How does your body respond to challenges?

Have you ever noticed how your body responds to being challenged physically, emotionally or mentally?

By Dr. Shannon Patterson 

On a physical level, does your body respond to physical challenges or added demands with the feeling of complete exhaustion to the point of being depleted? Do you feel the need for rest, quiet and silent?  Do you feel invigorated and alive following an intense workout?

How about on an emotional level?  What happens in your body when you move through the more intense emotions of anger, grief, or bliss?  Are you able to feel these emotions at all or do you dissociate all together?  Do you hold on to those moments with fear of being unable to connect to them again while loosing the ability to connect to the “now”? 

What about being mentally challenged or having your point of view challenged?  Do you become enraged and tongue tied at the same time? Frustrated at being unable to express yourself?  Feel shut down from your body and emotions?

These responses, and others, stem from the brain and our ability to self regulate through periods of stress.  The ability to self regulate is a natural state of being yet often we become unable to access it on a natural and effortless level.  We might need to run away or have an extended vacation to reconnect with this state of ease. Our body can become more familiar with stress physiology as a default mechanism rather than this state of self regulation (or healing physiology).  We could try and influence the results of this stressed state – tight muscles, emotional shutdown, mental frustration – or we could influence at the core – improving the ability to self regulate and changing the brains default mechanism.

The state of stress physiology naturally occurs in life when facing challenges.  It is a necessary state at certain points in life and yet can become detrimental to our health and healing when it is our default state.  Physical injury and  sustained mental emotional stress can lead to our nervous system becoming stuck in these states of stress physiology.

Would developing a more resilient nervous system be helpful to you?  Would you like to have stress physiology a momentary reaction rather than your natural default state? Research in Network Spinal Analysis, a chiropractic technique practiced by Dr. Shannon Patterson, has been demonstrated to do just that.  In a study conducted on 2800 people under Network Spinal Analysis care 76% reported improved ability to respond to stress, increased life enjoyment, improved physical and emotional well-being.   Is that something that you are interested in?

Find out more.  Next Introduction to Network Spinal Analysis is on Thursday November 15, 2012 from 7:15pm to 8:30pm at Broadway Wellness.  There is no charge for this event but registration in advance is required.  Please call the clinic and let us know if you would like to come! Bring a friend.