Anchor in regulation by pendulating expansion & contraction autonomic NS

Anchor in Regulation and Safety

The Body IS The Mind #2: DEVELOPING RESILIENCY: Anchor in regulation and safety by pendulating the expansion and contraction of your autonomic nervous system. Opening to eat and closing to expel is the basic biological function of all life as exemplified by the amoeba. It is non-verbal, automatic and necessary for life to seek oral and anal autonomic gratification. We open and engage in “fight”, or we close and rest in “flight.” Breathing in I open up and relax my mind, breathing out, I relax my body.

Sequential Interchange of Energy

“The keystone of the entire structure of the spiritual and physical universe is Rhythmic Balanced Interchange between all opposites.” ― Walter Russell

Expansion & contraction mean the same thing as fight or flight

One autonomic state is not better than another. We find safety or fear in all autonomic states depending upon our conditioning. Prior to this moment the terms “fight or flight” confused me because I thought that fight or flight were somehow negative. No, they are both natural and good. One autonomic state is not better than another. I guess someone just wanted an easy mnemonic device for the two polar opposites of the autonomic nervous system. Peter Levine says it better when uses “expansion and contraction” instead of “fight or flight.”

Humans are born negative but they don’t have to remain that way

“Human beings have a built-in negativity bias. In order to support our survival, we’re wired to respond more intensely to negative experiences than equally intense positive ones.” — Deb Dana

Talking is just another defense mechanism

When you make a snap judgement to dislike someone that is your autonomic nervous system just doing its job. Your job as an enlightened human being is to use your pre-frontal cortex, wait a full six seconds to assess the new situation, and then decide what to do. Most of the time I try to remain silent. Talking is just another adaptation to trauma. Most talking is just a defense mechanism. The key is to be aware. Am I in equilibrium of expansion and contraction or acting out a traumatic adaptation? Sometimes I am running around like a psychopath on a rampage, and sometimes I am in a state of yogic bliss. The key is to be aware of exactly what role my automatic nervous system is playing in my fight or flight syndrome.