Our body’s peripheral nervous system is one of the most powerful elements of our tai chi practice. As we move throughout the set, what do our nerves have to do with anything? Let’s explore this, with a special emphasis on the vagus nerve and parasympathetics.
Our body is made up of two major nervous systems outside of the brain: the sympathetic and parasympathetic. Together they form the autonomic nervous system.
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) controls our “fight or flight” or stress response. As shown in the image (red), the SNS increases our heart rate and blood pressure, shallows breathing, slows digestion, and releases cortisol and adrenalin. Other side effects include a slowing of our immune and repair systems. The SNS system is meant to provide a temporary response to a perceived threat. Prolonged activation creates an important imbalance in our bodies that can lead to auto-immune diseases, heart problems, and even cancer.
Our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is often called the “rest and digest” system. Its activation has the opposite effect of the SNS: it decreases heart rate and blood pressure, slows breathing rate, improves digestion, balances our mood, creates sexual arousal and restores our body’s immune and repair functions.
The vagus nerve makes up about three quarters of the PNS and thus earns the title “guardian” of our internal state. It is the 10th of 12 cranial nerves, starting in the brainstem and runs deeply into the body. Specifically, it innervates the tongue, larynx, trachea, neck, airways, lungs, heart, liver, gall bladder, stomach, pancreas, intestines and kidneys (see image in blue).
What does this mean for our tai chi?
There are several ways our vagus nerve can be stimulated, and many occur as a natural part of our tai chi practice. Mindfulness is number one as the mind-body connection is key to activation of the vagus.
The inherent connection with the diaphragm during movements that lengthen the spine and expand the thorax, as in the Dan-Yu and wave hands, also plays a large role since the vagus nerve communicates with the diaphragm. These moves stimulate the vagus, creating a prolonged relaxation response we can all feel.
Our repeated intention to drop our shoulders and elbows further adds to vagal nerve stimulation stemming from the neck structures. Other interesting studies have shown that throat singing, chanting and even laughing engages the vagus nerve running through our vocal cords. Vagal nerve stimulation has been well studied and used therapeutically in depression, anxiety disorders and even in Alzheimer’s.
The various health benefits of our tai chi practice are often deeper than they appear. So, let’s connect, move, drop, relax, chant and smile a little each day!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18991518
Copyright ©️ 2024 Lila Zitouni
Translation by Jordi Awarita and Cathy Filion
Excellent insight. Thanks
Thanks for your inspiring notes on tai chi and how it affects our bodies from a scientific point of view. We could all use some vagal activation/relaxation as in the tai chi moves.