Let’s Get Weird
If you have found your way to my website and are reading this blog post, there is a good chance that you are one of those wonderful people who love a little woo-woo in your life. If I say things like lightworker, frequency, crystals, vibe, awakening- you know what I mean. Medical jargon might feel alienating and oversimplifying to what you know is a complex and rich lived experience. I completely get it. I am an edge walker, I navigate the sacred spaces of the in-between, and today I invite you to join me for an adventure through that sweet mist between medicine and mysticism. Specifically, how your nervous system cares for you and how you can care for your nervous system on this spirit-in-a-body experience.
**Please note that there is going to be a lot here that invites a poetic and bioenergetic perspective and does not fit a purely mechanistic paradigm of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.**
Ooh! You’re still here! Welcome! Ok, let’s start with a little anatomy. Our brain, vagus nerve, and fascia are going to be the stars of this show. For our purposes in this discussion, we can think of our brains as our primary creator, receiver, and amplifier. Our vagus nerve as the primary regulator that syncs our heart, lungs, and digestive tract into a coherent rhythm. And our body wrapping connective tissue layer, called fascia, as the primary communicator between our bioenergetic field and our exquisitely intelligent body.
When you hear practitioners talk about stress management, neuroregulation, or nervous system regulation, what is being described is the quality of coherence between all 3 of these parts of the nervous system.
High vibe or high frequency is a way of describing the experience of attuned coherence between all 3 systems (and more!! but stay with me with just this for now). Feelings of love, joy, and gratitude suffuse our body and radiate out from us. Our brains create present, peaceful thoughts, our vagus nerve orchestrates slow and steady breaths, and our whole body relaxes as our fascia senses and communicates ease. It’s a wonderful feeling.
When we are low density, frequency, vibe, when we find ourselves repeating old behaviors or thoughts that no longer serve, we are out of coherence. Our muscles tighten up, our blood pressure elevates, our digestion is disrupted, our breath is uneven or rapid, our mind ruminates on negative thoughts, and our mood is irritable and reactive.
As we go through our awakening, we gain insights that help us to transmute and release low-density thoughts and behaviors. The cycle of awakening usually goes through three phases like this:
- Awaken: insight/download and feeling amazing, blissed out, clear and aligned
- Integration: feeling dull, slow, or sleepy while we release the old and the new vibe settles into our dense earth bodies
- Actualization: back to day-to-day life and feeling a little lighter, brighter, loving, and intentional
But sometimes the cycle doesn’t complete. We have the insight, and then we return to the old low-density thoughts and behaviors. So, let’s look at what we need to complete the cycle.
Boundaries: I bet you didn’t think I would start here! Integration takes time and energy, and sometimes that means saying no to going out, or to the extra work assignment, so you can say yes to journaling, somatic movement, napping, or whatever you feel called to in the day or week or month after the insight phase. It is also common to feel sensitive and easily overstimulated after an awakening, and boundary setting can give you time to ease into this new way of BEing.
If you are new to setting boundaries, doing so can feel stressful. Activating the vagus nerve with slow breathing, singing, humming, and laughing are all helpful. Nourishing fascia by practicing progressive muscle relaxation, a massage, or somatic dancing are helpful, too. Teaching your brain new pathways by thinking reassuring phrases is also beneficial. Write in a place you will see regularly “I am safe and loved. My growth is important. I am thankful for the chance to grow. I am proud of myself for prioritizing it.” Giving your brain a new message to consider is an important part of repatterning.
Capacity: The insights we receive as part of our awakening are interpreted by our brains. If we are stressed, malnourished, unrested, or foggy, our brains can’t effectively navigate this process. Prioritizing rest and quality nutrition are super important for brain function. The vagus nerve and fascia practices mentioned above reassure the brain that stress is unnecessary, there are no lions to hide or run from, and that it can safely relax, receive, and remodel. Our brain’s number one job is to protect the dense earth body so you can keep having experiences, and sometimes it needs to be reassured that it is ok to focus on other things.
Maintenance: all 3 parts of our nervous system have habitual patterns and sometimes a reminder of what the new or lighter vibration feels like is helpful for maintaining it. Energetic therapies can be very effective here. Sound baths transmit the new, higher frequency to our bioenergetic field, into our fascia, and throughout whole body and brain. Flower essences communicate the frequency of healing directly to our brain cells and DNA when taken internally, and through our bioenergetic field and fascia when misted onto our aura. A reiki or craniosacral session helps to clear out old patterns and restore a light filled frequency. Fascial unwinding and massage help to release stored trauma in the body. Journaling and affirmations help to repattern the brain with the new insights you have received.
When all 3 of these pieces are in place, the awakening process happens naturally and completely. If you find yourself struggling with this spirit-in-a-body experience and want to navigate it through the lens of illness as teacher, body as guide, and Spirit as healer, please reach out! I would love to assist you on your journey towards health.
Thanks for reading! This post contains general educational information shared with love from your friendly local medicine keeper and is not to be considered medical advice.
Alicia Tremblay, ND
Image credit: Pexels//Free no copyright stock photos//Monstera Production
Dr. Tremblay is an expert in natural health with degrees in naturopathic medicine and ethnomedicine. Drawing on her diverse background and personal experience with healing from chronic illness, she guides clients on their health journeys, and occasionally writes blogs with unique insights into natural medicine and the healing process. Read more >>
