What is Nervous System Dysregulation for Women? - Signs, Symptoms and How Somatic Yoga Actually Helps

If you've been wondering why your nervous system is always activated or wondering if you can ever break the cycle of fight or flight - then this is for you. 

What is Nervous System Dysregulation for Women?
At its core - it's your nervous system responding to the present moment to try and protect you (physically, emotionally, relationally) in a way that doesn't align for you. It can feel like your nervous system is "stuck" responding the same way - even when you want to feel differently. 

It's the old wiring that shuts you down when moments get hard between you and your partner. 
Or, the anxious feeling that comes over you when life is quiet at the end of the day and you're ready for bed. 
It's the constant need to move, do and difficulty slowing down or the inability to peel yourself off the couch and get stuff done. 
Or the feeling of stress and overwhelm when your kids play loudly or won't go the "f*ck to sleep," haha. 

Nervous system dysregulation means your nervous system can't do what it does ideally - shift between states with ease based on the situation and come back to the window of tolerance as a baseline. And it's not your fault, but it's also your responsibility to change this and you absolutely can!

Signs and Symptoms
It can show up as SO many different things, but here's a short list.

High energy in your body - tense, tight or buzzy
Thoughts like "I can't stop or everything will fall apart."
Jaw clenching, shoulders up, shallow breathing. 
Feeling reactive or easily triggered or feeling alert even when nothings wrong.

Low to no energy in your body - numb, heavy, shut down or a gas & brake pedal combination - activated and shut down all at once. 
Thoughts like, "I feel invisible," or I don't know what I need."
Disconnection from your body, needs or desires.
Focusing on others needs and ignoring your own or saying yes when you mean no. 

Why It Happens
To sum it up quickly, because of what you've been through in the past - how you were raised, your experiences, past trauma, etc. 

What Actually Helps (And Why Somatic Yoga Might be the Missing Piece) 
Yoga has been serving up nervous system medicine, somatic healing and holistic care since way before it was trending. Yoga is especially therapeutic because it offers both stimulating and relaxing practices that help your nervous system learn adaptability and resiliency. It helps your nervous system to regulate and move between states easy. But not just any kind of yoga - therapeutic or somatic yoga in particular - that goes slow. balances effort and ease, is calming in nature (no loud music blaring) or fast flows. 

Yoga works with the four pillars of you - body, mind, spirit and life. As Dr. Timothy McCall says, Yoga is one stop shopping." It therapeutic on so many different levels and touches layers that talk therapy never could. 

If you'd like to hear me go deeper on this topic, watch this Youtube video on it here.

Want to Practice with Me?

Grab this free 10 minute Somatic Yoga Practice to help you come home to your body and tend to your nervous system. Get it here -> https://kerimarino.eo.page/comehome
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Keri Marino is a Somatic Yoga Therapist for Women and the founder of The Nourished Woman. With 17 years of experience guiding thousands of women, her work blends somatic yoga therapy, nervous system tending, emotional processing and devotional spiritual practice to help self-aware women who have "done the work" finally feel confident, connected and at home in your body.

​Through gentle and restorative yoga, meditation and compassionate inner work Keri helps women move from insight to embodiment - so the healing and wisdom you've gained can actually show up in your real life. 

Based in Greenville, SC with offerings in person and online. ​