The two greatest forces in the body are concerned with the movement of blood out from and back to the heart. They are two natural opposing forces that establish a deep resonance through all structures of the body. Everything is influenced by the force of their motions. All cells and structures are interlaced with their systems. Fast strong pressured flow out and slow depressured flow back creating the yin and yang of the body systems. The arterial flow is a much more sympathetic action and indeed is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Try attuning to your aorta and you will find a uniquely powerful state. The best way to do this is to find the movement of your heart either with your hand on your chest or through your awareness. Once you have the heart you will naturally become aware of blood movement and the strongest flow is into the aortic arch. Follow that with your awareness and it will lead you to the blood midline of the aorta. The potency of the aorta is astonishing. If you are feeling low in energy here is an endless stream of vitality running deep in your system. Just replenish yourself from the river of energy that constantly flows within you! Now get interested in a bigger vessel off to the right and more anterior in the body cavities than the aorta. This is your vena cava and the flow of blood here is totally different. Obviously it’s a lot slower and it’s rising not descending. When you attune to the vena cava the response is much more parasympathetic – It acts to slow you down. Here is a midline for stress management. It will bring your whole system into a state of repose. So the vascular system has its own autonomic actions through flow of blood. It’s fascinating how the body creates these balanced actions in unexpected ways and how these movements and forces not only underpin the body system but also underpin our thought processes and our very consciousness. Watch how your arterial system drives you out into the sensory environment and gears you up for action. Watch how resting switches you into a more venal state. And how you combine the two for smooth functioning throughout your day.