Stress and the nervous system

Stress is a biological response system designed for short-term threats, and it becomes damaging when it runs on continuous low-grade activation — the condition most modern lives impose on it. The autonomic nervous system's balance between sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic rest is the underlying physiology, and nearly every body-based practice — breath, movement, cold, warmth, touch, stillness — works through this system. Learning to shift your own nervous system state is one of the most transferable health skills available.