Understanding Your Autonomic Nervous System

Your body has a built-in autopilot, and it's running your life. It's called the

Autonomic Nervous System, and it controls everything you don't think about,

like your heartbeat, breathing, and digestion. This system has two modes.

The "fight-or-flight" response gets you amped up for emergencies, raising your heart rate and making

you alert. Then, the "rest-and-digest" mode chills you out,

slows your heart, and handles the background tasks. All this is managed by your brain,

the ultimate boss, using a network of neurons to keep your body perfectly balanced,

from your temperature to your hunger.