Being in it...thoughts on the nervous system and steadiness, meditate together tonight!

Hello all!

We will meet right here at 7:30pm this evening for meditation and a settling into what is here now. I look forward to sharing the time and space with you.

Since this space is dedicated to cultivating steadiness, I wanted to share some thoughts that may (or may not!) be useful for us....

Let's talk about our nervous systems!

Our nervous system is our body’s real-time survival manager.

In stress, it’s not “overreacting”—it’s trying to protect us. It's a smarty!

1. It scans for danger (automatically)

Our brain and body are constantly asking: “Am I safe?”

This happens below conscious awareness.

2. It picks a response (in milliseconds)

If it senses danger → it activates survival mode:

Fight / Flight (Sympathetic nervous system)
Heart rate increases
Breathing gets faster/shallow
Muscles tighten
Digestion slows
Mind speeds up (alert, anxious, reactive)

WHY??? Get us out of danger fast

3. If stress feels overwhelming → it shifts again

Freeze / Shutdown (Dorsal vagal response)
Low energy, heavy, numb
Brain fogDisconnected / “checked out”
Body may feel collapsed

WHY??? Protect us when escape feels impossible

4. When safe → it restores balance

Rest & Digest (Parasympathetic / ventral vagal)
Heart rate slows
Breathing deepens
Digestion resumes
We feel calm, connected, clear

WHY??? So we can heal, recover, connect

Why this matters (practically)

Stress symptoms aren’t random—they’re state-dependent:

If we feel anxious → our system thinks we need to move
If we feel exhausted/numb → our system thinks we need to shut down
If we fell calm → our system feels safe

We don’t “fix” stress by thinking our way out.

We shift our nervous system state.

Simple ways to do this:

Slow, longer exhales
Gentle movement (walking, shaking, yoga)
Warmth (tea, shower, sunlight)
Connection (eye contact, safe conversation)

And a note on being gentle with ourselves.....

The journey we are on is challenging - I personally feel that being a human is both the highest gift and the most challenging experience. I am grateful when things are pointing toward one end of the spectrum (the high) and I am grateful even when I am down on my knees/or brought to my knees (the low). Although I can say…. I may honestly have a preference for the highs. Nevertheless, they both occur all the time for me and I need both to grow and to access balance in my life. How about you?

Missteps and falling down/backwards are natural aspects of living and we all have something to work with/through - why else are we here???? To acquire things? Doesn’t seem important enough for a life (in my own estimation)

So I hope that you can be tender with yourself when you feel challenged - and I am practicing this too, one moment at a time and one day at a time.

We as humans often seem to be our own worst enemies. How about we work on being our own best friends! Practice - process - and play! Enjoy the moment.

Now a question for you.....

What does regulation mean to you and for you? Please feel free to share your comments!

With love and gratitude for you.

Warmly,

Beth :-)

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