Life in today’s fast-paced world can feel like a whirlwind. Keeping up with daily obligations while being constantly inundated with news of chaos and disaster can leave us energetically depleted. Rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality testify to the intense pressure under which we live.
The world isn’t slowing down, but you can.
Calming your nervous system won’t pay the rent or solve any of the other external problems you may be facing, but it can make you feel better equipped to deal with them. Working with the nervous system isn’t complicated, but it’s something most of us simply were never taught. By gaining insight into how your nervous system works and learning some simple techniques for moving it into a more easeful state, you can level up your ability to navigate the wild ride that is modern life. It might begin to feel less like furious paddling and more like sailing—albeit through sometimes stormy waters.
Life can be stressful.
The Day-to-Day Grind
Many of us grew up with the idea that a dysregulated nervous system is simply a natural product of modern life—even a sort of badge of honor signifying our sacrifice in the name of duty, service, or work ethic. How could we relax, rest, and take care of ourselves when there is so much to be done?
The Endless News Cycle
In a world where violence, poverty, fear, and greed pervade media platforms of all kinds, giving us a 24-hour-a-day window into the worst of human behavior and misfortune around the world, we can begin to see ourselves as constantly surrounded by threats.
Personal Challenges
On a personal level, we all carry burdens that few others see. We might be caring for a sick family member, mourning the death of a loved one, wrestling with a sense of unworthiness, or struggling to navigate the world while living with unprocessed trauma.
“Self-care” can feel like another chore on the to-do list.
Even though we might feel as though we simply don’t have time for it, self-care isn’t optional. At a basic level, if you don’t take care of yourself by eating, drinking water, and ensuring that you have the other necessities of life, you will die (and nothing on your to-do list will get done).
Short of completely neglecting your basic needs, the degree to which you care for yourself directly correlates to your capacity to serve others. If you’re tired, stressed, or emotionally drained, your ability to perform any service, whether it’s going to work, caring for a child, or supporting a friend who’s going through a hard time, will be less than if you’re rested, grounded, and in a state of peace.
Learning to work with your nervous system makes it all a bit easier.
Fortunately, befriending your nervous system doesn’t have to take a lot of time. It does take some time and effort to learn techniques and work with them, but once you have a few tools for shifting the state of your nervous system and make a habit of using them, life becomes a bit easier. It can be like having a key that you never knew existed, giving you access to greater mental clarity, calm, and confidence.
Here are some of the tools that can help shift the nervous system out of reactivity and into a state of calm, focus, or even joy:
- Breath work
- Asana or other mindful movement
- Meditation techniques
- Grounding
- Gratitude
- Working with pressure points
- Chanting or singing
When the fight-or-flight response is repeatedly being triggered by events in your personal life or in the world at large, regulating the nervous system becomes even more challenging. This makes it all the more important to learn what you can do to manage discomfort and move through it into a more easeful experience.
Join the class!
If you would like to learn tools for managing your nervous system, fill out the form below to get on the list for our upcoming class! In it, we’ll explore
- The autonomic nervous system & polyvagal theory
- The importance of grounding (and how to do it)
- Working with the energy systems of yoga (the chakras, gunas, and vayus)
- Interoception: the inner sense
- Working through the layers of the self (the kosha system)
- Meditative techniques
- Breath (pranayama) techniques
- How yogic philosophy can support mental health
Times and days will be announced after gathering input from those who express interest. Please include your preferences (as well as times when you are unavailable) in the message field. Also feel free to ask any questions you may have or discuss needed accommodations. This class is intended to be accessible to all.
This will begin as a live, in-person class in Eugene, Oregon, but an online version is also possible. Please indicate how you would prefer to attend.
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