Do you find yourself living in a state of being perpetually behind and struggling to keep up with an unending to-do-list? I often have. Think for just a moment about how you feel on a great vacation…EVERYTHING feels and even looks different. Food tastes better, people are more interesting, dreams seem accessible, creativity soars, you smile at dogs and children and hum while you’re in the shower, traffic isn’t a big deal.  THIS, my friend, is called living in the Parasympathetic State (PNS).

You may not know it but your body swings back and forth between 2 systems (or states as I like to call them): The one described above, the PNS, and its counterpart the Sympathetic System (SNS). Want to hear something surprising? We should spend around 22 of our 24 hours in the PNS state, which is otherwise known as the rest and digest and heal system… the CHILL system. Unfortunately in our rushed society most of us spend enormous amounts of time in the activation system of the SNS that should be reserved for the occasional crisis.

As a health conscious individual, I have worked intently in my own body to learn how to access that PNS state at will.  Why? Holy cow…every good thing for the body happens here! All things health, recovery, youth, disease prevention, regeneration, & MORE LIFE happen here. I thought I had become pretty adept at accessing the PNS and was feeling pretty smug about it. Then came a period of about 2 weeks that contained several back to back high demand items packed closely together. As that period went on I began to feel nothing like myself. I had a constant headache, felt exhausted, edgy, had digestive upset, and awakened feeling immediately agitated, jacked up, and ready for battle. These are all classic signs of adrenaline and cortisol overload. I knew what was going on, yet felt powerless to escape the spin cycle. Added to that was the fact that I began to feel mad at myself for not having the presence of mind to travel through this period in a healthier way. Bottom line, I knew I was UNDOING all the hard work I’d done. Ugh…help!!

What to do? I know this has happened to you or does on a regular basis. In fact I know many of you LIVE this way. I can tell you, your body CANNOT thrive, age well, maintain health OR fight disease in this state….EVEN IF IT FEELS NORMAL TO YOU.

I help women all the time who want to reshape their bodies, age better and lose weight. They instinctively want a food and calorie list and specific exercises that will give them a small waist, toned thighs and butt. While these are important concerns there is one thing that supersedes any of this information and makes their outcome possible. It’s learning to access this PNS state and STAY there except for emergencies. It feels very counter-intuitive to hear, ” I want you to sit and breathe,” for someone who wants to lose weight and get fit. But the skills to access your rest/digest/heal system are solid pillars upon which everything else must be built. The body will not shed extra weight or work on any healing or “beautification” projects when it believes it’s under threat.

In my work with clients this means teaching breathing, calm, inner peace and center. All of these are accessed first through our minds, our thought life and mental health.  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK YOU WILL EVER DO…bar none. It will change your life, inner and  outer! I teach my clients simple tools and practices to clean this area up and transform it. Your brain teaches your body how to react by what it thinks. You might want to read that last sentence again. It is hard fact and science. Doesn’t it make sense to get control of this area?  ANYTHING you want lies behind this door.Good grief, why didn’t they begin teaching us this in kindergarten I’d like to know??

So yes, we’ll include the core work, the recipes, the dietary guidelines but THIS is our finest work.

As I finish this blog I am on a plane flying out of state. I have a guided meditation downloaded and now I’m going to work on myself. This is a life’s work. Don’t get discouraged like I did. Don’t beat yourself up for only tiny steps forward (or several back). You’re not alone. I will be on this path for the rest of my life. Nothing better my friends.

And the best way to begin is to apply for a free mini-session with me. We will get on the phone. Everything will become very clear for you. I promise you that. I can show you quickly how you’re stuck:).

Much love. You are alive… so you’re capable.