If you’re involved in the circus world, you’ve likely heard people talk about the healing power of circus, whether they’re casually joking about circus being “their therapy,” or reflecting on the transformative impact they’ve seen circus have on their students in a social circus setting.

This article is the first installment in a series that explores simplified interpersonal neurobiology that gives us a concrete way of understanding why circus works. Autonomic Nervous System Basics The autonomic nervous system. Image from The Human Central Nervous System: A Synopsis & Atlas Hardcover – 2007, Rudolf Nieuwenhuys Our bodies carry out many functions (heart rate, breathing, digestion) without us having to mindfully cue them to occur.  These functions are regulated by the aut...