Its just like a muscle, it has “tone”… that you can improve. You can get better at getting into this “zone” … and the more you focus on remembering what it feels like to get into this “zone”… the more you’ll be able to pick up on the activities in your everyday life that bring you there… The more time you spend in this healing “zone,” the more safe your body feels and the more healing can be unleashed. There are mechanisms within our body that have incredible capabilities to heal and recover… IF we give them the space to do so. Your body won’t be able to do that if it doesn’t feel safe. Just like the old alchemy adage, “As Above, So Below”…. same goes with your mind (“Above”), and your body (“Below”). Your body is a mirror for whats going on in your mind. Remember, you are NOT your mind. But without this awareness.. your mind can “run the show”… and will reek havoc on your body. You can learn how to get to know and USE your mind as opposed to letting it run YOU. You are the light, the awareness within. You are the watcher. Cultivate this awareness and get into your Parasympathetic Zone more easily. (Check out my Mindfulness Course to go in depth with me on this!!… subscribe for a 22% off discount)

So how do we do this?

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Parasympathetic Tone Daily

1- Take 3-5 Deep Belly Breaths Before You Eat Your Meals.

Your breath is the fastest way to access your nervous system. “Belly Breathing” ensures you’re using your diaphragm fully and gets fresh air to the lower part of the lungs, sending a stronger signal to activate your Parasympathetic Nervous System. (notice when you’re feeling like you’re breathing shallow or can’t “catch” your breath, you’re likely in Fight or Flight and are not aware of it) One hand on your belly, One hand on your chest. Inhale pulling lungs deep into the bottom of your lungs, belly goes out on the inhale. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Slowly let the air exhale from your nose, belly pulls in as if pushing the air out fully on the exhale. Try to make your exhales 1-2 seconds longer than your inhales. Doing this before a meal increases your digestive enzymes, increases saliva in your mouth, and brings you more in the moment to receive and process the food you are about to take into your BODY.

2- Practice doing ONE thing at a time.

Our culture has us conditioned that more = better. More = “enough.” More = Worth. How many times have you had multiple browsing tabs open on your computer, social media on your phone, a notepad out making a list, music playing in the background (because you’re trying to relax), a cup of water AND coffee to your right, and a half-eaten breakfast/brunch to your left that you’ve been working on consuming for the last hour? (raising my hand with you!!) We are not only having to rely on our fight or flight system to keep these balls in the air, but we are actually halving (at least) our creative capacity to do our very best and truly “give it our all”… regardless of what your “point” in having all of these things going at once may be. Try doing ONE thing at a time at least ONCE a day.

3- Get OUTSIDE.

I read a quote by one of my favorite functional medicine doctors and he wrote, when talking about how to help clients and patients with their gut health, “Activate Nature- The Greatest Pharmacy”- Dr. Patrick Hannaway. I’ve really enjoyed this whole concept in my own personal life- its something that I’ve been told since I was young- “just go outside”… and now I tell my kids, “just go outside”…. but I also have to make a conscious effort to GET OUTSIDE. When its raining, when its snowing, when its HOT, when its humid, when its perfect and sunny with a breeze in the air. In the mountains, at the beach, at the marsh, or just in my backyard. Activate Nature. Nature contains so much “medicine” for our nervous systems…and most of which we cannot see with our human eyes. “Forest Bathing” is a concept and TREATMENT in Japan where people literally bathe in the forest… spending time there under and around the trees and flora you are ABSORBING their energy, their vibe, and their “pheromones”… trees and plants communicate with each other. They put out electromagnetic fields just like we do! We have not even begun to understand what all occurs in nature and how we are affected by being in nature. But I can tell you that we do better IN NATURE. Very literal examples of this would be something like TB (tuberculosis)… there is clear data that mountain air helps patients with TB, did you know that?? Its fascinating. Or.. Heart Rate Variability… Walking in the forest and being in nature is grounding and has a measurable effect on a human’s heart rate variability which is a marker of the health of your Parasympathetic Nervous System. Another aspect of this that rocks my world is mold and fungi… they are everywhere… they work in nature WITH trees and plants to create a very intricate ecosystem; however when we get these substances INSIDE buildings… they start to cause major dis-sease. Major. When you do have this type of illness, mycotoxins, etc, getting OUTSIDE more is one of the BEST things you can do to start your healing process. Try normalizing going outside- every day. (Check out my Nature Meditation Post for a fun exercise to ponder)

4- Legs Up The Wall Pose. Nuff’ said.

One of my favorite yoga poses. We spend so much time upright- flip the script as often as you can. Not only does this yoga pose help circulate your cerebrospinal fluid, and just feel amazing, but it also takes pressure off of your heart, allowing gravity to HELP with the return of blood flow… and thus this increase in receptivity activates your Parasympathetic Nervous System. This is great at night to help stretch your hamstrings, but also its a great pose FIRST thing in the morning or in your office in the afternoon- set your timer, if needed, for 5-11 minutes and get into this pose… have a mantra you repeat on inhale and exhale (Belly out, Belly in… or “Sat” on inhale, “Nam” on exhale)… and settle in for a Parasympathetic tune up. Be gentle with yourself getting out of this pose and allow yourself to lay on your side, then gently on all fours (throw in a cat-cow flow) and gradually roll up to greet your world with new eyes.

5- Have a cup of Hot Herbal Tea.

This is my favorite way to tune in and strengthen my Parasympathetic Tone. There’s no way you can RUSH a cup of hot tea… I have a whole Holy process of choosing my herbs and brewing my tea.. so simple… you can just used pre-bagged tea if you’d like... and especially if thats easiest to get you started. But have no doubt about the depth this simple habit can take, it can truly be a mystical, transformational moment. Making the conscious choice to Brew a cup of tea- Choosing the tea you want (learning about various herbs and their properties is magic), Bringing GOOD clean water to boil, and pouring the hot water over these flowers and herbs to release their compounds is like watching a blessing from God unfold. (Didn’t know tea could be so much, huh???) Hold the cup of tea with both hands, (“Both hands on the wheel”) Feel the warmth, let it send a chill up your spine as you take a deep breath (activating thousands of nerve endings in your hands and subsequently both sides of your brain with just this activity), Take those deep breaths and repeat a mantra if you’d like. Whatever comes to you is fine. I also do this when I’m in a rush or “on the go”… ESPECIALLY when I’m “on the go!” I have a ceramic to-go mug that allows me to feel the warmth wherever I may be… in the car, on the soccer fields, or sitting outside of karate for my kids. Try it. I love this ritual so much I actually have a whole course on this precise concept and how we can use this SIMPLE, inexpensive, ages-old practice to strengthen our existence - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually… its called “Sip. Breathe. Up-Level. Repeat.” … it will be released later this Fall, just in time for Holiday season when it can be magic to have a practice like this.

Write to me. Let me know how these land and if you try them.

Sending you ALL So much Love + Gratitude.

Namaste Friends!