Autonomic Nervous System - kimschles/schlesinger-knowledge GitHub Wiki

From the 2018 Ghosh Yoga Immersive

The Autonomic Nervous System

  • The autonomic nervous system controls the unconscious body functions like the beating of the heart, breathing, and reflexes like coughing, sneezing, vomiting and swallowing
  • This system is regulated by the hypothalamus
  • Comprised of three branches: the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system

Sympathetic Nervous System

  • Generates the fight-or-flight response
  • Slows digestion, increases blood flow to the body and increases arousal

Parasympathetic Nervous System

  • Generates the 'rest and digest' or 'feed and breed' system
  • Calming, promotes digestion and relaxation

Enteric Nervous System

  • The nervous system in the gi system
  • The 'second brain' of the body