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GETTING UNSTUCK - NERVOUS SYSTEM TOOLS FOR UPREGULATION
GETTING UNSTUCK - NERVOUS SYSTEM TOOLS FOR UPREGULATION
This is an out-take from a 1,5hour Somatic Yin session I held in Berlin where our theme was to explore our relationship to rest.
Yet - instead of having the expectation of being able to just drop into a restful state on a cold autumn day (and right after US elections) - I began the class with a (longish) list of mobilising tools.
(as this is a recording of an in person class - you'll see some hands swinging in front of the camera)
Because everything in the body-mind is connected, these moving exercises are a combination of nervous system stimulation, aiding lymph flow, fascia hydration - but they all aim to help blood, qi, energy and emotions move. Using the exercises are not necessarily going to "fix you", but they help to shift your state from feeling stuck, frozen, hopeless and unable to move/act or even scared. Having a playful attitude is a huge shifting factor as well, mind you!
As I say in the beginning, you don't have to use the whole sequence - try out the exercises, pick the 1 or 2 or 3 you like ... and use them frequently!
Here's a list of the practices and a short explanation for each:
Yet - instead of having the expectation of being able to just drop into a restful state on a cold autumn day (and right after US elections) - I began the class with a (longish) list of mobilising tools.
(as this is a recording of an in person class - you'll see some hands swinging in front of the camera)
Because everything in the body-mind is connected, these moving exercises are a combination of nervous system stimulation, aiding lymph flow, fascia hydration - but they all aim to help blood, qi, energy and emotions move. Using the exercises are not necessarily going to "fix you", but they help to shift your state from feeling stuck, frozen, hopeless and unable to move/act or even scared. Having a playful attitude is a huge shifting factor as well, mind you!
As I say in the beginning, you don't have to use the whole sequence - try out the exercises, pick the 1 or 2 or 3 you like ... and use them frequently!
Here's a list of the practices and a short explanation for each:
- tapping the lymph nodes, a sequence that is called the BIG 6 ( by Perry Nickelson, IG stop chasing pain) Lymph tapping is not necessarily a nervous system tool, but I so want you to have this. See below I share a bit more about why lymph matters *
- tapping the whole body - finding the kind of touch that feels good: tapping with whole palm or fist or just fingertips, massaging (like you are putting on lotion), stocking. Tapping is also a great way to feel/establish your boundaries and to get back into your body. From a brain-body connection perspective using touch as an entry point to movement feeds into a concept "sensory before motor" (often used in somatics) - in order for the brain (motor cortex) to move an area of the body, it needs to be able to feel it (sensory motor cortex). The increased neural activity and blood flow to the sensory portions of the brain (sensory information), ensures that the movements (coming from the motor cortex) are more accurate and precise.
- shaking - easeful bounce from feet up, letting the rest of the body surrender to the bounce as much as possible. Amazing way to upregulate, get ustuck, shift your state and help mobilise intense emotions.
- "knocking on the Door of Life" is a QiGong from - it is invigorating, related to the Kidneys and the lower back, your vitality, the quality of your Qi (life energy). The name comes from a potent acupoint in the lower back (between the kidneys, right on the level with your navel, but on the back) that is called MingMen that is translated in different ways Gate/Door of Life, Gate of Vitality, Gate of Destiny.
- fascia slings - spiralling, reaching, rotating movements that create a certain amount of oppositional tension - so so great for fascia health, hydration and stimulation. Fascia is our greatest sensory organ, intimately connected to the nervous system, the mind-body connection and communication and so much more. Again, this particulate exercise wouldn't usually show up as a nervous system tool, but I think it is :-)
- balance - any balancing pose, does not have to what I offered here (the leg swings). Practicing balancing is a create way to bring proprioception (awareness of your body in space) and interoception (inner body awareness) together. In other words - doing something that forces you to coordinate your body while paying attention to what's going on inside your body. I like the leg swings because they are playful, they are a great release for the psoas muscle (a muscle we use for walking, running and therefore a muscle that tends to react to our fight/flight pattern).
- arm swings with powerful exhale through the mouth with a sound
- as a more soothing option: spinal rolls (with diagonal angles for fascia love)