A Nervous System Restoration (NSR) practice is a journey of connecting to the deep wisdom within the body.  

 

The practice begins with a basic understanding of the physiology and neuroscience of stress and trauma. That’s a really science-y way of saying I want you to understand how your brain and body work together to respond to both challenge and pleasure. I have studied the work of many scientists and trauma therapists.  I take complex concepts and break them down in ways that are easy to understand and relate to.

 

We then take this new knowledge into the body. You will learn to accurately interpret  feelings and sensations that are familiar. You will also begin to tune into more subtle sensations, as well as to feelings you have gotten into a habit of ignoring.    

 

Sensation is the language the nervous system uses to communicate with the conscious mind. You will learn to respond with your attention and an action of support. It becomes a dialogue. This is actually what talking with yourself looks like! Becoming fluent in this language is the cornerstone of NSR. 

 

Using a collection of neural and somatic exercises (more about these in a sec), we will build a personalized resource kit to support, regulate and build resilience in your nervous system.  

 

With self-regulation and resilience established, we can begin to explore the body’s built-in stress relieving mechanism called neurogenic movement. This is also referred to as the neurogenic tremor mechanism. Neurogenic means arising from the nervous system, not from the conscious mind. By learning to safely engage and work with this mechanism, we have access to a gentle, non-invasive way of releasing tension that is held in the body. You can find more about the tremor mechanism at  www.nervoussystemreset.com and www.traumaprevention.com 

 

Back to somatic and neural exercises; those are more science-y words that have simple meanings. 

 

Neural exercises are activities that are designed to improve neural pathways using a mechanism called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is simply the notion that communication pathways in our brain and body can be strengthened by using them and made weaker by not using them. In the same way that repetitive and intentional movement is used to improve physical fitness, we can increase the vitality of our nervous system using a different kind of repetition and attention.

 

 A somatic exercise is a particular type of neural exercise that involves the body and the mind. It requires some degree of participation from the body, but not like exercise in the traditional workout sense. 

 

Neural and somatic exercises, with neurogenic movement,  are tools that can be used to support your nervous system in times of stress, as well as during times of rest and restoration.  

 

Learning this practice takes commitment. It is not linear, there is no fixed sequence and no timeline for results. We work at the pace of the nervous system. Each path is as unique as the individual. It can get messy, uncomfortable and emotional. It’s also beautifully freeing and healing. With guidance and practice, Nervous System Restoration can become a lifelong self-help tool and the foundation for a new and connected way of life.