Our nervous system is constantly, and subconsciously, scanning our environment for safety. We are simply designed this way, we are animals, after all. If we hear any sudden, loud noise in our environment, chances are your body will start moving even before your mind registers what is happening. Stephen Porges calls this process neuroception, and it occurs reflexively, without our awareness.
One way we can soothe our nervous system is to use a quick and easy tool called orienting. It’s simple, and yet powerful. To orient, we simply use our eyes to really see everything around us, that is let the pupils take in the colors, shapes, and sights. Move your head slowly, and look all around you, up, down, front, and back.
When you have taken in everything, let your eyes come to rest on something that is pleasant to look at. It doesn’t have to be something necessarily beautiful, just pleasing to your eyes in that moment. When you find it, let your eyes rest there. And then notice what sensations you can notice in your body. How do you know in your body that this is pleasing for you to look at? For example, if I let me eyes come to rest on my coffee mug, I notice the yellow and white zigzag shape that seems cheery and bright, and I might notice a sense of softening of my belly, a deepening of my breath, and my shoulders loosening down my back. And just for a moment, let yourself take in these pleasant physical sensations.
And that’s it, in one minute, I have let my nervous system orient, reset, and come back to a place of rest-and-digest, in other words this technique allows the parasympathetic nervous system to come back online, Try experimenting with this tool at moments when you are feeling relaxed, as well as when you are feeling stressed, spacey, tired, etc, and simply notice your experience. It is possible to soothe your nervous system, and I invite you to try it! #nervoussystem #somaticexperiencing #drstephenporges #traumaresponsive #listentoyourbody #socialengagementsystem #stressrelease .
I am a Heart and Soul Eating Coach, yoga teacher, Somatic Experiencing practitioner in-training, and human rights lawyer. I can help you connect with the wisdom of your body to transform challenges around eating, digestion and body image. Such symptoms may include overeating, emotional eating, compulsive/binge eating, constant dieting or restrictions, excess weight, poor body image, digestive problems, fatigue, anxiety, or general life overwhelm. I have struggled with many of these issues myself, and I know the pain and suffering of abandoning ourselves. I also know there is another way, and it is my deep joy to guide clients back to their inner knowing. By using concrete tools, body-based practices, and wisdom teachings, I will help you address the root causes of your challenges, facilitate your body’s innate capacity for wholeness and joy, and create the sense of thriving that you desire. My approach embraces self-compassion, body love, and greater self-expression as tools for integration. I am certified as an eating psychology coach through the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. I have also been trained or practiced with experts in conscious parenting (Dr. Shefali) self-care (Suzi Lula) and the Conscious Leadership Group (Annmarie Chereso). I am currently completing the Somatic Experiencing training program, which is a body-based trauma healing modality.
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