Restorative Yoga gently entered my life, revealing a long-lost state of tranquility I never knew I craved.

It had never occurred to me that I had been dysregulated for most of my life - until I experienced the opposite.

Fight Flight Freeze (FFF) was a lifelong habit, and I lacked both the awareness and the tools to do anything about it. Anxiety felt normal. ‘Better grab a glass of wine to take the edge off after a tough day’ was a way of life. That is, until that day when I finished my practice and found myself in a state of calm. I felt blissful. 

The blue sky looked bluer, I chatted with people on the street and anything and everything felt possible.

I wanted more.

My original understanding of the nervous system was that it had two channels. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), often called rest & digest, and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) or FFF. So, it seemed to me that one was inherently good and desirable and the other was to be avoided. But deep down I knew I wouldn’t get anything done if I layed around on bolsters all day!

Now I understand that we actually need both of these states. 

FFF is reactive. We experience it when our world is filled with more stimulation than we are able to process. If you read last week’s nudge, this occurs when our metaphorical bucket is full or overflowing. 

The PNS is governed by the 3 R's: rest, recuperation and regeneration. We need this state to help us repair (another R!) from the stress that accumulates from our fast-paced world. The 3 R’s help us empty out the bucket.

Here’s the part that I was missing. There is a natural, responsive arm of the SNS – the 3 A’s: alertness, attentiveness and action. This is a state of mobilization. We need it to make things happen so that we can successfully navigate all that life offers. This state gets us off the bolster and into the world.

When the responsive arm of the SNS and the PNS are balanced, we experience what’s been termed somatic neutrality. We are anchored in attentive relaxation. 

A hatha yoga practice that brings us into the present moment, gets us moving and embodied after a sedentary day, and then gives ample space for stillness and contemplation is a perfect example of how to balance these two systems.

In the balance we are able to put aside our stories about life and what we think we know. Connection happens here. Defensiveness falls away and we can be open-hearted and compassionate with ourselves and others. 

When you lose your sense of neutrality, what do you do to regain it?