Signaling safety to our nervous system is a mindfulness practice of noticing what is here. What am I experiencing right now? Do I feel safe in my body right now? That's a good question to pay attention to.

One of the ways that we might notice is through our eyes. Look around the room that you're in or the location you're in and look behind you as well. Is there anything here that seems dangerous that we need to be on the alert for? Is there anything actually alarming? What does that feel like to look around and see?

Neuroception is a term for how our body, brain and nervous system decides how safe we are in any given moment.

We have a negativity bias, meaning that we are more alert to danger than safety. Hypervigilance is passed to us through our ancestors. If they weren’t paying attention to possible danger, they would not have survived.

Our goal is to be more accurate in our assessment moment to moment.

Breathing plays a profound role in our health.

Breathing interventions are relatively easy to learn, may be done at any time, and can help restore balance.

The autonomic nervous system will not allow us to relax our vigilance while our breathing is rapid and shallow, or while we’re holding our breath. Often accompanied by tension in our body, this breathing pattern sends a strong signal to our nervous system that we are in danger.

We can do practices to change this and allow our breath to signal safety and make our neuroception (perception of safety and danger) more accurate.

Hatha yoga is essential as we learn to identify the subtler forces. As controls are established, the barriers begin to crumble ever so slowly. We need to whittle down tamas, the physical inertia of the body, by a constant process of purification through the practice of hatha yoga.

The practice of the physical aspects of yoga should be undertaken with a view to preparing the body in anticipation of changes that spiritual progress will require or induce.

In meditation, you are fully awake and alert, but the mind is not focused on the external world or the events taking place around you. The mind is clear, relaxed and focused within.

The ACES study is one of the largest investigations ever conducted (mid 90’s) to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. It has since been studied in several locations with similar results and they are continuing to follow the original participants.

What is happening right now in the space your body is occupying? There are sense perceptions, of the air or clothes on your skin, sounds, wetness in your mouth and the movement of your body with your breath. Are you holding your breath or is it smooth and continuous? Notice the energy, sensations and feelings.

You can free yourself and heal from the residual effects of hurt and trauma.

“Trauma is what happens inside us as a result of what happens to us. The effect of trauma is that we disconnect from ourselves, the present moment, and our sense of value.”

- Trauma expert, Gabor Maté MD

As described by Dr. Stephen Porges, PhD:

There are two components to the polyvagal system that controls the nervous system. Both communicate between the brain and body with 80% of the nerve fibers being sensory (bringing info from body to brain).

This can be a starting place for resources on educating ourselves about social justice issues. There are many resources available and many issues that we are being called on to understand and care about. We are being called to live with awareness, and to repair the disconnection caused by personal and collective trauma.

We are using the term trauma in reference to psychology, the brain, and the nervous system, not a physical wound. People often avoid facing trauma because it is so painful. We have already lived through the traumatic event or period, but still feel the negative effects in our life.

Stay with the here-and-now, moment-to-moment experience in the body and use this as a secure base from which to then reach into the implicit memories. Out of the safety of the present, we are dipping into these traumatic experiences to revisit, but not relive the trauma.