Re: Gupta Amygdala Training

Hi, hawksfan!

Thank you for a nice informative post. It refreshed my memory about a few things I wanted to know in more detail.
Sounds like a good program to get into. Process of self-knowing is not always about simply finding a cure with an affordable price tag on it.
It is experience and is beneficial no matter what the results might be.

Idea about parasympathetic and sympathetic modes of the ANS:

I have a particularly very overactive mind which is "addicted" to being in the sympathetic mode all the time. When I tried to increase the parasympathetic tone by staying in meditation for too long or doing pranayama techniques that are very calming, my mind would just "freak out" on me so to speak. I'd find myself having an anxiety attack instead of being calm. It was weird.

My yoga teacher told me to do Alternate nostril breathing with the ratio 2:1:2:1(inhale:hold:exhale:hold starting with the left nostril).
It helped me so much with the anxiety and depression!!!
It really worked. My mind and body were not at war all the time. Such a relief...

I think the reason it works is because it allows you to switch between the sympathetic and parasympathetic modes instead of trying to constantly maintain parasympathetic tone which our mind is simply not ready for.
They say that holding breath induces sympathetic activity but I found it safe if done following the precise second count. You need a metronome for this.

Actually that precision in the ratio is the key to rebalancing the ANS I believe. Because it allows the breath to flow smoothly through Ida and Pingala which correspond to the PNS and SNS respectively.

Hope that helps!

Amber