Somatic work is intentionally slow and gentle. The nervous system does not respond well to overwhelm. In the words of some of my wonderful teachers from The Focalizing Institute, ‘The slow way is the fast way’. Practically speaking this means that when working with the nervous system and in turning towards difficult emotions and experiences,… Continue reading Starting From Resource
Tag: chronicfatiguerecovery
Awareness & Embodiment Practices for Nervous System Regulation
This post is based upon a talk I delivered to Stockport ME Group on Friday 11th June 2021. Nervous system (NS) dysregulation is a key component of pain and fatigue conditions. In this session I talked about how awareness and body-based practices can help improve the function of our nervous system. We can think of the nervous system as having 3 ‘branches’: 1) Parasympathetic/ventral vagal/social engagement/‘rest and digest’… Continue reading Awareness & Embodiment Practices for Nervous System Regulation
On Embodiment Coaching
Somatic movement and embodiment based practices have had a profound effect on me. As part of my recovery from intense and prolonged pain, I turned my attention towards the subtle aspects of how I moved throughout everyday life. I learnt how my history and often subconscious thoughts about myself and the world around me were… Continue reading On Embodiment Coaching
‘Over-doing’
I often refer to myself as a ‘recovering over-doer’. Through contemplative practice, I realise that tendencies towards excess doing and thinking have been a long held pattern. Looking back to childhood, I remember gleefully dancing at a family member’s wedding, not stopping until I reached the point of physical sickness and exhaustion. I almost passed out… Continue reading ‘Over-doing’
The Negativity Bias
Neuroscience coined the term “negativity bias” to describe the innate human tendency to focus on the ‘bad’/less satisfactory aspects of our experience. Whilst we can place our head in our hands at this knowledge, it is an important part of our evolution. Being aware of ‘threats’ has enabled us to survive as a species. It… Continue reading The Negativity Bias
Sensory Rest
Consciously taking sensory rest can be an incredibly beneficial tool, when managing fatigue. What is sensory rest? In modern life, we are frequently exposed to a large variety of ongoing, sensory input – think; sound, light, smell etc. Our nervous system is constantly taking in this information as a means of assessing the perceived level… Continue reading Sensory Rest
On Mindfulness
I took this photo, whilst strolling through the garden of Elizabeth Gaskell’s house, just prior to the final session of my Breathworks ‘Mindfulness for Health’ course, through Greater Manchester’s Living with Fatigue and Pain service. It was an apt reminder to pause; pay attention to the senses and notice the small, yet beautiful details of… Continue reading On Mindfulness