Dear One,

Working with your nervous system is quite different from working against it.

Your nervous system is an automatic, involuntary stress response system. It directs action in your body, mind, energy, and feelings. Your nervous system determines when to mobilize you, when to chill you out, or when to immobilize you, depending on what it perceives about any given situation.

For many of us, especially in times of heightened stress, day-to-day life can feel like an uphill bike ride for our nervous system. Like swimming upstream. Like holding up a landslide.

You may be in shutdown but needing to actively parent. You may be in fight/flight overdrive but needing to sleep. You may be in fight/flight but needing to maintain composure in a high stakes conversation. You may be in rest & digest mode but needing to wake up for work.

Your nervous system might feel like it's working against you at times. But that's usually because we don't understand its love language.

Your nervous system expresses its love towards you by using the blueprint of stress events of the past to keep you safe in the present and the future. You can learn to love your nervous system back by giving it a chance to safely and productively express itself. You can give your nervous system a chance to complete its stress response cycles, instead of stifling, shushing, and overriding the mobilized energy in your body.

If the yoga mat is where you build nervous system literacy and move through accumulated stress, join me in the yoga studio for Thursdays Flow & Restore and this weekend's Restorative Yoga Workshop, Saturday 1-2:30pm at JPCY.

If you're curious about using these tools professionally, join Brenna Matthews and myself for the upcoming Restorative Yoga Teacher Training. Details are below for this beautiful immersive weekend, Nov. 8-11!

In nervous system solidarity,

~Alex

COMING UP:

Flow & Restore drop-in classes with me are Thursdays at 5:45-7pm, in-person and livestream/recorded at JP Centre Yoga. No class 10/31!

Befriending Stillness Radically Restorative Yoga workshop is this Saturday 10/19, from 1-2:30pm (note the earlier afternoon time slot!), also in-person and livestream/recorded at JP Centre Yoga. Sign up to secure your spot!

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training is coming up Nov. 8-11! Get all the details for the 25hr training here. This training is designed for yoga teachers, and other healing professionals who want to integrate restorative yoga postures in their practice. Reach out with any questions!

PS: If you do the Instagram thing, let's connect at @alexbauermeisteryogatherapy. And for some music to help you ride the waves of this time, check out my public playlists on Spotify under abauermeister.