Embracing your nervous system

Whether it's through meditation, connecting with the present moment, breathwork, or simply asking yourself, "What's happening inside me right now?"—as well as learning about your different nervous system states or combining these practices—embracing each state is crucial for feeling present, safe, and grounded in your body.

Everyone has an autonomic nervous system (ANS) that monitors what's happening within your internal organs, your external environment, and even the connections between different nervous systems. This system continuously absorbs information and relays it to your internal organs. For instance, when you're stressed, you might experience digestive issues because, during 'fight or flight' mode, digestion slows or halts as the body redirects its energy to address the perceived threat.

Safety VS Threat

Ventral Vagal: Homeostasis

When the autonomic nervous system (ANS) receives information that it perceives as safe and non-threatening, it shifts into a state that promotes curiosity, social engagement, and overall presence. This balanced state is often referred to as 'homeostasis' or the 'ventral vagal' state. In this mode, the body feels secure and relaxed, which facilitates positive social interactions and a sense of well-being.

This state is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the 'rest and digest' response. When in this mode, your body can focus on functions that support long-term health and relaxation, such as digestion, recovery, and emotional connection. Essentially, when your ANS perceives safety, it helps you stay grounded, connect with others, and engage with your surroundings in a calm and mindful way.

Sympathetic: Fight or Flight

If a perceived threat presents itself (emphasis on PERCEIVED, because a 'threat' in this context could simply be a painful thought from the past or an anxious thought about the future), the sympathetic nervous system is triggered, leading to a 'fight or flight' response. This activation results in a surge of cortisol and adrenaline, and you might notice physical changes such as a racing heart, lightheadedness, or tingling in your limbs. In this state, your focus shifts from connection to survival.

The sympathetic response signals your body to mobilize and address the threat. However, if mobilization fails or if you remain in this heightened state for too long, your body may switch to another parasympathetic response: the Dorsal Vagal Shutdown. This state represents the other end of the parasympathetic spectrum, where the body goes into a kind of conservation mode, often characterized by withdrawal and a decrease in physical and emotional responsiveness.

Dorsal Vagal Shutdown: Conservation Mode

When the perceived threat feels inescapable to us, or if the body has expended so much energy towards maintaining a fight or flight state, dorsal vagal shutdown is the next option. This is the oldest part of the ANS and provides us with survival strategies for immobilization (think an animal playing dead..). If you've ever felt overwhelmed to the point of feeling immobilized (e.g. flopping yourself down on the couch and saying I GIVE UP) - that is your dorsal vagal moment.

If you're a visual learner or generally find it helpful to see new concepts drawn out, here is a helpful image:

Embracing these states

Given the ultimate goal is having at least a foothold in homeostasis most of the time, you're probably wondering how to make that happen. Well, the answer is extensive and will be different for everyone (sign up here for a workshop I'm offering for a more tailored response to this). But here are some tips:

Notice when you shift into a new nervous system state and learn to identify when this happens. Embrace and accept this shift as if they were a familiar friend.
If you spend a lot of time shutdown or in fight or flight, or oscillating between the two, work with a trusted therapist. Trauma, attachment wounds, and unhealed parts of you will all contribute to perceiving the world and others as too dangerous and overwhelming.
Determine some exercises that help you re-establish your homeostasis (e.g. breathwork, somatic yoga, cold showers, connecting with nature, coregulation with someone you love and deeply trust). Anything that communicates to your nervous system "You are present and safe".
Create a personal connection plan with yourself and others: Ask yourself, who are the people you feel connected to? And what can we do together to stay connected? AND what can I do to nurture a connection with myself?
Make a list of your safety cues and threat cues.

That's it for now! I am hosting a workshop on 'returning to center' next month for those of you who are interested in deepening your affinity for nervous system regulation to live more peacefully and presently. SIGN UP HERE.