Why the nervous system?

When over-stressed or traumatized, we instinctively move into a stimulated sympathetic nervous system state of fighting or fleeing. Sometimes we get stuck there and end up in hypervigilant mode, feeling very stressed with high anxiety, worry, or insomnia. Other times, when the stress or trauma is too overwhelming, we shut down and move into a dorsal vagal state of feeling overwhelmed, shutting down, depression, migraine, illness, addiction or withdrawing from others. Being able to bounce back from these stressed or even traumatized states is important. By giving your body the experience of returning to a healthier state of ventral vagal tonicity during one of our bodywork sessions, you help to establish and reinforce the pathways that lead to healthy and happy human functioning.

“The positive effects are cumulative. Our autonomic nervous system becomes more resilient each time we can restore a state of [ventral vagal function].” Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg, pg. xxxv.

One goal of daily living…

One goal of daily living might be to respond to stress, crises, and our triggers from a secure grounding in the ventral vagal state, allowing us to remain connected, aware, and flexible in our choices of how to respond to the people and world around us.