A Gentle Practice to Soothe the Nervous System
🎙️ This is an episode of the Nervous System Care & Healing Podcast with Liz Zhou, a therapist specializing in neurodiversity, complex trauma, & psychedelic integration.
If you prefer to listen & watch, press play on the video above.
If you prefer to read, keep scrolling to the transcript below.
TRANSCRIPT
Our nervous systems communicate in different “languages”, and one of those languages is sensation - like muscle tension, heart rate, breathing patterns, and other internal bodily experiences.
The nervous system can also communicate through other “languages” - like emotions that you feel, thoughts that you think, images that you see in your mind’s eye, an inner voice that you hear… and other channels of information.
For this practice, I’m going to bring our attention to the language of sensation. There’s no right or wrong way to participate in this practice - I’ll share a few simple prompts, and invite you to follow along. You can be sitting or moving or stretching or lying down.
THE PRACTICE
Bring up a time when you felt content or joyful.
It doesn’t have to be the biggest thing - it can be a simple moment, like tasting your favorite ice cream flavor on a hot summer’s day; or watching your dog chase their tail; or feeling the sun on your face while drinking tea in the morning. The more specific you can get, the better.
If you can’t think of a time where you felt content or joyful - because sometimes those experiences are hard to access - then see if you can bring up a time when you felt neutral.
Not good, not bad, just neutral. Staring at a wall might feel neutral. Drinking water might feel neutral. Eating pretzels might feel neutral.
Whatever experience you’re focusing on for this practice, now bring attention to what’s happening in your nervous system.
What are you feeling & sensing inside? What sensations are you noticing, if any?
For example, as you reminisce on a memory of a sunset that made you feel content, maybe you notice:
a feeling of lightness & expansion in your body
your facial muscles softening & relaxing
warmth in your heart
your breath releasing from your throat & relaxing into an exhale
You might not notice anything at all right now, and that’s okay too. Stay open to whatever comes up - including any emotions, images, or thoughts… or traces of sensations.
There are so many sensations that the nervous system can experience, and it can take some time to develop familiarity with this particular language, since most of us aren’t actually taught how to feel our internal bodily responses.
So, if you’d like some examples, here are other sensations that you might notice in your nervous system, depending on the situation:
Spaciousness
Stuckness
Expansion
Tension
Openness
Tightness
Releasing
Bracing
Lightness
Heaviness
Floating
Shakiness
Softness
Sharpness
Tingling
Stinging
Heat
Chills
Some sensations come with a size or shape.
Some sensations hang out in certain parts of the body.
Some sensations come with a visual or tactile component, like color or texture.
Everyone’s nervous system experiences the world differently.
Now, I want you to bring your attention back to that memory where you felt content, joyful, or neutral.
Once again, notice if any sensations come with it; and if so, where you feel those sensations in your body.
Bring your attention to whatever feels good or neutral for you.
That’s it. That’s the practice - a gentle way to connect with yourself & soothe your nervous system, simply by spending some time with the resources that are already within you.
Here are the steps again:
Step #1: Bring up a positive or neutral memory.
Step #2 Notice the sensations that come with it.
Over time, what you’re doing is expanding your brain & body’s capacity to access joy & contentment. You’re expanding your nervous system’s capacity to self-regulate & resource.
As with any practice, this is meant to grow and evolve across time. You can always make adjustments, or add onto this practice, to make it work for you and your brain.
I hope this is a helpful starting point to deepen your connection with yourself & your nervous system.
If you are feeling overwhelmed & burnt out, and need help taking care of your nervous system, I’d love to support you.
Online Therapy in Colorado | Coaching Worldwide
Helping highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves.
About the Author
Liz Zhou (she/her) is a neurodivergent therapist, coach, and speaker. She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves, using brain-body modalities (Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, psychedelic integration) that are quicker & more effective than traditional talk therapy. Liz offers Nervous System Healing Intensives online worldwide.
