Nervous System Reset

Yoga is a form of somatic movement – and this is one of the many reasons Yoga helps in managing stress. Somatic movement helps in connecting you to your body. Many times, we move our bodies with the intent of building strength or gaining flexibility. Movement with the intent of noticing how you are feeling helps to build your mind-body connection. Focusing on this connection helps to connect with emotions, allowing emotions and trauma to be released from your body. You can change the landscape of your inner world by deepening your mind-body connection – which immensely benefits your mental and emotional health.

When faced with a challenge…a work deadline, managing a full schedule, balancing family life… many daily stressors can feel like they will be the thing to tip you over the edge. Add on past trauma, childhood wounds, and societal conditioning…and you have the recipe for consistent nervous system dysregulation.

In my work as a medical provider, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of stress – especially the impact of unprocessed trauma on the body and the mind. Stress is inevitable – there isn’t a human on the planet that doesn’t experience stress. And stress is important – it offers the opportunity to build strength and resilience. Yet stress only offers this opportunity for building resilience if you develop a positive relationship with stress.

Somatic practices help by modulating and improving the resilience of the nervous system. There are many forms of somatic practices including breathwork, mindfulness practices, meditation, body scanning/awareness, shaking out tension, yoga asana, and Emotional Release Technique (Tapping)…among many others.

My new series “Nervous System Reset” incorporates many of these somatic modalities within three Yoga practices. By stacking these somatic practices, you build resilience to stress by widening the window of tolerance of your nervous system.

Your window of tolerance is your nervous system’s capacity to withstand stress… this can be mental, physical, or emotional…among other stressors. Other factors affecting your window of tolerance include the quality of the food you eat, having adequate rest and sleep, and the depth of relationships and connections you have in your life. Yoga is a practice that can widen our window of tolerance – helping to process and withstand the effects of stress.

In my new Nervous System Reset series – Class One, Self-Regulation is a Vinyasa-style practice that harnesses the power of repetitions and the wisdom of the 4 pillars of mindfulness to improve your capacity for self-regulation and resilience.

Class two, “Shake it off” influenced by the circular flow of energy – expands your nervous system toolbox, giving you yoga postures and mindfulness tools that can be practiced off the mat to regulate your nervous system at any time.

The series concludes with “Allowing Reset” a Yin-style class aimed at integrating the benefits of the practice to stimulate the vagus nerve. This practice focuses on noticing and befriending sensations in the body, deepening your ability to build resilience and face stress differently.

I’m excited to share these practices with you and hope you feel the difference in your somatic body!

Check out Christine’s series “Nervous System Reset” streaming exclusively on Inner Dimension!

By Christine