Welcome to Day 1 of the Nervous System Reset here on Insight Timer,
Where you'll learn how your nervous system responds to stress and how to calm it when life starts to spiral.
Let's jump into today's session.
Hello and welcome to Day 1 of the Nervous System Regulation Challenge here on Insight Timer.
My name is Dr.
Juna Babi.
Over the next 12 days,
We'll be exploring simple,
Practical ways to help your nervous system recover from everyday stress.
Because the fundamental truth about stress is that the stress response is not a problem.
In fact,
We need it to be alive.
The problem actually starts when we don't intentionally recover from normal,
Everyday stressors.
Neuroscientist Bruce McKeown discovered that when we don't return to baseline,
Stress begins to accumulate in the body.
He called this the allostatic load,
The wear and tear that comes with living in a state of high alert without coming back down to recover.
When we're stressed,
We often try to think our way out of the state.
But because the stress response happens automatically in our body,
Sometimes we're not able to just tell ourselves to calm down.
The vagal nerve,
Which increases our parasympathetic response,
Carries 80% of the signal from the body to the brain.
So this means that we can show our body that it's safe,
And in turn,
Our body will tell our brain that we can calm down.
One of the most direct ways to do so is through our breath.
Specifically,
Slow rhythmic breathing can send a powerful signal of safety and relaxation to our nervous system.
So today I'm going to guide you through a research-backed slow breath rhythm,
Around 6 breaths per minute,
Which will help strengthen our vagal tone.
We can think of our vagal tone as our body's built-in calming system.
The stronger it is,
The easier it will become to return to baseline after a stressor.
So let's begin.
I invite you to find a comfortable position,
Seated with your feet on the ground or lying down,
Whatever feels good for you.
Gently close your eyes or simply soften your gaze and lower your eyes.
Take a moment to settle in,
Softening your forehead,
Relaxing your jaw,
Letting your neck and shoulders release on the next exhale.
Relax your belly,
Lengthen your spine.
Notice any tension in your body,
Acknowledging that your body has been working hard to protect you.
And now just release your muscles a tiny bit more.
We will inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds,
Creating a smooth,
Gentle rhythm.
You can breathe through your nose or your mouth,
Whatever feels right for you.
Now let's begin.
Breathe in and exhale the air out to prepare.
Ready?
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale 2,
3,
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Exhale 2,
3,
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Inhale 2,
3,
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Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Now gently release.
Take one more nourishing breath and come back to your natural rhythm.
Silently remind yourself,
My nervous system can recover.
And if you haven't already done so,
Gently open your eyes and stretch.
You just practiced a powerful skill using your own physiology to bring your stress response back to baseline.
To bring our community together,
Please share one word in the challenge forum that describes how your body feels right now.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
