A Practice to Balance the Nervous System
A 60-minute practice to support the nervous system
Hello All Parts Community!
The theme for this month is all about coming back into balance. With the summer coming into full bloom (Happy Solstice, btw!), energy and extroversion abound, which is great! However we can become dysregulated and burn out if we are not also taking time to come back into our Selves and our internal experience. Our live class will be tonight at 7pm CST. The zoom link to join is below. Each class will explore balancing various systems of the body to ensure that we are able to stay present to all of the beauty and gifts this time of year bring. Tonight will be about balancing the nervous system.
What you’ll need for this practice:
Create a safe and quiet space for yourself to practice with a yoga mat and any props you’ll need, including blocks, a meditation cushion (pillows work just fine), blankets, bolsters, etc.
I’ll invite you to have your camera turned on so that we can hold the container together. I know this might feel uncomfortable for some, and if you absolutely must keep your camera off I totally understand. However I find that having cameras on helps to maintain a sense of community, helps to limit distractions, and helps me to guide and cue based on visual feedback.
Of course, wear comfy clothing, but most importantly just come as you are :)
This practice is about supporting the nervous system into more balance in the stressful world in which we live.
Kundalini yoga is sometimes referred to as the “yoga of a householder,” meaning that it can specifically help those of us who want to live in the world. This ancient technology works efficiently for those of us who don’t want to, or who can’t afford to, go up on the mountain top and sacrifice the daily conveniences of modern life. It helps to bring us into more balance between our more spiritual parts of our Selves, and our roles as mother, colleague, student, and friend.
Our nervous system is the command center for our entire body. It’s main purpose is to receive input from our environment - both internal and external - and to send the appropriate signals through the body if and when action is needed. Our ability to respond appropriately to any given situation is a signal to us that our nervous system is regulated and working properly.
With the ever more complex world in which we live, it’s crucial that we start to learn how to navigate the environment without overwhelming our systems. What many practitioners preach is that we need more relaxation tools and techniques and practices to help support our system to come into deeper rest. Although I think this is partly true and well-intentioned, it’s only half of the equation. We also need to learn how and when to respond, how to react, and how to deal with challenging situations and sensations in the body as they arise. In this way, we need to actually practice both rest and action.
This in turn will support an even deeper sense of rest, flow, resilience, and ease than if we were to only practice more yin-style relaxation practices.
Kundalini yoga and breathwork is both stimulating and relaxing. This helps to bring our nervous system into a more balanced state where we can more readily respond to the challenges we all face in our daily lives. It helps us to engage when we need to engage, and disengage when it’s time to rest.
Use the journal prompts below it reflect on this before and after this practice. I’m excited to see you tonight at 7pm CST for our live class!! If you can’t make it live, I will be uploading the recording below.
Be well,
Eliza (the balanced part)
Journal Prompts to reflect on:
Consider a challenging situation you faced recently. Did you react impulsively, or did you respond thoughtfully? Reflect on the difference between reacting and responding, and how a well-regulated nervous system can influence this process.
Consider your various roles in life (e.g., as a parent, professional, student, or friend). How do you currently balance these roles with your need for personal time and self-care? Reflect on ways you could better harmonize your daily responsibilities with moments of relaxation and introspection. How might incorporating a balanced approach to stress management improve your overall well-being?
Reflect on a recent situation where you felt overwhelmed or stressed. How did your body and mind respond in that moment? How do you think incorporating both stimulating activities and relaxation techniques could help you manage such situations more effectively?