Autonomic Nervous System

In the wilderness, balance is the foundation of survival. A misstep on uneven terrain, poor pacing on a long trek, or exposure to extreme weather can quickly tip the scales from stability to crisis.

Nature itself operates in balance: day and night regulate temperature, along with alternating periods of activity and rest; ecosystems rely on opposing forces working together (predator-prey dynamics, life and death, photosynthesis and respiration). Muscle and bone development is largely driven by the body’s efforts to overcome gravitational forces, and the very act of walking involves shifting balance from one leg to the other.

Nothing captures the concept of complementary opposites working together to establish balance and harmony than the yin and yang of ancient Chinese philosophy. It applies to all aspects of life — night and day, hot and cold, good and evil, masculinity and femininity, happiness and sadness, health and illness.

In the human body, that balance is maintained through homeostasis, largely regulated by the autonomic nervous system — the part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary physiological processes, including heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion. The autonomic nervous system is able to perform its magic thanks to two complementary components — the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.