The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has two branches. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) branch slows the body down. PNS dominance elicits a relaxation response, whereas activating the ...

Meditation is enjoying a period of unprecedented popularity in the U.S. Although there is written evidence of meditation practices dating back to at least 1500 B.C., with a multiplicity of distinct ...

You can’t help when your fight-or-flight instinct kicks in—but you can handle how your body responds to everyday stressors. Have you ever heard of the mammalian diving reflex? It’s a natural response ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. A few weeks ago, we discussed cortisol, so I wanted to spend this week exploring the nervous ...