As we’ve been discussing in my weekly practice series, this season naturally ticks up anxiety. It’s a stressful time of year… and on top of that, there’s a lot going on in the world.
In our consciousness and also in our unconsciousness.
In our nervous systems.
In our spirit.
In our hearts.
And many of us feel like we can’t really do anything about it. And while it’s true that we can’t control the world, it’s inaccurate to say that we’re powerless.
Remembering Our Strength in These Times
We can also remember that our practice fuels our strength by enabling our powerful ability to pause.
Pausing down-regulates our nervous system, which expands our capacity to choose our response in the present moment, rather than resorting to our habitual shutting down—or habitual confrontation style, or whatever we do when we feel stressed.
Remember: When we are stressed in fight, flight, or freeze, we are stuck in the behavior categories of aggression, withdrawal, and avoidance.
Our power resides in the pause.
Pausing fosters a relationship with ourselves that provides the strength we need to navigate and respond to the present moment and to each other from a place of mindfulness, compassion, and authenticity.
A Humming Practice to Calm Our Nervous System
The humming practice I share above in this blog post incorporates the tool of humming, which is perfectly suited for this season—and the time we’re living in.
As your brain is tasked with generating the humming sound, it is distracted from excessive thinking; we simply can’t do both at once, which creates a little more space in between our thoughts. In addition, the vibrations of the sound break up tension and stimulate the vagus nerve, which turns on the relaxation response… creating even more spaciousness in our body and mind.
With more spaciousness and strength, we'll have more agency over how we respond and care for ourselves and each other in this time.
When we take care of ourselves while we are wobbly, it doesn’t only benefit us, it benefits everyone we are in relationship with and everyone we come into contact with.
To me, pausing is the most meaningful form of self-care and community care. Pausing opens up space for change, for possibility, and for freedom.
Remember, we are not practicing pausing to pull away from moment of discomfort.
Rather, we are practicing to be in this moment with more calm and connection to our inner power and strength… so we can share it with everyone we come into contact with.
“May our practice return us to the space where we can expand our capacity to make decisions and take action from our greater wisdom, compassion, and relationship with the world.”
Autumn Alchemy: Vagus Nerve Practices start on October 16
Autumn Alchemy
A Vagus Nerve Practice Series
Autumn invites us to slow down, gather inward, and remember that balance is not a fixed state. It is a living relationship between effort and rest, giving and receiving, and holding on and letting go.
In this online series, we’ll explore the vagus nerve as a pathway of communication, connection, reciprocity, and transformation—listening to the body, receiving its messages, and responding with greater presence and care.
Together, these practices can help us navigate transition with greater steadiness, receptivity, and trust.
Each week includes a 30-minute yoga practice along with a 30-minute community meditation, and the series culminates in a deep mini-retreat.