Has Tension Rewired Your Nervous System? Try this 60-Second Grounding Practice to Unwind
“Tension is the stress response finding a home in our body.”
—Jillian Pransky
We all carry tension all day, every day, for all of our lives.
If we don’t have a regular outlet or practice for releasing it, our tension becomes a habit that stealthily rewires our nervous system.
We may be so used to it that we stop noticing how it’s impacting our lives or those around us.
Chronic habitual tension will keep us stuck in the stress response loop. Our tension leaves us feeling more defensive or aggressive because the underlying reason it is there in the first place is the need to protect ourselves.
Consciously or unconsciously, when we feel tense, we feel discomfort, pain, irritability, or agitation. It limits our ability for clarity and intentional choices, and prevents us from feeling a sense of safety, ease, and connection.
We cannot relieve our tension by forcing it to change… but rather we release it by supporting ourselves.
One-Minute Practice to Feel More Grounded
When we create a foundation of support, sending a message of safety through grounding, we can then turn our attention to the tension we hold, and we can purposely stop gripping, squeezing, and holding on for dear life.
In my upcoming new book, The Power of the Pause—which arrives in about one month!—I share the 90-second practice that helped me, and countless of my students, reconnect with the ground and a sense of safety… which creates the conditions for us to unwind habitual tension and feel warmer, clearer, and more spacious in our lives.
I’d like to share a 60-second technique you can practice anytime you need to feel more grounded. Weave it into your day regularly to offer yourself more calm, connection, and choice in your life.
NEW BOOK ARRIVES ON JANUARY 6!
NEW WORKSHOP SERIES — WITH CECs!
START TODAY!
Autumn Attunement
Vagus Nerve Reset Through the Chakras
Mark the turning of the seasons with a full-body, full-spectrum reset.
This autumn, join me for a deeply restorative and enlivening journey through the chakra system, exploring its connection to the vagus nerve—the body’s main pathway for rest, repair, and resilience.
Each week we’ll focus on a different chakra, combining sound mantra, intentional movement, breath awareness, somatic exercises, and deep relaxation to harmonize energy flow and support your nervous system.
You’ll also experience gentle vagus nerve tuning practices designed to cultivate a sense of safety, groundedness, and emotional balance. Alongside the experiential work, we’ll explore how each chakra relates to specific nerve plexuses and endocrine glands, and how the vagus nerve interacts with the chakra system to influence both physical vitality and emotional well-being.
