What it is and what you can do about it The Effects of a ‘Dysregulated Nervous System’ on our lives
Living with a chronic dysregulated nervous system is draining and results in much suffering. Many physical illnesses have a basis in chronic stress and/or chronic suppression in the nervous system. Many mental illnesses, difficulties in learning, struggles in relationships and general unhappiness can be seen when the nervous system is in a state of chronic dysregulation. People often turn to substance or behaviors (addictions) in an attempt to cope with chronic nervous system dysregulation. What is Nervous system Dys-regulation? We have 3 nervous system (NS) branches. One branch, called Rest/Digest/Connect, facilitates connection with other people, higher thinking and a multitude of restorative body functions. The other 2 circuits are commonly called fight/flight, and freeze/shutdown. Either of these two get activated when the NS perceives threat. This is below our conscious awareness and happens automatically. When the fight/flight or freeze/shutdown branches are activated the body’s restorative systems go on hold and all focus is on readiness to fight, flee or freeze in order to survive. These are normal self-protective reflexes but when either of the 2 survival branches become stuck in the “on” mode, our ability to think creatively, connect with other people, and many restorative body functions go on hold - like digestion, and immune system, deep restorative sleep, ability to think creatively and engage socially is also reduced. How or why the survival branches get stuck is often due to unresolved trauma responses, coping patterns, cultural conditioning or lack of enough early childhood nervous system mirroring with parents or caregivers who have a stable nervous system themselves. Beliefs (about ourselves and the world) and deficiency stories perpetuate and reactivate our survival responses. In turn, our nervous system survival patterns reinforce our beliefs and deficiency stories. We can help our dysregulated nervous system get unstuck. As we become aware of our nervous system states and how we react to life, we can choose new ways to respond and tend our nervous system, bringing it back into the Rest/Digest/Connect branch (aka ‘ventral vagal’). It’s when we increase our capacity to be anchored in ventral and return to ventral when we are triggered, that gives the capacity to heal, and grow, to have the resilience to dissolve old patterns, to engage the healing capacities of our bodies, to be more present and creative in our relationships and much more. What can you do? Here are some simple exercises you can do to shift your nervous system state. There are many ways to do this, these are just a few that are super simple and easy to do any time. (for guided exercises check out my YouTube channel here) 1. Practice full body bouncing and shaking while exhaling with a sigh or a “zzzzz” sound. Continue 1 to 3 min. During and afterwards notice the space around you and pause to rest. 2. Try long slow exhalations (to do so, breathe deep, hold a moment, then exhale slowly like you are blowing through a straw for about 6 seconds). Do this 2 or 3 times, then breathe normally a couple times. Repeat this set several more times. During and afterwards notice the space around you and pause to rest. 3. Twist/turn side to side from the waist while letting your arms swing out and back to tap the body gently. Repeat in a relaxed rhythm while noticing how it feels. During and afterwards notice the space around you and pause to rest. 4. Assume the welcoming posture (standing or sitting). Hold the arms wide open as if to welcome someone into a hug. Become still and keep breathing. Come into the stillness as awareness in the spaces around and between everything. Watch what arises and welcome everything as it is. Do these in any order. Do them for any amount of time – approx. 30 sec. up to 3 minutes each. Experiment and listen to how your body wants to move. There may be a version that works better for you.  What is the philosophy and value underlying engaging in a daily practice - my reflections:
"We live within systems that continually call us into our heads/minds, narrowly operating through rational thinking, competition and production etc. Often this is disconnected from our bodies and hearts, from the Earth and a relational life. It can keep us from accessing non-ordinary consciousness which is a rich resource. If we’re living disconnected from aspects of ourselves it is harder to see our stuck patterns and ‘shadow’. Our unconscious reflexes can assert in forms of aversion and cravings that can drive our choices and behaviors. In a sense, the repetition of a practice over time reprograms our nervous system. Some might not like the idea of conditioning and programing, but it’s just a natural part of living that what we repeat creates patterns in our nervous system. If we don’t choose what patterns us, then by default we will be patterned by negative bias in our primal system combined with the culture we live in and what we expose ourselves to day after day. It takes a choice to make time to cultivate living more holistically, in touch with our body’s wisdom and needs, our heart intuition and feelings, our highest cognitive intelligence and our interconnectedness with others and all life. A daily practice can serve this choice. It’s about taking responsibility for our own energies, seeing where we need restoration, nourishment and balance. Practice can support stewardship of our gifts in a holistic way. We can then bring this into all our work, play and relationships. A daily practice can helps us go from living on automatic, surviving to Thriving and cultivating what our heart’s calling is. I believe in the innate intelligence and wisdom of our bodies and the Earth/Nature/Cosmos. To tap into this intelligence and wisdom we need to tend and tune our vessels on a daily basis. When we do this all aspects of our vessel (body heart, feelings, higher thinking and intuition etc) become unified as a “receiver” as well as a transmitter of energies and creativity, wisdom and pleasure. Having a solo practice can help us ebb and flow - going within then going outwards engaging with others. Solo practice allows us to separate for a time to really feel our own energies and states, our needs as distinct from others. When we are in the thick of daily life, work and relationships there can be a lot of overlaps with others, blurred boundaries and needs, automatic patterns and demands. Creating a sacred space ( a designated time and place apart) ebbing away from groups and the systems, into your personal space can facilitate clarity for your uniqueness, help to clarify boundaries that support your deeper calling/purpose. This in turn gives energy for going outward and engaging with others with new energy, your unique gifts and presence. The activities one chooses to do in their solo practice can be quite varied depending on one’s purpose and personal taste, what skills one wants to cultivate, awarenesses one wants to sharpen. Themes for your solo practice can come from something you want to manifest or an area of your life you want to nourish. Group practice (any shared focus or activity between 2 or more people that is consciously chosen for their mutual benefit or purpose) Many people who want to do a solo daily practice, find it very challenging to do alone, to stay consistent, to keep it fresh and relevant. Joining with others in a group practice can be a great way to get going. The group energy and being committed to the group often helps us stick with a practice. Group practice benefits a group too. We steward our interpersonal relationships and shared values and purposes. We refine skills together esp, skills of listening and witnessing without judgement. Communicating with compassion. Group practice can foster a sense of belonging. Attunement, Co-regulation. Establishing shared languages and meanings within a group. The group energy and the ‘group mind’ brings a different empowerment to us than the solo practice. We need each other – it’s a biological imperative to be connected in healthy ways. Our modern culture and generational traumas have separated us from our healthy bondedness with each other. Doing practices together can heal, repair and empower our beautiful interconnectedness so we can engage in creative collaborations that benefit and evolve our social systems. Where 2 or more cells (systems, individuals etc) touch their edges together is where the creativity flourishes.❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤💔 |