Nourishing Our Nervous Systems in Chaotic Times
Most people probably don’t know that I live with anxiety.
People often come up to me and tell me that I seem so calm.
The truth is that I practice diligently to keep my nervous system in a state of homeostasis.
Anyone else out there identify as a “Highly Sensitive Person“?
Whether or not you do, our nervous systems are constantly bombarded with so many stimuli.
Spend a day unplugged in nature and the contrast will make this stark reality even more apparent.
I have spent the better part of the last 15 years or so cultivating a treasure chest of tools to support my nervous system in our modern world.
I’ve also spent years living mostly in the woods, healing and nourishing and rooting. Both have been important, and now I have a lot to share.
My tool chest consists of all the practices I have trained in and the certifications I have received over the years; Body Dialogue, Energetic Herbalism, Qi Gong and internal martial arts, Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy, Bach flower essences, Sound healing and music therapy to name a few.
I have been gathering and synthesizing practices to help down-regulate an overactive nervous system, calm a busy mind, transmute ancestral trauma, and open into connection with divine presence.
I'm not claiming that I have arrived at a static sense of peace. But what I now see is that every moment we have a choice. We can choose fear or we can choose love. We can choose to be unconsciously swept up by our patterns, or to create a more benevolent field to dwell within. This requires commitment.
When we’re anxious or fearful, we tend to grip our muscles and fascia in a few key places in our body. For most of us it’s the jaw/tongue, neck/shoulders and hips/glutes.
When we are able to track our pattern and notice when we are gripping and we have practices to soften these centers, then we can come in to ease, relaxation and presence again.
Of course it’s also helpful to receive bodywork and support in this, and it’s wonderful to have the tools and practices to do this for ourselves.
Next time you find yourself feeling anxious, see if you can remember to check in with where in your body you might be holding on.
Once you have an experience of what a free breath can actually feel like, then you can know more clearly when you are in contraction and constriction.
On a more personal note I had a profound experience of tracking my Nervous System over the past couple of weeks. I was at a very rigorous music camp practicing the violin for around 8 hours every day. I often didn’t take the time to tend to my body throughout each day and my neck and shoulders became quite tight. My mind was very stimulated with all the new material and music theory. Sometimes my breathing would become shallow and sometimes my heart would race. My Nervous System was so aroused that I didn't have much of an appetite (we need to be relaxed to digest food well) and eating very little led to more feelings of spaciness and disembodiment. Food is what anchors us into our physical body. Now, after a couple of days unwinding after the camp, cooking nourishing meals for myself, getting some bodywork and doing lots of flower essences and Qi Gong, I finally feel back to myself again, and am able to digest and integrate what I learned at camp. This reminds me of the importance of tending to our bodies throughout our busy lives no matter what else is going on. We have to balance the busyness with time to recharge and allow the flow of fresh life force into our tissues.
If you’re interested in learning these tools and practices, I invite you to join me on Tuesday, July 23, in collaboration with Red Moon Herbs, I will be sharing somatic practices to help nourish and restore our nervous systems and then we will talk about herbs and flower essences specific for balancing the nervous system and addressing common nervous system issues such as anxiety, digestive issues, sleep, tense muscles and more.
Nothing can substitute good old plain rest, yet having tools to draw from when you need it is invaluable,
I hope you’ll join me.
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