How Stillness Balances your Nervous System
A stillness practice builds nervous system balance and flexibility helping us to move out of the Dorsal Vagal state (state of immobility).
STILLNESS, DEEP REST, AND REPAIR
When we take time to be still, whether it is during meditation or simply sitting quietly, we are supporting a balanced nervous system. The rest we get during meditation is deeper than when we sleep, and dropping into this state regularly optimizes our nervous system’s ability to reset and heal itself, as we are reinforcing and strengthening many of the same neural pathways used to fall asleep each night.
STILLNESS: BUILDING CAPACITY
Stillness (with access to safety and stability) reminds your nervous system that it is safe to move out of your “dorsal vagal” physiological response (your body's natural tendency to shut down and dissociate when we are overwhelmed by stress) and back into connection.
If we can learn to be still in the midst of stress by strengthening these neuralpathways through practice, we can more easily start to move out of this response and remain balanced and flexible, and you will find over time that fewer situations arise that trigger this shutdown/collapse response or even getting stuck there for longer than needed.
PRACTICE: STILLNESS A MOMENT A DAY
A moment of stillness each day can make a difference in our overall health and wellbeing. It is a simple, direct, and effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, and promote a greater sense of calm and peace. On average, my clients who practice finding stillness have reported more balanced somatic check-ins.
