This lecture discusses our ability to fall asleep and how our body's natural patterns can be interrupted or encouraged.

When it is time to awaken, the brainstem and the hypothalamus fire off neurotransmitters to the cerebral cortex, the brain’s largest region. When neurons in the arousal areas are active, the cortex remains activated and we stay awake. Neurotransmitters such as histamine, adrenaline, cortisol, and serotonin promote wakefulness. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is active both during REM sleep and during wakefulness, facilitating information gathering and storage throughout the day and night.

As the day ebbs and sleep time once again approaches, nerve cells silence messages that keep the body awake. Sleep-promoting cells in the hypothalamus and brain stem concoct a brain chemical called GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter whose principal role is to diminish neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system, and otherwise reduce the activity of arousal centers in those areas of the brain. Adenosine, which builds up in the blood during the body’s wakefulness stage, inhibits wake-inducing neurons to induce sleep. When you sleep, the chemical slowly dwindles.

A number of factors can disrupt the interdependent relationship between circadian rhythm and sleep-wake homeostasis. Certain exercises improve overall immunity and promote healthier sleep patterns during the transition of moving out of reaction into action. This protocol promotes mobility in the spine, which assists with auditory processing, and opens up all possibilities for using our brain potential. The Embracing Squeeze exercise promotes the release of past negative protection and survival. 

Video Runtime:  1 hour, 21 minutes, 18 seconds.