February 04, 2019 at 12:14AM How to activate your parasympathetic nervous system by practicing awareness, breathing, and assessing the situation. Continue Reading… When was the last time a tiger chased you down? Chances are, never. But your body thinks it’s happening all the time! Even now as you’re reading this, sipping on your tea or coffee and totally safe inside your house or apartment, it’s quite possible that your body is in flight-or-fight mode. You might be thinking about the new project you got assigned at work. Doesn’t your boss know how much you already have on your plate? Or, you might be worrying about your relationship, your health, or the fact that you have way more to do this week than you can possibly manage. How will you get it all done? As your mind races through all these situations, it sends signals to your body that you’re in danger. Your body reacts. Your heart beats faster, your breath gets shallow, and digestion gets thrown off. You might wonder why this is happening and whether you’re the only one who feels like they are consistently on the verge of panic. Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. It’s your sympathetic fight-or-flight response kicking in. As a physician, ayurveda lifestyle consultant, and yoga instructor, I see patients struggling with the same thing all the time. In fact, it happens to everyone, and it’s happening in epic proportions these days in our country. The sympathetic nervous system and what you can do to tame it.