Regulating Your Nervous System with ENERGYBODi Sensation
The ENERGYBODi Sensation is a Holistic Wellbeing Space which is about balancing the mind, body, and nervous system to create our optimal health span. Lifespan is a number, but healthspan is an experience—an experience of living fully, with a body and mind that function optimally.
Stress, anxiety, life events and stages of life all impact on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Here you will find techniques which we use at The ENERGYBODi Sensation, some you can do at home, some are there as a spring board for inspiration and your own research. We cover hormones, adaptogens and menopause as well as Breathwork, Vagus nerve and Therapeutic Touch and how and when to upregualte and down regulate your nervous system.
When to Upregulate vs. Downregulate:
Upregulation: When you're feeling low energy, unfocused, or need a mental or physical boost.
Downregulation: When you're stressed, anxious, overstimulated, or need to wind down, rest, or prepare for sleep.
A continued practice of mindfulness and embodied awareness helps us to be more effective with our regulation.
Breathwork
In all our ENERGYBODi sessions, we emphasize the importance of conscious breathing.
We guide the breath with variety of techniques from lateral breathing, hypopressives, reset breath, Buteyko technique, diaphragmatic breathing to pranayama, and the popular Bhramari Bee Breath.
How to practice Bee Breath: Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, hum like a bee with your lips closed. Humming can elevate mood by promoting the release of endorphins, the body’s "feel-good" chemicals. This can help improve emotional well-being and foster a sense of calm and contentment. Humming also increases the production of nitric oxide, which helps to dilate blood vessels and improve circulation. It can also open the sinuses and improve airflow, making it beneficial for those with sinus congestion or respiratory issues. Humming creates gentle vibrations in the vocal cords, throat, and chest. These vibrations stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brainstem through the neck and down to the chest and abdomen. This stimulation helps activate the Vagus Nerve, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
🧠 Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The vagus nerve is a powerful gateway to calming the nervous system. In our classes, whether it’s through light touch or tapping on specific places, humming, breathing techniques. we introduce ways to stimulate and tone the vagus nerve and shift the body from fight-or-flight into a state of rest-and-digest. Simple techniques like humming, gargling, eye movements or deep breathing exercises can be practiced at home to activate your parasympathetic response.
🤲🏽TOUCH
Touch provides a sensory-rich experience that can aid in emotional regulation. The soothing and comforting nature of touch can help people manage stress and anxiety and helping to regulate cortisol levels. Therapeutic Touch can create a conducive environment for cognitive processesing, shifting us into deep states of relaxation ( eg Alpha and Theta states) so sometimes we process events in a dream like state.
Finding the right pressure of touch, from light to very deep pressure changes which nerves are stimulated and becomes a powerful tool for regulating hormones. Therapeutic Touch can activate pressure receptors that lower heart rate, reduce cortisol levels, and promote the release of oxytocin, the body's "feel-good" hormone. This leads to deeper relaxation, improved mood, better digestion, and enhanced sleep quality.
🧘♀️ Meditation & Mindfulness
Our ENERGYBODi embodied practices encourage mindfulness, not only during class but in everyday life. From a Body experience this can be called Bodyfulness. This is a skill aquired by being consistent, and helps to be in a regular, non judgemental, encouraging enviroment. Our sessions bring our awareness into present moment and use the skill of our senses, hence our name The ENERGYBODi Sensation, to bring us into our body.
Mindful Eating: Engaging all senses while eating—appreciating colors, textures, and flavors—can enhance the eating experience, promote better digestion, and encourage healthier choices.
Grounding Techniques: Engaging the sense of smell through grounding techniques (e.g., smelling a favorite essential oil) can help anchor individuals during moments of anxiety or distress.
Widen your field of vision; peripheral vision calms the nervous sytem letting us know we are safe.
Music as Therapy: mindfully choose what you listen to. Listening to soothing or upbeat uplifting music can significantly reduce stress levels and improve mood. Notice the lyrics you choose to listen to.
🦶 Grounding & Time in Nature
We encourage our community to find balance by reconnecting with nature, with our Wednesday Walk Well sessions. We are very lucky in Rossendale to have beautiful rolling hills right on our doorstep. High up on the hills we can open our eyes, breathe in the fesh air, find a moment to sigh, to soak up the view and let our eyes look to the horizon. When we do this our peripheral vision tones the vagus nerve , calms us and helps us to feel we belong. With friends by our side we chat as we walk, find moments of silence, share our lunch on the hill top. What a great way to reconnect to our sense of wellness.
I also recommend you find time to go barefoot. Even if you only go out and stand for 5 minutes on your lawn.
Walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass or sand, known as grounding, helps align your body’s energy with the earth's natural electromagnetic fields, amd very effective at reducing inflammation and promoting nervous system recovery.
🌞 Sunlight & Natural Light Exposure
Movement in natural light—whether it's an outdoor class or a morning walk—is crucial for nervous system health. Natural sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and boosts serotonin, a neurotransmitter that stabilizes your mood. ENERGYBODi encourages spending time outdoors, even in small doses, to energize and reset your system, preparing you to face your day with vitality.
In winter months, especially from October to March, the angle of the sun in the UK is too low, and UVB radiation is insufficient to stimulate adequate vitamin D production.
Include foods rich in vitamin D, such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), fortified foods (like cereals, plant-based milk, and orange juice), egg yolks, and mushrooms exposed to sunlight. Consider getting regularly tested for Vitamin D. Taking a reputable Vitmain D supplement in winter is advised by most medical doctors nowadays.
SLEEP 😴
Getting good quality Sleep is #1 on the list for your nervous system. There's plenty written out there on sleep hygiene and routines but for Women its important to understand the cycles of Progesterone. Progesterone plays a significant role in promoting good sleep, especially in women. It has a calming, sedative effect due to its interaction with GABA receptors in the brain, which are involved in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. Higher levels of progesterone, such as during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle or pregnancy, can enhance sleep quality.
However, fluctuations in progesterone levels, particularly during menopause, can contribute to sleep disturbances like insomnia or difficulty staying asleep and can also cause an increase in anxiety.
To support progesterone, balance follow all the other advice in this blog, magnesium, B12, adaptagens and/or consider HRT if you are peri or post menopause.
🥗 Fueling Your Nervous System
Nutrition is another pillar of our ENERGYBODi philosophy. Magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and avocados help replenish your body’s magnesium stores, which are critical for nervous system relaxation and muscle recovery. Incorporating a mindful eating practice not only nourishes your body but also supports your mind in finding balance and calm. ( see our BLOG on Magnesium )
B6 and B12 are essential for reducing stress, maintaining nerve health, and ensuring the smooth operation of the nervous system. Deficiencies in either vitamin can lead to cognitive issues, fatigue, and nerve damage, making them key nutrients for neurological health.B12: Absorption of B12 depends on stomach acid and a protein called intrinsic factor. As people age, their ability to absorb B12 decreases, making supplementation more necessary for certain individuals, especially vegetarians and vegans.
So far we have focused on downregulating our Nervous system here are a few examples of upregulating and activating the Sympathetic Nervous System SNS and elevate energy and focus.
Cold Exposure
Taking a cold shower or using cold water immersion is a quick way to upregulate the SNS, leading to a boost in energy, alertness, and mood.
Physical Activity
Engaging in quick, intense exercise such as Kettlebells, or a brisk walk can boost energy by stimulating the release of adrenaline and endorphins.
Stimulating Music
Listening to upbeat, energizing music with faster tempos can elevate mood, increase focus, and enhance the SNS response.
Vocalization and Chanting
Shouting, chanting, or other forms of vocal expression eg in 'Dancing through Life' sessions we may have you shouting and cheering.
🌸 Soothing Rituals: Flower Essences & Self-Care
For emotional support, flower essences like Bach's Rescue Remedy can be beneficial. At ENERGYBODi, we value the integration of self-care rituals into your wellness routine, which can include flower essences to help manage stress. This gentle, naturopathic approach helps to restore emotional balance, which directly supports your nervous system.
Rescue Remedy, White chestnut is good for anxiety and Elm is good for overwhelm.
🌿 Adaptogenic Herbs & Supplements
Adaptogens are generally considered safe and non-toxic, with minimal side effects when used appropriately. Adaptogens are natural substances, typically derived from plants and herbs, that help the body adapt to stress and promote overall balance and well-being. They work by supporting the body’s physiological functions and enhancing its ability to cope with various stressors, both physical and emotional.
Ashwagandha: Known for its calming properties, it helps reduce anxiety and stress.
Rhodiola Rosea: Enhances energy, endurance, and mental clarity while reducing fatigue.
Cordyceps; support the body’s defence against stress as well as being a source of energy
Lion's Mane;The mushroom has antioxidant properties that help protect nerve cells from oxidative stress and damage. This can be beneficial in preventing neurodegenerative diseases.may help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to support neurogenesis contribute to improved mood and emotional well-being. ( this is a personal fav of mine,)
Maca powder is an amazing adaptogenic root best known for helping to balance hormones and support our body's stress response, plus the high antioxidants can actually help support against oxidative stress.
Hormones
For Women its important to understand your hormones especially in peri and post menopause. Having a regular blood test through perimenopause and beyond is important to find out what is working for you. Progesterone and estrogen work in tandem, with progesterone often providing a counterbalance to estrogen’s stimulating effects. When estrogen levels are too high relative to progesterone (a condition known as estrogen dominance), women may experience heightened anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. Progesterone promotes restful sleep. It has sedative properties and can improve sleep quality by helping the body relax and fall asleep more easily.
Maintaining a proper balance between these two hormones is essential for emotional stability and well-being. This is going beyond this blog, but getting enough sleep, magnesium, Vitamin B6 and B12, managing Stress levels with the above techniques in this blog, as well as looking at Herbalism and HRT.
The ENERGYBODi Sensation is a Holistic Wellbeing Space which is about balancing the mind, body, and nervous system to create our optimal health span. Lifespan is a number, but healthspan is an experience—an experience of living fully, with a body and mind that function optimally. Our classes and one-to-one sessions are designed to guide you in supporting your body’s natural healing abilities, helping you build resilience to stress and restore harmony within. Whether you're practicing Somatic yoga, Aerial flow, Pilates, our Preventive Physio sessions, or even our new Kettlebell sessions, each modality offers unique benefits that help regulate and calm the nervous system.
I hope you've enjoyed this and it has been useful and its inspired you to spring board your own research and to take postive action on your health. Please share if you've found it helpful.
Stay balanced, stay connected, and let your body thrive.
Move Well , Feel Well.
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