ANY LONG-LASTING CHANGE HAPPENS FROM A REGULATED NERVOUS SYSTEM
Last week, I was a bit under the weather, and I was guided to take an unintentional break from my work. I wasn’t feeling great physically, which explains the absence of a newsletter.
I showed up for the sessions I’d already committed to, but I chose not to take on new clients or push myself further. Instead, I did something that doesn’t always come naturally: I listened to my body. And my body was like: That’s it! You are going to rest now.
Of course, my inner critic had plenty to say.
“You could still show up.”
“You could record a video.”
“You could push through.”
And yes, technically, I probably could have. But deep down, I knew my energy wouldn’t be clean or nourishing for me or for anyone else. So I gently asked my inner critic to take a step back and listened to my inner wisdom instead. That voice reminded me it’s okay to rest, to not show up for a week (or two), and to let go of guilt. Making that choice has helped my body heal and brought clarity about where I’m heading next.
On a brighter note ✨
We started the Monthly Recalibration Collective two weeks ago and I LOVE it. It reminded me of the times I used to lead in-person meditation classes. There’s something truly special about meditating in a group ( it’s hard to put it into words - it needs to be experienced in person), the benefits feel amplified, almost magnetised. We’re a small, intimate group at the moment, so if you feel called to invest £20 for four sessions and receive ten times the value, you’re warmly invited to join. You can jump in anytime. I encourage you to prioritise yourself this time, because there is always a price to be paid for not investing time and energy into ourselves, and that cost is often far greater than the initial investment in ourselves - I was just reminded about this last week :):):)
Monthly Recalibration Collective — Heart and Soul Meditation
Meditation Practice
I’ll leave you with a practice I’ve been leaning into a lot lately: gratitude as a way to reset the nervous system. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: we can’t create meaningful change from a dysregulated nervous system. When the body is stuck in fight or flight, good decision-making simply isn’t available. To understand it better, I’m talking about our pre-frontal cortex, which is the decision-making operator that regulates the amygdala, our emotion centre. The regulation is there, but it’s unbalanced, more like limping than the steady ease of a regulated nervous system.
Let me give you an example:
You are asking a piano technician to come and tune your piano. But the technician is under the influence of alcohol, not a lot, but enough to affect his skills. He is still getting the job, but the quality will suffer. The same thing happens to us when we operate from a dysregulated nervous system. We’re plodding along, yet deep down we sense that something essential is missing from the quality of our lives.
Even five minutes a day spent in gratitude can help regulate the nervous system. From that steadier place within, change becomes possible and it’s often much gentler than we imagine.
Work with me and identify how to regulate your nervous system.
