fight, flight, freeze

all the things you might be doing this holiday season...

there is a lot to say about what the nervous system does and how the nervous system works—it’s pretty complex, the science around it is still quite new*, and there’s still a lot to learn.

*western science has not spent a lot of time with the nervous system, although it’s safe to say that many cultures around the world have understood the importance of the nervous system and always had ways of working with and healing our bodies, minds, and our communities.

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fight / flight / freeze are some of the different ways the nervous system can respond to a potential threat. the job of the nervous system is to gather information (external info from the world around us and internal info from our organs & muscles) and interpret that info as a threat or something safe. different people have different patterns or default responses ie: you might respond completely differently to a situation than someone else in the exact same situation.

the goal with nervous system education is not necessarily to stay “grounded” and super chill all the time—it’s actually to be able to move in and out of these different states with flexibility & resilience, knowing that all nervous system states are helpful & necessary for survival at different points in our lives, and we’re not “doing it wrong” if sometimes we feel rage or disconnect or fear or worry. we can learn to notice what these different states feel like, extend compassion to ourselves & our situation, and get curious about our default patterns & responses. your nervous system is already doing a good job and doing the best it can do!

want to learn more about your wise & wonderful & weird nervous system? i’d love to support your journey!

set up a free consultation here to learn more about Somatic Experiencing and TRE—two somatic modalities i offer that can help people regulate their nervous system and feel more at home in their bodies.

here are some thoughts from a current somatic coaching client:

I have been working with Ashley since May 2024 and she is absolutely fantastic. It’s hard to describe somatic work because each session is a little bit different. That’s because the sessions are based on tuning in and listening to how I’m feeling in my body, something I realized I rarely, if ever, did in the past. I feel like I’m developing a relationship of consent with myself & my body that I never had before. With the guidance of Ashley, I’m able to explore how my body communicates “yes" and “no", which can be emotional but also extremely powerful. She has given me tools I can apply to real world scenarios when I feel anxious or overwhelmed. I highly recommend her services.

reach out anytime, lovely humans!