love or fear
there are two major energies that direct most of all in our lives: LOVE or FEAR.
two motives: love or fear
two choices: love or fear
love is the energy of expansion, openness, safety.
fear brings us to fight or flight, shuts down.
this goes beyond the human mind, they are also automatic responses of our neurosystem! that is why learning biology and how to self regulate is essential.
child birth is the perfect example of how this perfect dance works! oxytocin, the hormone of LOVE opens up the womb to bring a new life into this world — on the other hand "fight-or-flight" or shut down, slows birth and may end up on a C-section or induction and sometimes labor goes from an ecstatic event to trauma for the family.
fight or flight orchestrated by the sympathetic state is a survival mechanism, enables people and other mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations. the carefully orchestrated yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety. unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, and family difficulties.
the dorsal vagal nerve, our most primitive structure recognizes situations of threat and as a response shuts down with a freeze response. in nature we can observe such as when an animal pretends that is dead to scape it’s prey.
oxytocin (the hormone of LOVE) is produced in the hypothalamus and is secreted into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary gland. it is referred to as the “love hormone,” because levels of oxytocin increase during hugging and orgasm. it may also have benefits as a treatment for a number of conditions, including depression, anxiety, and intestinal problems.
if we have unresolved trauma in our past, we may live in a version of perpetual fight-or-flight.
for some trauma survivors, they experience chronic fight-or-flight sensations. as a result, they feel trapped and their bodies shut down, these people may live in a version of perpetual shutdown.
having understanding of the human mind along with biology helps us to learn how to self regulate and differentiate real life threats from normal human up's and downs! choosing to act out of an internal sense of security rather than a place of defense mechanisms.
