Today I decided to create a blog... Previous website evolutions had a blog, and now seems as good a time as any to start one up again. We are somewhere in a pandemic phase, but we don't really know where. All we do know is that since March, everyone's life has been turned upside down, twisted around and frozen. Yes, frozen, and yes- I mean everyone. That's the only comfort to be sure- friends in faraway places have had their lives stop mid step. We may be distanced, but we are in this interesting mess together. But you already know that. A friend of mine recently shared some very important words, which I am sharing as is because why reinvent a wheel that is perfectly phrased:
You see- "I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been on a COVID roller coaster. To say this is a stressful time is an outrageous understatement, but really, I don’t think we can be reminded of that enough, because as the stress continues it’s easy to think that we SHOULD be functioning just fine by now. We’re used to it, right? You really SHOULD be taking advantage of the opportunity this unusual year is presenting you, right?
Here’s the thing. It’s only possible to use an “opportunity” for wonderful mindblowing change when our nervous system is in a state of safety and connection, a state polyvagal theory refers to as the ventral vagal state. Being anchored in ventral vagal allows for ALL possibilities of growth, and it ONLY happens when our system perceives more safety than danger. If we’re stressed—which we are when our system perceives more danger than safety—then we enter a survival state. In survival, we literally DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO the physiology that supports growth and dreams and transformation. Like, really. We don’t. I’m not talking metaphorically. And trying to think more positively doesn’t change that, because our nervous system states are established way below the level of our super-smart thinking brain.
So if you haven’t done all the things and made all the changes and conquered all the fears you’d have liked to after almost 6 months into this pandemic, it most likely has nothing to do with your motivation, your willpower, not manifesting hard enough (or at all, tbh), not wanting or not trying. It DOES have EVERYTHING to do with your nervous system trying to keep you alive.
You’re under stress, and your system is in survival mode. Stop making yourself wrong for surviving and not being able to will yourself into a place of safety so you can do all the things and write a book about it too. That’s not how safety works...." ~Kristen Toth In my Monday at 10 Gentle Zoom Yoga Class we practice techniques to calm the nervous system down. Next week we will spend a little more time exploring techniques that assist our potential to enter a ventral vagal state- wherein you feel safe, protected and secure. Grounded in the possibility of you. With great respect and love Lise
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