HOMEOSTASIS – THE STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM (Guest Writer: Paul Barry)
HOMEOSTASIS – THE STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM
BIOLOGY – The Technical Version
In biological terms, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, & chemical conditions, in response to environmental changes, maintained by self-regulating processes in living systems being organisms including their organs or cells e.g. The kidneys maintain homeostasis in the body by regulating the amount of salt & water excreted.
Homeostasis or maintaining a homeostatic state is the condition of optimal functioning for any organism & includes many variables, such as body temperature, being kept within certain pre-set limits (homeostatic range). Other variables include:
- Blood sugar levels
- Blood oxygen content
- Volume of body water
- The pH of extracellular fluid
- Control of bile acids in the liver
- Concentrations of sodium, potassium & calcium ions
These all need to be regulated despite changes in the environment, diet, or level of activity. Each of these variables is controlled by one or more regulators or homeostatic mechanisms, which in combination maintain life. Homeostasis is brought about by a natural resistance to change when any organism, organ or cell is already in the optimal conditions, & equilibrium is maintained by many regulatory mechanisms. It is thought to be the central motivation for all organic action.
All homeostatic control mechanisms have at least three interdependent components for the variable being regulated: a receptor, a control centre, & an effector. The receptor is the sensing component that monitors & responds to external or internal changes in the environment e.g., Thermoreceptors, Mechanoreceptors. An example of a control centre is the respiratory centre that controls the breathing cycle. An effector is the mechanism acted on, to return a system back to equilibrium e.g., Core body temperature.
ENERGY – The Vibrational Version
I feel there are three key holistic components and inputs that combine with others in interacting with the 30 trillion cells of the average adult human body that directly impact the homeostatic state of each person:
- Feeling: Choosing to Feel – Self Awareness! Self-Empowerment! Consciousness! Courage! Trusting! Lacking Fear!
- Breathing: The quality by which we Breathe – Intention! Physical process! Natural Fear! Trusting! Gentleness!
- Movement: Conscious awareness of Movements – Rhythms! Flow! Balance! Efficiency! Timing! Fine Tuning! Patterns!
- Others: Thoughts, Lifestyle Factors, Diet, Sleep Hygiene, Relationships, Intentions, Self-Love, Motivations, Trauma, Sharing
Our guest writer is Paul Barry from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia who is an International Sports High Performance Coach and Consultant, who works with swimmers and other athletes up to International Level on their National Teams. He specialises in utilising multiple qualifications, knowledge, experience and creative thought processes and systems to create bespoke holistic periodised training programs that enhance all aspects of athlete performance to produce consistent optimal performance levels!
