Love Notes to your Body, Mind and Nervous System
Read time : 2.5 mins
Welcome to this new version of the blog! Get cosy, grab a cuppa and settle in. Here, it's my intention to share some things with you that bring an extra layer of feeling or experiencing, of embodiment, or stir something in you like curiosity or exploration. Thank you for being here.
Because we’re all navigating life, all in this human experience, and learning to relate to and work with our bodies, minds and nervous systems can help to give a sense of empowerment, of giving you the keys to the kingdom of you! The ability to work with your life-force energy, rather than being dominated or held back by it. It can also provide a way of healing (to be discussed further along).
I write to you as a fellow explorer in this human experience, NOT as an ‘enlightened nervous system guru’! Important point. I bring 15 years of exploration in the field of somatics, movement education, bodywork and now as a practitioner of Somatic Experiencing, Peter Levine's method of somatic trauma healing. And at the same time I always assume that you know your own experience better than anyone, and I’d like to ask the questions that invite listening in to your own experience.
Why Love Notes to your Body, Mind and Nervous System?
We’re often in need of restoring regulation and health to our nervous systems, these days - for many reasons, but in a nutshell, due to the way we’re collectively living our lives in the Western world. Nervous system healing work involves a mindful practice of noticing sensations in our bodies, noticing our thoughts, and also connecting with the outside world, with others, and nature, and explores how we relate to them.
Nervous system healing work is a long-term practice. It’s often described like learning a language : approach regularly, little and often. One that may take some time to learn, but we have the rest of our lives to learn and keep chipping away. One thats simple on the surface, but might drive you mad at times. And then brings a sense of new-found freedom and exhilaration when you get it. A practice we don’t learn in school, and yet may be one of the most important life skills.
This blog will be mainly centred around nervous system healing, and doing this with self-compassion, and love. Love can be a verb, a practice, of showing up attentively. Through writing love letters to your body, mind, and nervous system, I hope that these will be (if you want them to be) a reminder and an invitation to connect back with yourself regularly, and give pause for thought and embodiment.
And also, just as this is about connecting with and relating to your own self : your body, mind and nervous system, it's not only about you. This is also about how that can serve the collective. By learning to connect with and relate to ourselves, we have more ability to connect with our friends, loved ones, and communities. We need others. We need connection and community. Now more than ever. We often heal in relationship : with friends, lovers, family, people we work with, and also with teachers, therapists, different communities. As we heal, this has ripple effects out to those around us and collective healing happens.
And so, this very first chapter begins. Welcome.
Here, i’d like to offer a couple of definitions of what healing is. As this is something I’ve been referring to a lot : healing on the nervous system level, and it's one of those words that we might hear but rarely pause to dissect or consider the meaning of.
“The process in which a bad situation or painful emotions ends or improves” - Cambridge dictionary
“Interrupting distorted patterns and introducing a pattern of wholeness (that gets stronger than the distorted patterns” - Janet Raftis
Etymology : from Proto-Germanic *hailjan - literally, to make whole
(from etymonline.com)
Pause
Two different definitions of healing, and the origin of the word.
I wonder :
what does healing mean to you?
Can you think of any moments or periods in your life where you've experienced healing?
How does this feel, at this moment in time, to remember this ~ any images, thoughts, sensations in your body that you connect with?
Was there anything that you learned or any meaning that you made along the way?
More next week….
how was today’s blog, for you?
Consider sharing any thoughts or your experience below, it’s always good to hear from you
or hitting the ‘like’ heart below - thank you <3
Take care and thanks for reading,
Charlotte