The ABCs and 123s of Nervous System Regulation

Irene Lyon
29 May 202230:34

Summary

TLDRIrene Lyon dives into the foundational aspects of nervous system regulation and somatic trauma healing, likening learning these skills in adulthood to acquiring a second language. She emphasizes the importance of education, connection with the body, and interaction with the environment as key to building nervous system regulation. Through exploring impulses, engaging socially, and utilizing resources for self-regulation, Lyon offers a comprehensive guide to enhancing one's capacity for dealing with stress and trauma. This video serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to understand and improve their nervous system health through practical, actionable steps.

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Q & A

  • What is the main goal of nervous system regulation according to Irene Lyon?

    -The main goal is to restore, maintain, and grow more and more nervous system regulation, which includes self-regulation, ensuring the nervous system functions well with good flow and influences other body systems positively.

  • Why does Irene Lyon compare learning nervous system regulation in adulthood to learning a second language?

    -Irene Lyon makes this comparison to highlight the challenge and importance of learning to regulate our nervous system as adults, especially if we didn't receive solid self-regulation foundations early in life.

  • What importance does Irene Lyon place on education in nervous system health and healing?

    -Irene stresses that education is crucial as it helps us understand our body and nervous system's responses, enhancing our ability to manage and heal trauma through informed self-regulation.

  • How can connecting with the body benefit nervous system regulation?

    -Connecting with the body, through practices like yoga or movement, helps individuals become aware of their internal sensations and can lead to improved self-regulation and healing.

  • Why is it important to also connect with the external environment for nervous system health?

    -Connecting with the external environment helps balance internal focus with external awareness, which is vital for healing, especially if previous traumatic experiences have led to a disconnect from the surroundings.

  • What does Irene Lyon mean by 'following biological impulses' and its relevance to nervous system regulation?

    -Following biological impulses refers to listening and responding to the body's natural needs like hunger, thirst, and temperature, which is essential for maintaining homeostasis and supporting nervous system health.

  • How can social engagement impact nervous system regulation?

    -Social engagement, through simple interactions or acknowledgements, can stimulate the social engagement system, improving heart function and overall nervous system regulation.

  • What is the concept of 'resourcing' and its significance in nervous system healing?

    -Resourcing involves using external or internal tools (like a warm cup of tea or a comfortable blanket) to soothe and regulate the nervous system, providing a sense of safety and stability.

  • Why is experimenting with social interactions a suggested practice for healing trauma?

    -Experimenting with social interactions can help rebuild and strengthen the capacity for social engagement, which is often impacted by trauma, enhancing overall nervous system regulation.

  • How does building capacity relate to healing trauma and increasing self-regulation, according to Irene Lyon?

    -Building capacity through practices like understanding nervous system health, connecting with the body and environment, and engaging socially, supports healing trauma by increasing the ability to regulate the nervous system and manage responses to stress.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Nervous System Regulation

Irene Lyon introduces the concept of nervous system health and healing, emphasizing the importance of understanding and improving self-regulation. She discusses the challenges of learning self-regulation as an adult, comparing it to learning a second language. The goal is to restore, maintain, and enhance nervous system regulation, which is crucial for overall well-being and functioning.

05:03

πŸ“š The ABCs of Nervous System Education

The first step in nervous system regulation is education. Irene explains that understanding the complexities of our nervous system and how it interacts with our body is vital. She uses the example of feeling uncomfortable sensations during a yoga class to illustrate how education can help us recognize and address stored trauma and stress.

10:04

πŸ’ͺ Learning to Connect with Our Bodies

Irene discusses the importance of connecting with our bodies, which can be challenging for those new to the practice. She suggests that through self-touch, intention, and attention to the body, we can reconnect and understand our somatic senses. Engaging in movement practices like yoga can help, but it's essential to be truly present and connected to the experience.

15:05

🌍 Connecting to the Outside World

The third element in nervous system regulation is connecting to the outside world. Irene explains that many mind-body practices overlook the environment. She emphasizes the importance of orienting ourselves to our surroundings and reconnecting with the environment, especially for those who have experienced trauma.

20:08

🌑️ Following Our Biological Impulses

Irene talks about the importance of listening to our biological impulses, such as hunger, thirst, and the need for rest. She explains that these impulses are governed by the autonomic nervous system and that acknowledging and acting on them can help regulate our nervous system. She also discusses how disconnection from these impulses can lead to dysregulation.

25:08

🀝 Engaging with Other Humans

Irene discusses the importance of social engagement for nervous system health. She explains that our ability to connect with others is directly related to our self-regulation capabilities. She suggests simple ways to practice social engagement, like smiling or having brief conversations with others, as a means to build social capacity and improve nervous system regulation.

30:10

πŸ“¦ Utilizing Resources for Self-Regulation

Irene explains the concept of resources, which are external elements that help us regulate our nervous system. These can be anything from a warm cup of tea to a favorite book or music. She emphasizes the importance of choosing healthy, positive resources and using them to enhance our connection with ourselves and our environment, ultimately building our capacity for self-regulation.

🌱 Healing Trauma Through Capacity Building

Irene concludes by summarizing the importance of building capacity and self-regulation for healing trauma. She explains that as we learn the language of our nervous system and practice the ABCs and 123s, old traumas can surface and be processed without causing re-traumatization. She encourages viewers to continue practicing and seeking education on nervous system regulation.

🎢 Closing and Resources

Irene wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to continue practicing nervous system regulation and to visit her website for more resources. She provides a platform for questions and further discussion, reinforcing the importance of education and community in the healing process.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Nervous System Regulation

Nervous system regulation refers to the processes that maintain the nervous system in a state of balance and optimal functioning. It involves mechanisms that help the body respond to stress, recover from experiences, and maintain homeostasis. In the video, nervous system regulation is emphasized as crucial for overall health and well-being, influencing systems like the cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems. The speaker highlights the importance of learning to regulate the nervous system as an adult, comparing it to acquiring a second language, to improve self-regulation and resilience against stress.

πŸ’‘Trauma Healing

Trauma healing in the context of the video refers to the process of addressing and recovering from traumatic experiences through somatic (body-centered) practices. The speaker discusses how unresolved trauma can be stored in the body, affecting physical and emotional health. Trauma healing involves recognizing these impacts and working through them at a somatic level to release stored traumas and restore nervous system regulation, ultimately leading to greater capacity and well-being.

πŸ’‘Somatic

Somatic relates to the body, especially as distinct from the mind. In the video, somatic healing and experiences are emphasized as key to understanding and healing trauma. The speaker explains how connecting with the body and its sensations can help identify and release stored stress and trauma. Somatic practices, such as mindful movement or attention to bodily sensations, are presented as essential tools for increasing bodily awareness and supporting nervous system regulation.

πŸ’‘Self-Regulation

Self-regulation refers to the ability to manage one's emotional, physical, and mental processes. The speaker underlines self-regulation as the goal of nervous system regulation, describing it as the capacity to maintain balance and function well across various bodily systems. The video suggests that improving self-regulation through understanding and practicing the ABCs and 123s of nervous system health can lead to better health outcomes and resilience.

πŸ’‘Education

Education, in the context of the video, is presented as foundational to understanding one's own body and nervous system. It involves learning about the physiological and psychological aspects of stress and trauma and how they affect the body. The speaker argues that education empowers individuals with knowledge about their nervous system, enabling them to recognize and respond to bodily sensations and emotions in a healing manner.

πŸ’‘Capacity

Capacity refers to the individual's ability to handle emotional, physical, and mental stress without being overwhelmed. The video discusses growing one's capacity as a primary goal of nervous system regulation work. By building capacity, individuals can increase their resilience to stress, improve their ability to self-regulate, and facilitate the healing of stored trauma.

πŸ’‘Connecting with the Body

Connecting with the body is about becoming aware of and attuned to physical sensations, emotions, and needs. The speaker emphasizes the importance of this connection for healing and self-regulation. Techniques such as self-touch, attention to bodily sensations, and movement practices are highlighted as ways to enhance body awareness and deepen the connection with one's somatic experiences.

πŸ’‘Social Engagement

Social engagement refers to interactions with others that promote connection and emotional regulation. The video explains how engaging socially, even in small ways like smiling or initiating conversation, can stimulate parts of the nervous system that help regulate emotions and stress responses. These interactions are portrayed as crucial for building social support and enhancing one's capacity for self-regulation.

πŸ’‘Resourcing

Resourcing involves identifying and utilizing external or internal resources that support wellbeing and nervous system regulation. In the video, resources are described as positive, comforting, or grounding objects, activities, or relationships that can help soothe and regulate the body. Examples include a warm cup of tea, nature, pets, or meaningful music. The concept underscores the importance of having accessible ways to support self-regulation and emotional resilience.

πŸ’‘Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary body functions such as heartbeat, digestion, and breathing. The video discusses the ANS's role in governing overall health and its influence on various systems like cardiovascular and immune systems. Understanding the ANS is presented as crucial for nervous system regulation, highlighting the connection between autonomic functions and the body's stress and trauma responses.

Highlights

Irene Lyon introduces the concept of nervous system regulation and trauma healing as learning a second language in adulthood.

The goal of nervous system regulation is described as restoring, maintaining, and growing more self-regulation for better overall function.

Education on nervous system health is emphasized as crucial for understanding bodily sensations and responses to stress.

Lyon highlights the importance of connecting with one's body to recognize and address stored traumatic stress.

The ABCs of nervous system health start with 'A' for education, underlining the need for a well-informed approach to healing.

'B' in the ABCs stands for connecting with the body, emphasizing the significance of being aware of internal sensations.

'C' represents connecting to the outside world, highlighting the importance of engaging with the environment for regulation.

Following biological impulses is stressed as a vital part of self-regulation, including recognizing hunger, thirst, and rest needs.

Lyon discusses the importance of social engagement for nervous system regulation and healing from trauma.

Resourcing, or utilizing external elements that provide comfort and support, is identified as a key strategy in trauma healing.

The concept of 'internal resourcing' is introduced, encouraging individuals to find internal comfort without external aids.

Lyon uses the analogy of language learning to explain the process of developing nervous system regulation and healing trauma.

The significance of education in building the capacity for self-regulation and understanding the body's signals is underscored.

The practice of engaging with others and the environment as a part of healing and developing social engagement skills is detailed.

Irene Lyon concludes by emphasizing the importance of practicing the ABCs and 123s of nervous system health for trauma healing and personal growth.

Transcripts

play00:00

hey everyone it's irene lyon here and

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welcome to this entire world of nervous

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system health and healing and today i

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want to break down what i often call the

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abcs and one two threes of nervous

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system regulation we could say trauma

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healing at the somatic level all those

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things a little while ago maybe over two

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years ago now i did a video

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where i broke down why learning how to

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regulate our nervous system as an adult

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so this isn't a case that let's just say

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we didn't get good solid self-regulation

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at the start of our life which for the

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case was many of us

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if we didn't get that and we're learning

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it as an adult

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it is like learning a second language as

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an adult so in other words

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after you've learned your mother tongue

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and you want to learn something new when

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you're older it's like that and so

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the this concept of learning the abcs

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and one two threes

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of nervous system healing and regulation

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i want to break those down today be sure

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to watch that other video that i did a

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little while ago we'll link it near

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this piece

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but the first thing i want to

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outline

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is that the goal if there is such thing

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as a goal with this is to

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restore maintain

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and grow

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more and more nervous system regulation

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we could call that self-regulation but

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it's being able to have a system a

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nervous system that is working really

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well has good flow good function because

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it is influencing little crash course

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here on autonomic nervous system

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physiology our autonomic nervous system

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governs all of our systems

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our cardiovascular system immune

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endocrine

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musculoskeletal it it governs our

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ability to connect with other humans

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through that parasympathetic nervous

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system also with the environment it

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allows us to sleep and and repair at

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night all the things so we want to

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always be in my opinion at least

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building up our nervous system

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regulation and if we do not have

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good solid nervous system regulation we

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want to aim to grow that

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hence learning this second language and

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of course languages have letters and

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numbers hence a b threes a b c's and one

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two threes

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now

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if i start as a list a linear list and

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this is not by any means an order of

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importance um i'm gonna start with

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education

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so the reason why let's just say

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education is like the a of the abcs the

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reason this is so important is our

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humanity we have this higher brain

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and

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because we live in an often a very

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unnatural inorganic world and we are

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organic creatures we are humans we are

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mammals we are animals but we also have

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this higher brain that's a little

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different

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and it likes to understand

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what is going on

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and i'll just give one example to sort

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of portray to to teach why

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education is so important let's just say

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let's just say

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one is starting to feel

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uncomfortable sensations in their body

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and let's just say these uncomfortable

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sensations come up in

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a yoga class or any kind of class and

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it's because that person is connecting

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with their body they're feeling

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themselves in a way that maybe they

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haven't felt themselves in a long time

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movement sensations and

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all of a sudden they sense this deep

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sharp um heat coming from uh let's just

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say their belly

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and they know that they don't have food

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poisoning and they know this isn't

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something intestinal

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but they're feeling this intense

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sensation in their belly somewhere in

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their viscera

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when we have the awareness and the

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education on board that our nervous

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system physiology and our visceral

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organs and all that comes in our system

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can trap and store old traumatic stress

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that is code for fight flight freeze or

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survival stressors which are

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governed by our autonomic nervous system

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when we understand

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the complexity

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as i would call the nom done

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non-dumb down version of the education i

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did another video on this as well um

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we'll post that near here when we

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understand what's going on that oh wow

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i'm connecting with this part of my

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physiology

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i'm opening it up i'm bringing space

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into my organs i am releasing the

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tensions that have gripped around my

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viscera for decades because i was

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terrified as a kid for whatever reason

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i'm now in this space where i like the

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people around me i trust my teacher i'm

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moving and grooving in ways i never have

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before i have this sharp pain coming up

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if i have the knowledge the education

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that this could potentially be an old

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release it could be some fascia that is

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starting to kind of unwind and open up

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we we see this in soft tissue when folks

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get

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soft tissue work massage work rolfing

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kind of work fascial work it can bring

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up emotions right many of you have maybe

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heard this maybe you've experienced this

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so

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when we know that there's this potential

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for old stored stress

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old stored memories and it doesn't have

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to be a memory of an event it can just

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be a very intense

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emotion that has no meaning no memory it

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just feels like pure terror

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we can be in that moment connect with it

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talk to it maybe ask for extra support

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maybe we have to pause the practice

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maybe we have to stand up walk around

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have some water get some fresh air we

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can take care of that as opposed to

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just kind of brushing it under the rug

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and going oh i must have eaten something

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funny

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of course that's always possible but

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when we have the education on board we

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have a little more insight into how to

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be with our system

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and

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one of the words that i use a lot is

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capacity

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capacity and in many ways the abcs and

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one two threes of nervous system health

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and healing they are all in service of

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growing capacity

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as an adult so that we can grow our

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regulation heal our systems and

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if we go that next step

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step release the stored survival

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stressors aka the stored traumas that

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have been in our system for maybe a

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lifetime

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so

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that's the number one let's say a is

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making sure that we have education on

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board of course that is what i do here

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on my channels and within my programs

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the second thing i will get into let's

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call it the b

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would be learning how to connect with

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our body so i just gave you the scenario

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of the yoga class

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for someone brand new to connecting with

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their body it might seem like a foreign

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language it's like hearing a language

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we've never heard before and we don't

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even recognize that oh that might be

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this language or that language it's

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completely foreign

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and having been in this work for so long

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you know when someone has been

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disconnected from their body when you

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ask them

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what is it what does it feel like inside

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what do you sense internally

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and and i'll do this with my eyes they

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kind of and this isn't a bad thing it's

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just what happens they'll search in

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their brain for a word they will try to

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think

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of it

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but when we try to think of what we're

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feeling it means that we're not in

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our feeling in our sensations in our

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somatic senses we would also call this

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our interoception

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so this ability to reconnect with our

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body

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and understand it

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and know that it's even here can be done

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through of course

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again through my teachings lots of self

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touch lots of intention and attention to

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the body system it might be through body

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work where someone is actually laying

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their hands

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in different parts of your system

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whether it's the skin the muscle uh the

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bone

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gentle of course in ways that are safe

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where you're waking up those tissues

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this is why again i'll use the example

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of yoga or movement practices can be

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they can be

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useful because they're getting you into

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your body now i say can

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with emphasis because again in my

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experience many people go to these

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classes

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and they're robotic they're actually not

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in their bodies they're just following

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the instructions and yes they're

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exerting calories and perhaps they're

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getting stronger in certain patterns but

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it's actually not connecting them to the

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inside

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so again we've got a education i'm just

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doing this as i go along b would be

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connecting with the body then i might

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say c

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is connecting to the outside world

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so this is often something that gets

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left out and a lot of mind-body

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practices

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because it's mind-body it's not mind

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body and environment and when we've had

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a lot of survival stress a lot of

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traumatic things happen to us big bad

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scary things

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sometimes an individual will go so

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internal

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and they'll feel everything inside that

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they disconnect from the environment

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because that environment was where the

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bad scary things were happening if it

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was a person a family member the family

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system maybe it was growing up in war

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maybe it was a natural disaster all the

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things that could be

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external to us that are

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of a stress

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so part of again remember this is this

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gaining more regulation

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is to start to orient and for those of

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you who have been around the block with

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me a few times this is a very common

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practice it's one of the first things we

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teach in the programs and in my classes

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is can one and i'm doing this with my

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eyes right now

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look away

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and see

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the space

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around us can we connect with the

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outside world it could be something as

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simple as a cup of tea that you might be

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holding or it could be something bigger

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like the clouds that you can see over

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there or the trees outside or the book

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on the shelf or the colors

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in the picture or et cetera et cetera it

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doesn't have to be something specific um

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that is just for orienting it can be

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anything

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outside of you

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so again education connecting with the

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body connecting with the outside world

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so let's just call those the a b c if we

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were to go one the next one two threes

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the the next thing i will say and again

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remember this isn't in any order of

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importance necessarily would be the

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ability to follow our impulses and by

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that i mean our biological

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impulses

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some easy examples would be

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are you hungry can you notice your

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hunger are you full

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do we keep eating

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when we are full is there even a

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connection

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with the receptors in our stomach

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because they are there that tell us it's

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time to stop thirst

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so when we're thirsty do we cue into the

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to that and do we take liquid in when

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we're tired do we know that we're tired

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or do we just keep pushing do we rest um

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biological things like passing gas right

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do we hold those things in are we

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feeling shame when we burp or pass gas

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um obviously through our rectum

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are there these disconnections with what

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animals in the wild for instance and i

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often use this example when i'm teaching

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in podcasts if you ever at a farm or in

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a field with a bunch of cows they are

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not going to look around and sees

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anybody watching me they're just going

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to poop anywhere they're not thinking

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about it

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they're not worried about it they are

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following their impulse same with

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infants of course right

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infants they gotta go they gotta go

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it's as we age as we get more let's say

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conditioned socialized

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we have to do things there's no bathroom

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right these things pose a bit of an

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issue a bit of a paradox we can't just

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go whenever as humans but let's just say

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you're in your home and you know there's

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a toilet over there mine's over there

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are you sitting for hours on end

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ignoring the pressure in your bladder

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ignoring the pressure say in your bowels

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that that says you need to go and and

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void your bowels or you need to empty

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your bladder now as odd as this might

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seem irene

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how is following these impulses helping

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me regulate my nervous system

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well it has everything to do with that

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because that nervous system governs

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the production of urine the production

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of our of our feces the the digestion of

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our food the absorption of water to

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hydrate us the release of water through

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urine if we don't need that hydration

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all of these things if i give one more

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example um

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cold hot right if we're shivering are we

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actively feeling that and doing

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something about it or if we're

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overheating are we taking off clothes

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and letting our temperature cool down

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again these are elements of our

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autonomic nervous system physiology

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so by actually listening to them and

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let's just say you're outside and you're

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shivering and you know you're about to

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be in your car real soon

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you know of course notice it but very

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often notice that i mean you may not

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need to put a coat on that's you're not

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going to die if you're just going

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quickly from house to car and there's

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some rain and some cold

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however

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many people again i generalize here

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don't even notice that temperature

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change

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they don't feel the goosebumps come up

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on on their um their skin they might not

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notice that they're red and perspiring

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because they're hot and this is often a

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sign of a disconnection from the system

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now the other thing is when we are

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living in survival stress and a lot of

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what we would call functional freeze did

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another video on this a little while ago

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again we'll post that near here but when

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we're in something like functional

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freeze where we are functioning but

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we're kind of disconnected

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we don't pick up the cues and our body

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might even stop giving us

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cues

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and it might even start not doing the

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things that it's supposed to to maintain

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that internal homeostasis

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so

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again cannot stress enough

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this ability for us to start to listen

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to these biological impulses be with

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them um literally feed them if need if

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need be and to just

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listen to this system so i think that

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was the one of the one two three if i go

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to another element that we might want to

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work with to again

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build this capacity which is again in

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service of growing more nervous system

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regulation one other thing um might be

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feeling and sensing how we engage with

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humans

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other people now this is a little more

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advanced

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in that for some of us humans were the

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source of all of our pain and trauma and

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dysregulation and that might be accurate

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however

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how can we start to

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have a little connection with other

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humans even if it is just smiling to

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someone when you are walking outside in

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the park now of course it's not about

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forcing another person to smile to you

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or to nod but it might just be

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listening and sensing

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is this person interested in engaging

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with a smile or a good morning

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you'd be surprised how many folks in the

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morning when you're outside walking

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actually

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enjoy that acknowledgement of

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hey good morning you know that kind of

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thing i find that

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more older people are more interested in

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that than the younger folk that are in

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their phones and just not engaged but

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that's another story for another day

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even if you are say at the grocery store

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most of us have to go and buy food um

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check out you know when the cashier is

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there

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something as simple as saying hi how are

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you because they often they usually will

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ask how are you doing you might answer

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and then you might pause with deliberate

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intention not autopilot

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pause how are you

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how are you today is it busy here talk

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about the weather i know that might seem

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really kind of basic and plain

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but that is a way to practice sparking

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up a little bit of our social engagement

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system now the reason why i'm mentioning

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this as the number two of the one two

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three

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when we are young

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if we didn't have good

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what's called co-regulation

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with our caregivers because they

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themselves were maybe not self-regulated

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or did not have any clue what to do with

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us

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we may not have gotten the right skews

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the social cues and it might even be

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confusing to us as adults we didn't get

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that how to engage with people and

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that's okay

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the cool thing is we can grow this

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regulation back we grow that capacity of

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social engagement back by these little

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tiny experiments throughout the day

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where we're testing out in a fairly

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benign safe space this isn't about

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dating or going to the bar and picking

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up anyone it's not about that it's about

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daily interactions where there are other

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humans where you might be able to just

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nod smile

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um in elevators you know something is

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simple again sounds crazy it's pretty

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cold out there gosh or gosh it's so hot

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that weather

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that is a good way to break the ice and

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and talk to someone who you don't know

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but to practice that social engagement

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interaction now the reason why this is

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important

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part of our nervous system so there's a

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little bit of education here

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that part of our nervous system that

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governs our heart

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that governs our capacity to

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self-regulate and to come down

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it is this social engagement nervous

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system the fancy word is the ventral

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vagal portion of the parasympathetic

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nervous system this is where that vagus

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nerve comes in

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and that ventral portion is our social

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engagement

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muscle so to speak it allows us to

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connect with others and also other

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mammals like our furry friends dogs and

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cats

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by having that spark up it actually

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directly relates to our heart pacemaker

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and it can

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bring the system down now of course

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this is where here's a little complexity

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if those connections when we were young

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were not soothing

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it might be that our system is wired a

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little upside down in that when we see

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other people our heart goes up

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but i'm here to say as humans as mammals

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we are meant to be with other people not

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huge droves of people but some people

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close community connection doesn't have

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to be again lots it could be one person

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one partner one friend

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but one of the ways we start to reverse

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that that uh not wanting to be with folk

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is to start to experiment and kind of in

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a healthy safe way pushing ourselves to

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engaging

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little bits with little little tiny

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little tiny elements of experimentation

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with people who are just in the outside

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world so experiment with that the final

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thing i will bring in so we've gone abc

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one two three

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let's make three resourcing so

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this one can sometimes be quite

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confusing for some and i know that

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because when we teach this in my longer

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program smart body smart mind it's a bit

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of a

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conundrum and it's okay because for many

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of us

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we have resources that are positive that

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we know we go to but we don't think of

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them as resources so a resource is

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something

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on the outside of us like that hot cup

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of tea that i might have just i think i

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just mentioned a warm bath a fuzzy

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blanket

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it could be nature it could be a pet it

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could be a book it could be music

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it could be

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anything that we use that we have that

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brings our system into more

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self-regulation

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now

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one of the things that sometimes can be

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a little confusing as well there are

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things that we might have in our in our

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environment that are resources but

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they're not positive like abusing um

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let's say drugs and alcohol nicotine

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all the things that we might get

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addicted to even things like exercise

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for example

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can be a resource but it can also be

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not good for us if we overly do it if we

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are addicted to it to the point where

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it is driving us to injure ourselves or

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basically harm our bodies so hopefully

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that makes sense but we want to have

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resources that are helpful

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and healthy that we can go to that we

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can connect with

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so that we can help soothe our bodies

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soothe our nervous systems i'll give you

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an example

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of something that maybe will connect the

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this with early life so a lot of kids

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when they're young

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might have a teddy bear or a blank

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people will call them blankies or their

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blanket their favorite blanket their

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favorite toy and kids will go everywhere

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with that thing

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now the reason why that is good at a

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young age is it's teaching that little

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one to have connection with something

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that isn't mom or dad

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but is an object that they feel

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connected to so they can feel safe and

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self-regulate

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right and that is exactly what a

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resource is as an adult now

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when we have these resources around us

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the key

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is going back to some of the abcs that i

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was talking about so when that resource

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is with you for example can you sense

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your body

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better is it easier to sense what's

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going on inside when you're with that

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resource can you connect with the

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environment when you're with that

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resource are you better able to sense

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your impulses

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and so by actually

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making that connection stitching

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together

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got this resource maybe it's a cup of

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tea

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as i

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hold this cup of tea as i smell the

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scent of the peppermint or whatever it

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might be

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i can sense my body soothing and then in

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that moment that is where we need to

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be inside

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and sense how our physiology might be

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changing with that

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the more and more we can connect with

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that the more we're building the

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language of capacity we're growing

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capacity we're growing regulation if we

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take this a step further when one gets

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really good at listening to oh when i

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have that cup of tea i can sense myself

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i can feel myself

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i can actually also look out on to the

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porch deck or out to the clouds with

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this tea it's creating this loop of

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connection with self and the environment

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and the resource

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over time as we start to pay attention

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to this

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one can then be out in the world and

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they might not need that cup of tea

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to connect they just can connect because

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they've been practicing that connection

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with themselves with these resources

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so eventually we take this one step

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further here

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eventually we begin to internally

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resource

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without needing necessarily that cup of

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tea now there's nothing wrong with a cup

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of tea a favorite book some music a

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person an animal a stuffed animal a

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blanket a warm fuzzy sweater nothing

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wrong with that

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but or and i should say can you start to

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sense

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the internal when you're with that so

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that you start to create this

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nervous system vocabulary of ah

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i just sensed my my my belly softened i

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just sensed my heart rate go down

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as i brought this around me or half this

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resource i actually sensed myself sink

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deeper

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into my feet and feel the ground

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and so this my friends is we're having

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if i go back

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abc 123 to a education by understanding

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what i'm saying here and understanding

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how as adults

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we need to sort of restructure and lay

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these foundations down by understanding

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that

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it doesn't seem crazy to take a pause an

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extra pause when you have that warm cup

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of tea or that blanket and really

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bask if you will in the sensory

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experience

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in the experience with the outside world

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and hey maybe you are with someone or

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maybe you're just the coffee shop or the

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cheese shop with this warm drink

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and you're connecting with self you're

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you're listening to the chatter around

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you and maybe someone next to you is by

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themselves and you catch their eye and

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you just smile or you say you know this

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tastes really good how's your tea or

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whatever or oh that cookie looks good

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and then you're doing the social

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engagement thing that i mentioned a

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second ago

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so

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this has been um a little longer

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a little more specific to a few elements

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of what we would call what i would call

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within my work and my colleagues

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colleagues would call building capacity

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so the education the connecting to self

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the environment the following the

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impulses the sparking up this uh social

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engagement and then the resources

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all of them combined i'm going to use

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another analogy now into a bit of a soup

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into this language

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of

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the nervous system and the somatic

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senses

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and our connection with the environment

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and then if i bring this one step

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one step more when we are infants when

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we are little toddlers

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the the the the desire of that little

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early human is to have these things

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happen

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naturally spontaneously from their

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caregivers now of course not all of us

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get that

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and so we don't learn good

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self-regulation through the

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co-regulation with our primary

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caregivers we don't learn to feel our

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body in a positive way we don't learn

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how to orient to the outside world

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because nobody's engaging with us

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right

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we'll use connection with our impulses

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because our feeding schedule is totally

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not based on our biology it's based on

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the work schedule of our parents or

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our sleep schedule has been trained so

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that we're not

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falling asleep and waking up on our

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natural rhythm

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and so

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if we didn't get that organic natural

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connection with caregiver who is

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regulated and teaching us to be with the

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world

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as adults

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we want to learn it at least that's what

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my students do they are learning the

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process of bringing more self-regulation

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into their nervous system into their

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somatic self

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via these practices these abcs and one

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two threes

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this is the starting point

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of healing trauma you notice i hardly

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use the word trauma in this from my

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experience as we build this language of

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self-regulation and capacity

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the old traumas the survival stresses

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they actually start to come out and

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bubble out naturally and then when they

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do because we've done so much groundwork

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so much abc and 123 work when they do

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come up they don't trigger us they don't

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reactivate us they don't re-traumatize

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us which happens all too often we feel

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it we sense it we go oh to go back to

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that yoga example this is that thing

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this is that memory this is that

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movement this is that

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desire to scream to protect to run

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all the things we see them we feel them

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and we're not

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alarmed by them we actually invite them

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because this is exactly what we signed

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up for to get this stuff out of our

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system

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via the building of capacity and

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increasing our self-regulation by

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learning the language of our nervous

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system so

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this has been a longer one hope this

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makes sense i hope this has made a few

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of the pieces come together of course if

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you have any questions if you're

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watching this or listening to this on

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youtube post them below my team will get

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to those and

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until next time keep practicing these

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abcs and 123s and if you want more

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information and more education just

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visit my site my name irenelyon.com and

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you will find a lot of goodies there to

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continue this practice of nervous system

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regulation and growing your capacity bye

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for now

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[Music]

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you

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Related Tags
Nervous SystemSelf-RegulationHealing TraumaSomatic PracticesIrene LyonMental HealthEmotional WellbeingMind-Body ConnectionHealth EducationCapacity Building