Breathing Practices to Attune to your Nervous System and Come Back to Your Center

The Power of The Breath

Before we dive into the practices, let's understand why the breath is so important...

Our breath is a window into our bodily state (nervous system state) and is also the fastest way to modulate our bodily state and intervene at the physiological level. By changing our physiology, the breath has the power to affect our nervous system state and the emerging feelings, emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. For example, when caught in a loop of nervous system activation that triggers a cascade of anxiety, disconnection, and ruminating thoughts, one can intervene at the physiological level by practicing one of the breathing practices attuned to flight to help the body feel settled, connected and grounded again. One may notice that once the body settles, the emotions, behaviors and mind also settle.

Burnout. Ooof…a bodily state that is so very primal, complex, nuanced, and human in its nature. Society often creates a lot of judgment, shame, and drama around burnout. For instance, one might feel like they aren’t “strong enough”. One may look at other co-workers, in the same situation that are thriving, and feel too sensitive, that something is inherently wrong with them, or that they should toughen up and be able to handle this. Burnout, in this instance, often gets blamed on the individual, leaving a residue of shame, blame and self judgment.

In this Somatic Therapy Practice all emotions, all nervous system states, all feelings and mindsets, and most of all…all parts of you are welcome.

Jealousy. Ooof…an emotion that is so very primal, complex, nuanced, and human in its nature. Society often creates a lot of judgment, shame, and drama around jealousy. For instance, the “jealous woman” has often been demonized as crazy, frivolous and gaslighted for her outrage of emotion. Jealousy, in this instance, often gets dismissed as this petty thing and shamed for its complex and confusing nature.

However, in truth, it takes an enormous amount of courage and vulnerability to talk about and get curious around Jealousy. At its core, jealousy actually reflects a very important set of needs and wishes. Jealousy is simply a response to life experiences. An adaptive strategy to the underlying need for safety, love, and connection. So today, I really want to start a conversation along those terms. For labeling someone as jealous is far too simplistic and stops further healing, connection, and clarity from transpiring.

How to Bring a Dysregulated Nervous System Back into Homeostasis

I have created a 5-step map, called the N.U.R.S.E. Resiliency Protocol, to guide you along this path of empowered awareness to re-tune your nervous system and re-write your story. More than understanding and insight, this 5-step map supports us in embodying new ways of being, aligned with a broader vision.

Hi and welcome to this Somatic Flow Writing Practice. Somatic Flow Writing is a practice to connect with our wisest Self. This wise Self is within each and every one of us and is also known as our true nature, higher self, or even Grace. The goal is for you to get curious about this version of you who is the natural leader of all the other parts that live inside.

Nursing burnout left me another person, one who longed to feel like myself again, to slow down, to feel compassionate, to feel alive and full of joy. One thing I know for certain is I would not be where I am today had I not been buoyed by the tools, practices and science of Somatic Therapy and Applied Polyvagal Theory to reclaim my nervous system.

Transformative healing requires two things. One, recognizing when we have fallen out of our window of capacity, and two, knowing ways to return back to that window, to return back home.

Soma means body and somatics is living body. Somatics views the body as alive, receptive, connective, and expressive. However, your ability to be connected, centered, aware, and to have agency and choice is interrupted by trauma.

This theory is not only the science of the nervous system, but the science of connection.

It offers a map of the nervous system to anchor ourselves and each other in safety and regulation in the midst of chaos.

When the inner workings of our adaptive responses to stress are a mystery, we feel as if we are at the mercy of the unknown. Swirling without an anchor in the chaos.

Once we know how our nervous system works, we can work with it. As we learn the art and science of befriending our nervous system, we learn to take agency over our inner world…we become embodied and empowered operators of this essential system.

A well-resourced nervous system is not a nervous system that is always calm and regulated.

A well-resourced nervous system is one that has the capacity and flexibility to feel a wide range of sensations and emotions and welcome all of it with curiosity and compassion. One that can hold multiple perspectives and truths.

It is you, dark nights, that remind us of our light.

*December musings from my morning pages.

My Why…

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” ~ Richard Bach.

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