How to build somatic and nervous system capacity

[@dawntreader815]

When I went through a difficult labor, the nurse told me "no big deep breaths when you feel a contraction coming, just focus on keeping your breathing completely even." This was perfect advice for me and helps me during stress.

[@AnnoyedBacon-ce2ms]

I didn't use the breathing taught either.I used slow gentle breaths

[@hustlemami8732]

Your video makes me so emotional. I feel like crying. You make me feel like I'm not a freak and like there is hope. You make me feel like I am not the problem 😭😭😭

[@IreneLyon]

Hi @hustlemami, Diana here with Team Lyon. I was wondering if we could use your words as a testimonial, we feel a lot of people would resonate with that feeling of hope!

[@juliannagrandinetti2964]

THANK YOU!!! I have systemic sclerosis and this is the first I’m hearing about “what this is all about.” I look forward to continuing to grow in the future.

[@demois]

Hi all, I asked A.I. to summarize, here's what I got: Irene Lyon, a trauma and nervous system expert, is discussing the importance of building capacity within the nervous system and somatic systems to heal from trauma and stress. She uses the analogy of building physical fitness capacity to illustrate how it takes time and gradual practice to build capacity to handle intense physical sensations. Similarly, building capacity to handle intense emotional and physiological sensations requires patience, education, and practice. She emphasizes the need to learn how to be with current-day sensations and emotions without getting consumed or shutting down. Building capacity means being able to ride out the "tsunami wave" of survival stress and then resourcing oneself to come back down. She also highlights the importance of understanding the polyvagal theory and the concept of dorsal vagal response, which is a natural shutdown response when the body is overwhelmed. Throughout the video, Irene provides practical tips and recommendations for building capacity, including working with a somatic practitioner, doing exercises, and learning about the theory of trauma and nervous system.

[@lucysarraf]

WOW. This is unbelievable. There are so many videos that come up when you search for trauma or cptsd but I feel like this should be at the top. It's the missing piece. And your explanations and analogies are so helpful and clear. Thank you. You may have just saved my life after years of traditional therapy which helped ❤️

[@loes1655]

Yes!!! The missing link.

[@esperanzamunoz6719]

I agree. I watch dr.Favor Maté. He's been amazing at going deep into exactly how we were traumatized. Where it really comes from.

[@IreneLyon]

Hi! Diana here with Team Lyon. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share. Would it be okay with you if we shared your comment?

[@hays6280]

Agreed! So amazing

[@zoeelisebell]

i agreed SO MUCH when i finally foudn this account and channel i guess after having the worlds most massive feeling nervous breakdown at 17 after amy parents got divorced and i ended up going down the route of drug use, getting laced, having so many overwhelming sensations and my overwhelm capacity being soooo so low this account genuinely took me though my life time healing journey and im so happy to be here with everybody and encountering this along with everyone else and irene thank you guys and irene's team for everything :))))) yall should post more videos pleaseee !!! i'm on a pretty tight budget and couldn't afford sbsm but these videos are literally helping me take back the life that i used to have and used to love living 24/7 :)

[@Wisdomforthehour]

She is what we call an “anointed teacher”. She not only knows what she’s talking about and she’s not banking only on book smarts but has a good sense of how things should be done and how they work. Thank you for your contribution to those who need help.

[@karadiberlino]

Who is „we“?

[@jessicama5799]

Yes, she is a in-tune healer. Using intuition is important for healing effectively, so you don’t waste time on ineffective textbook theories.

[@deesparklebazinga9374]

So pleased I found you as I am a recently diagnosed Autistic and ADHD (@ 38 and I'm now 40) and have been looking into introspection etc as I have masked for so long that I am in constant fight or flight and most of all freeze. I really struggle to be in the present. It has taken me years to calm my mind enough to manage meditations etc. I think I may have a degree of alexithymia which I discovered recently. I have addiction problems that I'm struggling to quit as I panic when going cold Turkey as my mindset is not functioning properly. I constantly use breathing exercises during the day. I have breathing issues so it can be hard work! I often dissociate/daydream to manage things. In terms of safety, I dont currently have a safe place due to constant floods and mold in my flat that I believe I'm allergic to as I've been so ill since covid lockdown. I am totally stressed out as I am unable to move so I just have to deal with it! I've been dealing with it since 2012 and Im fed up of living out of boxes! Sorry for the rant!! Im isolated so I often rant online instead. I am looking forward to hearing more from you.Thank you for sharing x

[@Vpopov81]

Breathwork made my symptoms much worse. I was doing wim hoff breathing and I actually noticed great benefits but it's like a shotgun blast to the limbic system and I think with a damaged limbic system you have to be very careful with breathwork. I can no longer do any kind of Rapid breathing and holding of breath because it literally is like a shotgun blast to the center of my brain

[@andfoundout]

Same and it's awful because that's the most common suggestion

[@willbephore3086]

Breathing with trauma needs to be very specific and VERY well informed. Taking a deep breath or fast breaths are the exact opposite of what a damaged limbic system needs. Frustrating that so many people recommend it for calming down.

[@Mark1Mach2]

wim hoff breathing is very bad for people going through a trauma or burnout.

[@willbephore3086]

@@Mark1Mach2 yep, 100% and I wish this were common knowledge. People think deep breathing is the answer to all stresses, but for certain states it's very detrimental.

[@ttephi3667]

@@willbephore3086 So what kind of breathing is beneficial in this case?

[@missnord7730]

I noticed you left out fawn response in your fight-flight-freeze response mode. Fawn response (people pleasing) is just as prevalent in old trauma pattern reacting (CPTSD) as the other three and should be addressed equally as symptoms to looks out for when healing the somatic nervous system.

[@zarakeid3459]

I was also concerned about that but in another video Irene mentions that she leaves out fawn because it's essentially on the freeze spectrum, it's a type of collapse in a way, giving up and giving in.

[@cherylm5002]

True, fawning is the stress response most of us women fall into because that is what society n family expects of women. I just beginning to stop this reflexive mode of interaction. My first step in building new patterns of dealing with difficult people is walking away n cutting them off. My next is slo becoming more assertive n standing my ground. It's a long, long journey but so worth it in terms of feeling better about myself 😅😅

[@gabrielleallison978]

An interesting perspective I learned from another expert in the field is that fawning can be a response to feeling threat more specifically in the social engagement nervous system, ie. ventral vagal branch of PNS. A stress/survival response in response to the primal need to belong, feel connected, vs ejected or rejected from our "tribe" leads to fawning/pleasing, as well as fitting in, conforming, hiding etc. As mentioned, there's a strong societal piece. As Irene emphasizes often, there is overlap and a spectrum in and between all these states, but thought this was interesting.

[@summer-xt1gg]

@@gabrielleallison978 I disagree- I fawn when I think someone is literally going to beat me- I know this isn’t a social threat.

[@marjaramage478]

@@cherylm5002 thank you for this. I have just started being more assertive and standing my ground.

[@chezzaluna]

As someone with an ACE test score that's a bit too high, this is super helpful because I don't often have a connection to present unless I focus. Self hypnosis has been super helpful, and it can look like a couple minutes of silence but it's definitely a resource that slows my heart rate and calms down those spikes of adrenaline and or cortisol so I can process what's going on.

[@Deelitee]

This is so cool!!! ❤ do you have any particular approach that you follow??

[@chezzaluna]

@@Deelitee Sue David the hypnotist and author recommends sitting in a quiet place and counting basically then going over all the body systems for healing, maybe one day I can do a tribute in her honor. When she did a session with me it was amazing, comparative to relief from acupuncture feel wise. There's a video of her on KZbin still, not sure if she is still with us, as she was in her eighties when we met.

[@Deelitee]

@@chezzaluna thank you!! I totally need this. ✨

[@caitlin7325]

I love the distinction of being with, rather than breathing through, the distress. So helpful. 🙏🙏💜

[@caitlin7325]

And as you said, letting the breathing be shallow. Allow the physiology to find its own way.

[@sandraoettle1476]

Hello. I'm a massage therapist👋 I am so thankful for your articulated, researched, educated conversation upon what I feel in the bodies in my clients. Keep up the good work lovely healer. With gratitude, Sandra, Depoe Bay, OR

[@Morphenius]

Thank you. It's such a gift having this spelled out so clearly, and by someone who clearly lives the practice.

[@selkiegrace]

Thank you Irene, the world needs this.

[@LavenderLori406]

Thanks for this. I noticed an old feeling, came into conscious awareness of it and then took a couple minutes to write about it in my journal. I then went outside and walked the cats! This video helped me realize how much capacity I have created. I began listening to your work here in 2016 I think it was. Thanks Irene!

[@Ablecore]

Cleaning Core Shame was our key to feeling freedomed Telling your self it’s just an echo leaving your head world Calms things immediately

[@loriraemorris4142]

Found you today from Anna at crappy childhood Fairy. So glad she mentioned you!😮

[@vanessapetrea2490]

I get most of these reactions nearly immediately, and nearly all at once!!! It’s so very overwhelming and ppl do not understand because they don’t experience it.

[@franciscoguevara9727]

Ones own perspective can be trusted more if one starts honoring the cues of the inner child or feelings such as this felt unfair, i want you to speak up for me, dont let this person keep putting me down, etc. This is something that i do have to credit the top down approach for, teaching me to set boundaries by honoring my internal feelings , and becoming more connected to my authentic self. I grew up in a home with lots of gaslighting and where anger was only permitted to the abusive person. I had to supress my instinct of self-protection, and that left me walking around the world without this instinct of healthy - self- protection . The instinct was still there and i would get angry or feel a shame hit and then angry later if I felt disrespected. I was the family scapegoat so I had to learn that abuse was ok. I did become a lot more able to connect to my self-protective instinct after working with a person who was very good on boundaries themselves, and i joined support groups for survivors of childhood trauma. I learnt to talk to myself in more self-compassionate ways, and specially helpful that i had a healthy right to protest unfair treatment and connected to the internal parts of me, inner child , that can act as an authentic compass emotionally / relationally to what feels fair and what doesnt, and the whole navigating of it through communication skills, boundaries or assertion that is taught throughout the multiple trauma informed resources out there .

[@Shri100percent]

Omg same!!!!

[@EnaDunatov]

How did you learn to talk in a more self-compassionate way? I need a manual...I don't know what to say to myself when I need comfort, soothing and compassion. My mind is blank and then in more panic. I hug a pillow, do yoga or hum a song. But, what words and expressions? I don't have a role model for that. I think it would be easier watching and hearing someone being self-compassionate to themselves. I am going to therapy, but..what to do when I miss some basic kindness and compassion from people around me in daily life?

[@marc1391]

Thanks for presenting so clearly the process by which somatic therapies work. I’ve been at this for 3 years and one of my biggest frustrations is figuring out how these practices actually lead to recovery. Related to this- how can we tell that we are making progress? With your sports analogy, it’s easy to measure increased athletic capacity- we can walk or run further, lift more weight, etc. Capacity to be with emotions is so much harder to measure. Plus, since our intuition is off, and we always have setbacks, it’s hard to see improvement. This is the right therapy for me, but it moves so slowly that it’s hard to stay the course.

[@a.s.jackson8203]

Yes, I'm wondering the same thing as well. How do we know there is improvement? Maybe when we are "triggered less and less. When we become fully conscious of what is going on with us in each moment. I've heard that this kind of work can take years to "undo" or integrate it, into ourselves. It did take years to become a part of us so I can see how it can take a while for us to be fully conscious. It's been a year since you left your comment. I hope you have seen some progress.

[@julietye108]

My heart has been beating fast since I was 2 thinking I was going to die from fear. I’m 68 now and have had 3 heart attacks and a bleeding valve in heart. Will look into your other videos. I can’t seem to understand what you mean. I do talk to my heart and tell it how much i love it. I’m having a hard time breathing and so tired. So it’s very important to do this work while you have the strength or your body will suffer. I will listen to your other videos and I’m sure it will help me. Thank you from australia

[@IreneLyon]

Julie - It sounds like you've had quite a journey. Glad you found your way here. When you wrote that you can't seem to understand what Irene means, I am guessing it's about nervous system capacity. If so, take your time to watch some other videos. I encourage you to start with the 3-part healing trauma series. ►Three-part healing trauma video training: irenelyon.com/healing-trauma-youtube/ - Mara with Team Lyon.

[@tanyawieczorek6603]

Julie, how are you doing now?

[@julietye108]

@@tanyawieczorek6603 Hi Tanya. Sorry o just found this page didn’t know we could get a message. Thank you for caring I will watch the healing videos now I found you. I’m feeling a lot better after having open heart surgery. Yes my nervous system has been hard to handle. I’m still on Valium since I was twenty but hardly need it that much now. Can’t wait to watch these videos. Once again thank you for caring and explaining and pointing me in this direction. I’ve done so much healing on myself since 2011 but am open for more. Love from Julie Australia❤️❤️❤️

[@tanyawieczorek6603]

@@julietye108 heart surgery, goodness! What was wrong with your heart? Is it better now?

[@julietye108]

@@tanyawieczorek6603 yes because of last heart attack I stayed home for 5 days. Because it was the roof of my mouth aching so bad I thought it was to do with my gums and teeth. Plus it was weekend By the time I did go in dr was surprised I was still alive but the pressure split one of the four valves from my heart and I was spitting out 44 percent of blood with each heartbeat. I had to wait over a year for operation cause it’s free here in Australia but have to wait your turn So 2 months ago got the call. They put me in coma and had to take out my heart so they could work on valve at back of my heart. I was in intensive care for 5 days. They put a new valve in my heart Feeling so much better. Thank you Tanya. So kind of you to reply 💝💝💝🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@ek4172]

Thank you Irene, always so grateful for your wisdom! *Your body is a beautiful instrument. It is marvelous in what it can do.* But its real value is determined by what it serves. If it serves a conflicted agenda of the mind, then the body will do destructive things to itself and to other bodies in the world around you. From: The Gift The purpose of the body is not to be beautiful. *It is to be an instrument of communication, to be a vehicle and to participate in a physical world in a physical reality.* Like an automobile, if it can get you where you need to go, it has done its job. From: Living The Way of Knowledge, Chapter 4: The Pillar of Health Both quotes by *Marshall Vian Summers*

[@johnchapman5125]

Thank you, E K.

[@julieann1975]

Thanks!

[@alwalw9237]

Wow, this is profound. Thank you.

[@mindsoulpower]

if the inside is beautiful the body simply reflects it.. health is beauty. beauty is health.. so the purpose of body not to be beautiful is unhealthy and unwise. i noticed ugly ppl come up always with this excuse.

[@emma-my8bn]

Headaches 😢 from emotional distress. TY for actually understanding this. ❤

[@8Freakish8]

Bcs it causes you body tension. EVERY emotion is tied to a physical reaction and accumulates. That why u need to unlearn certaib things and,regularly doing stuff to release those emotions from your body. It can literally give u cancer or make u blind etc if you dont and its bad enough🫶🏼

[@naturesrhythm8506]

Thank you for this video. I think it would really help with coming OFF antidepressants, also. That, in itself, can be a traumatic experience.

[@RonniBateman]

Thank you for this. Going through it right now. 😢

[@naturesrhythm8506]

@Ronni Bateman good luck xx

[@lifewithyana2924]

Thank you so much Irene I have never felt more safe and ready to heal before. I was originally searching for anxiety stored in the body healing videos and luckily I found yours because you also have loads more that I can learn from to heal. You are easy to listen to and learn from. I love your channel it’s amazing you definitely deserve your flowers + more for helping so many. Thank you ☺️🌸💗

[@altyrrell3088]

"Build a resource list of healthy, helpful options" - this is very important advice for me, especially the "helpful" part. I'll work on that.

[@NorthbertR]

I just discovered this channel and I'm really impressed. I was recently diagnosed with CPTSD after a serious breakdown that happened in 2020. Ever since my diagnosis, I have been looking for that kind of information, but even NHS ( UK ) information on a subject has been not very helpful. Thank you very much. It was amazingly helpful.

[@IreneLyon]

@TheNorthbert, Jen here from Irene's Team. It's great to hear that you've been finding Irene's content helpful. Since you're new around here, you might check out her New Here? page. Here's a link:irenelyon.com/new-here/

[@Gabriellekidd]

This whole entire video was extremely helpful. This part at the end about expanding inside is just completely blew my mind. I’ve been struggling with getting bigger on my healing journey thinking that I should be getting smaller because I’m letting go of so much. This is profound. What about how trauma and toxins are stored in our in our cells and tissues, and by getting rid of that it lets go of fat and volume

[@IreneLyon]

Gabrielle KIDD, Jen here from Team Lyon. Great to hear that this video was so helpful to you. We do find that as we continue to explore this work over time, the body does release toxins stored in the tissues. How this impacts the physical structure will vary from person to person - it doesn't always translate to less volume. Irene herself experienced major changes to her skin as she was workmen through chemical trauma, and Seth Lyon, her husband and colleague has experienced a wide range of strange and interesting experiences as he's explored this work over the years. I'll share a few links to where you can learn more. Irene's bio - irenelyon.com/meet-irene/ Seth Lyon's Fantastic Tales - sethlyon.com/fantastic-tales/

[@megankellyhensley]

I’m new to your content but have come across these concepts in other points of my life. The beautiful thing is that you have a lovely way of describing and threading these ideas together and here I am at a point in my life where I am able to fully connect to what you are teaching. 🙏🏻❤️

[@mirkkuvuorela1509]

Thank you, this was very helpful! Before this, whenever I had been having uncomfortable feelings I'd start self-soothing and thought that's the only way to deal with it and heal from trauma. But now I'm learning to actually stay with the feelings and express them too while building my somatic capacity. Self-soothing is helpful especially when the emotion is too uncomfortable to be with, but you need to also allow yourself to feel it and express it so you can heal. 💜

[@martha9148]

Dear Irene, thank you very much for sharing this precious information. As someone who experiences anxious sensations out of nowhere sometimes this video feels like an incredible release in understanding how to get passed these sensations. It also inspired me to learn more about this topic. Thank you :)

[@painterprashant]

Painting behind is beautiful as good as the topic expressed

[@carolina6683]

Irene, this really is an excellent video. Thank you. I am one of your SBSM alumni and I do like to watch videos that show the bigger picture, from time to time.

[@raynaburford728]

This was great made me feel more confident that I am so anxious and I want to get comfortable with my overwhelming sensation instead of breathing them away I want to feel it and know it’s ok and it will pass . Not distract it alway

[@MayanPrincess3]

Thank you for speaking on this. I’ve been having bad anxiety attacks daily. I realized I’m extremely burnt out and possibly have adrenal fatigue

[@petyabor5223]

Hello! How are you feeling now?

[@GodiscomingBhappy]

@mayanprincess3 yeah i know the feeling... too much, too often, too sudden, too intense....

[@lunadust8017]

You are fantastic! I am so glad i found you, i have been wanting to learn how to tap in to and resolve trauma stored inside the body. So damn interesting and opened up a whole world to me. Thankyou ❤

[@DedeBellNBCT]

Thank you so much for your work, Irene Lyon. There’s so much I could say here, but as an AuDHD, forgive me if I’m exhausted… but thank you!

[@a.s.jackson8203]

Thank you for this video. This is my first time watching your channel and I think I'm going to learn a lot here. I especially liked your saying how we can begin to build capacity by noticing what we feel in our bodies right before we notice that we need to go to the bathroom. Yes, we are having physical sensations all day long but are not aware of them. This is so helpful to begin to build somatic capacity. These everyday sensations are always there. (I know people who didn't realize that the uncomfortable feeling/pain they would have right before they needed to have a bowel movement was happening because they were about to have a bowel movement. They thought they had a stomach ache and they didn't realize that the ache went away once they had the bowel movement.) I have experienced feeling cold and shivering at times in my life and I didn't know exactly why it was happening. It hasn't happened in a long time and I can't recall under what circumstances it would happen, maybe while I was feeling some stress like right before an interview or something else kind of stressful. I will now be able to look at it if and when it happens again and know that it's likely a trauma response and I will be able to deal with it. I'll be watching more of your videos. Thank you!

[@IreneLyon]

@a.s.jackson8203, Jen here from Irene's Team. Great to hear that Irene's teaching is resonating with you! Since you mentioned that you're new around here, you might check out these resources: New Here? - irenelyon.com/new-here/ A Field Guide to Your Nervous System - irenelyon.com/field-guide-to-your-nervous-system

[@katrinabongi6295]

Thank you for explaining this topic so well. I get it. You made me understand what I am going through on a daily basis. I've always believed that knowledge is power. Now, I can begin my healing journey. ❤

[@holisticgirl]

I learn something each time I listen. I think you fill in the understanding where Bessel leaves off.

[@sisterdiggins]

This is a goldmine! Thank you so much for this video!

[@gabrielpeltier2885]

love it, an aspect i have also found in a co-regulating way is to the degree the other ,wether it is a friend or practitioner to co-create a space between two peoples .....a healing space . in other words doing our own work is critical to helping each other. ...........Another interesting topic here is ........just to what degree we can sniff out other systems, as it almost seems like we have that instinct to know the health or capacity of the others system ......even their ability to go to certain levels....how effective is techno logic connection vs the in person co regulation and does it affect things differently. Thank You Irene.

[@teamlyon3109]

Hi Gabriel Peltier, Jen here from Team Lyon. Yes, for sure coregulation can be important on many fronts. We definitely have a way of sensing other systems. Sometimes we are aware of this consciously, sometimes we are not. And depending on our patterning, we may be drawn to systems that are more or less regulated. And while there is definitely a difference between in person connection and connection via technology, there can be some powerful connections made via technology.

[@dorothyramig571]

I've been looking for ways to support my nervous system in social situations. This video library will be helpful, I'm pretty sure, after listening to this one for the first time. Thanks!

[@IreneLyon]

@dorothyramig571, great to hear the video resonated with you. You might check out this one too as it offers creative ways to spark up that social engagement system. Four ways to spark up our social engagement nervous system without socializing. - irenelyon.com/2020/06/14/four-ways-to-spark-up-our-social-engagement-nervous-system-without-socializing/ - Jen from Team Lyon

[@gemfisher-highvibe6628]

This is so interesting and I am seeking a therapist now in the uk. I am part way through your video and you’re talking about you friend and I have to say that resonates so much and I completely get it, and I got emotional when you were talking about changing the breath and allowing the emotion to peak. Thank u

[@lizdenhup]

This is such an amazing resource. THANK YOU!!!

[@estudandofrancêssozinhocomigo]

Thank you for this video. First time ever youtube's shown me your content. Wish it had been earlier.

[@eanwood6354]

Thank you so much. I have been entering this realm more and more. This was a great articulation that I needed to hear. Thank you for what you do. I judge it is so needed in these times.

[@silviehibdon]

Wonderful. Thank you.

[@champagnjethersiahdduvenag6078]

I have been building up my systems in this way al my life. Its a lifestile.

[@annalisemclean685]

Obsessed with your videos. Your knowledge is amazing and the way you explain is very easy to digest. Thank you.

[@kittycat1302]

Some of the resonated with me, but to be honest, the healing process sounds exhausting, overwhelming to me. I’m 65. I want to heal and change. I can’t afford sessions or courses. I will look into the free resources you offer. I appreciate you offering them. I especially related to the part about not being able to “trust your gut.” Have thought I was doing this many times only to find myself in trouble. I’m interested to know how all this relates to self sabotage and how to overcome it. Thank you again.

[@IreneLyon]

Bailey here from Team Lyon. Yes! Dig into those free resources. If you are new here (welcome!), I suggest heading over to the New Here page and signing up for the free Field Guide. Here is the link: www.irenelyon.com/new-here. (A Field Guide to Your Nervous System will pop up when you click on that link). ☺

[@kittycat1302]

@@IreneLyon Hi Bailey! Thank you for taking the time to make a personal reply. I followed the link you sent and downloaded the field guide. I am looking forward to digging in.

[@anthonyiuculano6002]

This is the best video of yours that I've watched, and I've been here for a few years now... thanks. I've been struggling for SO LONG as to what to do when the hard sensations come up.

[@monicawilde7107]

Beautiful delivery of essential and liberating information. thank you for the work you do in sharing this empowering information to the world

[@hannavanderwat5689]

Thanks. Much needed - it definitely comes in waves of overwhelm.

[@Sofaklecks]

Rather a WhyTo than a HowTo, but contentwise very precious video.

[@spiralgrain4552]

life changing info here thank you

[@justtryingtoheal5351]

Thank you so much for your content, I’m in an extremely dysregulated state due to therapy and medical intervention and it’s been ongoing for a few weeks now. Anxiety and paranoia all day to the point of being scared to eat, multiple panic attacks per day, new and increased physical symptoms, especially shoulder pain and chest pain. I’ve been to the ER and they ruled out emergency conditions and tests came back healthy, I consulted my doctor and psychiatrist and they had no answers except to continue my medication, they had made a mistake in dosage of an anxiety medication but I only took that a few times then went back onto my regular dose. I have asked my therapist and they just recommended breathing and meditation and everything I’m already doing and none of it is helping my body get back into the window of tolerance. Basically, I did not have enough capacity for the physical and emotional work that was done two weeks ago and now my system is releasing heavy doses of stored trauma but it’s too much. How do I calm down this process?

[@IreneLyon]

Hi Just trying to heal, Jen here from Team Lyon. Generally speaking, when we are experiencing sympathetic nervous system activation in a way that feels overwhelming, we want to bring in a sense of containment, support and turn towards things that soothe and resource us and to find ways for the underlying activation to move and express. Depending on the person, their nervous system and what's happening, it may be more of one or other other and is often a mix of both. I'll link to a practice that Irene shares that explores a form of containment and to another related resource, and as for the moving and expressing you might just try a little bits of making a sound, talking a walk or exploring another form of movement you're familiar with, tuning into see if the body wants to move in any organic way, inviting curiosity to whether there is any emotion that wants to come through - to name a few examples. This work can be quite nuanced, so I'm aiming to share some general ideas with you here. If it's an option, doing some 1-1 work with a practitioner trained in touch work specific to the nervous system as taught by Aline LaPierre, Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell can often be helpful too. And know that it can often, though not always, take time for the nervous system to shift out of states of very high activation. Looking for little shifts, and knowing that it may move between and then then more again, may be helpful to keep in mind. DIY: Ancient Anxiety Medicine - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnqmpJWOiqh-o68&lc=UgzKvm65Pqe9xARznlN4AaABAg 4 Simple Steps to Calm Overwhelm - irenelyon.com/4-steps-to-calm-overwhelm/

[@desertflower4627]

I'm finding using a yoga hammock to be really useful especially certain poses

[@loes1655]

Again and again you always inspired me. More and more i understand the wisdom of the nervus system.

[@northstarearthstar]

I love taking notes on these videos. Every time I relisten it makes even a little more sense. Ty❤️

[@daniindie9447]

This is amazing. Thank you, Irene.

[@novasplosionspotions8610]

This will be my channel of obsession for the next month :)

[@novasplosionspotions8610]

For the content not bc I’m being creepy 🥲

[@noellecuisine8912]

What a lovely video thank you so much. I really appreciate it as it combines so much of my journey and it really talks to my mind and my heart at the same time ❤

[@hustlemami8732]

I hate that I only found this now 💔 I have been searching for answers for so long 💔. Thank you so so much Irene. I don't know how to thank you. I'm trying so hard. I just want to get better😢....

[@IreneLyon]

Hi there - Diana here with Team Lyon. Thank you for your comment and reaching out, are you okay if we share your comment?

[@rainsophia]

This is beautiful- so grateful to have found this 😊

[@sophievautour8573]

So interesting I would like to know more about containment exercises

[@IreneLyon]

@sophievautour8573, containment practices can be potent! I'll link to an example practice so you can try one for yourself. - Jen from Irene's Team DIY: Ancient Anxiety Medicine - 21daytuneup.com/

[@Vis80842]

I love this and please don’t take this the wrong way, your expertise is awe inspiring and the accessability of this info is amazing. But my response strictly to the info presented is that i just get this feeling like; ”Do i have to be THAT present or THAT in tune at all times?”. It seems like too much work and not really conducive to a fun life. But i still know that i think i need it based off of the things i’ve gone through or maybe it’s the dysregulation to the degree that i should learn the healthy regulation. The tendency in me with emotions is to go too high brow or just bulldoze myself with aggression or shame. The amount of tenderness required feels heartbreaking for some reason. I also feel i can’t afford it, that i have to be vigilant, which is that lie. I’m speaking about this from the pov of someone that would be doing it alone. Some part of me is rejecting it which is expected but my body seems to need this.

[@IreneLyon]

Hello @Vis80842 Sophia here from Team Lyon. Thank you for your comment and your share. One of the great things about learning and working with your nervous system is that this knowledge and practice eventually becomes second nature, when done consistently. Many folks find this nervous system work at its heart is about becoming who YOU truly are and finally learning what it means to go from living in a state of survival, stress and anxiety to a place of hope, possibility and solid well-being. A good place to start would be Irene's free resources and mini training "Healing Trauma", all of which are housed under this link: irenelyon.com/free-resources/ If diving into this world of nervous system education and its practices speak to you and you want to go deeper than what Irene offers through her free resources (which are pretty extensive!), then be sure to check out both of her online programs, the 21 Day Nervous System Tune-Up and SmartBody SmartMind™ (SBSM™), which are designed to work with all types of trauma at the deep level of the nervous system to fundamentally change the way you are in relationship to yourself, others, and the environment around you. irenelyon.com/programs/

[@Ellenweiss1]

Thank you for your work Irene!!!!! It covers so much that needs to be covered.

[@robynbaxter7374]

Thank you so much for this video, I wish I had come across it last year! 😝 Tons of amazing tid-bits to add to many pieces of info I've been reading & applying to my own CPTSD/Somatic journey. Connecting with the NOW feels so much wiser & helpful atm as the last few yrs I've been hardcore at unpacking n working on years/layers of stufffffff that I've just burnt myself out emotionally/mentally which in turn has affected me physically the last year. Will look up the other video's that you mentioned as well, thank you again 🥰

[@petercelle1796]

Thank you for your direct and open video. I look forward to more. I’ll go to the three part thing.

[@a.k.3110]

Thank you. I learned a lot. This video is very helpful.

[@hollylange4967]

Thank you. Learning new helping tools

[@theshiftmastersessions]

I love you. Thank you for being so authentic.

[@sheilam8447]

This was amazing thank you SO much

[@TamarChante]

So clear & important! Thank you :) As always, I love your work 💗

[@amethystbickham4993]

This is INCREDIBLE information

[@powers6253]

This is INCREDIBLE! YOU are INCREDIBLE! THANK YOU!

[@lydiabisaillon2954]

Thank you so much for sharing all of this wonderful information. You share it in such a warm and wonderful way and is digestible. So grateful for you and all your sharing! ❤

[@mreed1747]

Excellent video, thankyou.

[@smartypants6198]

Just found you. I agree with this

[@yvetteowo5318]

GREAT explanation

[@HeadRecieverAtHeadOffice]

that bit in the last 5 minutes blew my mind

[@ZoieNhoa]

Wow! ❤ This is what I needed tp hear about now. Thank you!

[@choc_chip]

Hi Irene, thanks for your videos. I have lifelong C-PTSD, including resistant autoimmune conditions since childhood, major breakdowns from a young age, and various stabs at a MH diagnosis but no effective treatment as yet. I've lived in fight/flight/freeze my whole life: it doesn't get activated and then recover; it's always active (my illnesses reflect this). This means I'm dysregulated all the time, with constantly spiralling thoughts and a tendency to burst into tears or fly off the handle at any time, including on my own/just woken up etc. Not surprisingly, I struggle to process information, have trouble with digestion, chronic fatigue etc. I'm familiar with the many interventions available, and have tried several, but because I'm so dysregulated to begin with, I can't take any of it in. Instead, I just get more triggered and feel more hopeless. I can't be the only one with this problem - how can I build my capacity when I don't have the stability to begin the work? I've been trying to find an answer to this for a while, but it feels as if successful intervention depends on a presumed baseline of wellness and/or support. Is there a way out of this conundrum? Many thanks.

[@IreneLyon]

Hi HotRosin, Seth here with Team Lyon. Yes, this is a very common conundrum actually, that many of our students come to us with. This is party why the online format of our work can be SO helpful. One, in most therapists offices you will be booked for an hour, and there will be a desire to get your money's worth, when maybe five minutes of work is what you actually need. Also, a huge part of building that capacity means getting the solid, non-dumbed down education on board, which most practitioners of this work don't do with their private clients. If you haven't explored Irene's online programs, I would say that is definitely the place to start. You can go at your own pace, in the privacy and safety of your home, with professional level support from our team of moderators in the private forum. The best place to start would be with the 21 Day Nervous System Tune Up, which is about the cost of two private sessions. 21daytuneup.com/

[@annatomlinson1529]

Just a thought-it seems like the latest research and theories suggest there’s usually both a physical and mental component to complex chronic illnesses. Maybe starting with the physical to bring down some of the stress on the body and the possible inflammation might help. I know that was the case for me. It can be super helpful to work with an ND or functional medicine doctor but also can try to assess nutrient deficiencies, environmental triggers, gut dysbiosis etc on your own or with a pcp. For me living in moldy apartments was a big thing

[@rainbowdreams6660]

Thankyou, very helpful and completely relevant to me

[@Aquedita]

Hello Irene, Thank you for this helpful video. Would love to hear your thoughts if yoga nidra could potentially be one of the tools to help build this capacity. Thank you & warm greetings :)

[@sandragrifo2411]

What about sweating and hot flashes? That is one of my somatic symptoms at 61. I am hyper aware and hyper vigilant after periods of being overstressed and lately I have been putting an icepack on my chest, heart side to calm and self regulate. . My sister was diagnosed with anemia and arythmia and was recently hospitalized she was throwimg up blood we rushed her to the hospital. I am calm when it is an emergency situation but a week later I had a melt down and anxiety. Thank God she survived. She had a bleeding ulcer. I said to my husband the iron infusion and blood thinner the doc prescribed her caused the ulcer to bleed. My distrust in the medical industry and insurance is a big stress issue for me. You would find my personal journey up to this point interesting.

[@IreneLyon]

Sandragrifo - Sweating and hot flashes may be a sign of increased sympathetic nervous system activation. That heat needs to move out. Here's a video about symptoms that pop up as we do this work: irenelyon.com/2017/05/19/new-symptoms-popping-healing-journey-watch/ -Mara with Team Lyon

[@illuminatedsoles331]

That last part was extremely interesting. When I look at myself in the mirror I just look too physically small of a human being

[@troym2375]

thank you this was very helpful and some what of a mindshift

[@alliewilliams6237]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much ❤️

[@jolandabasson6248]

Thank you so much for all the information❤

[@melliecrann-gaoth4789]

Thanks so much Irene

[@sharongonzales-wq1qt]

SOOOO POWERFUL 💪🏻🙌🏻🙏🏻. 🤩✨

[@bethechangebath7663]

Why is it that those big waves of emotions/sensations seem always to come at night, not long after getting into bed? Just when my capacity threshold feels at its lowest.

[@greentree5448]

Thanks for this, but I'm still a little unclear: Are you saying that, if you've had pre-verbal trauma or an attachment breech (so, not only have never felt safe in your body but, even more challenging, experience terror when embodied because being embodied as a young child was actually life-threatening) that the way to remedy that is titration? If that is what you're saying then I have more questions: 1) Isn't that just exposure therapy and, as such, re-traumatizing because, in essence, it's a boundary violation? And 2) How do you titrate towards something you've never experienced? In other words, how do you build a new paradigm when you don't have the necessary elemental ingredients already planted somewhere in your nervous system as a lived experience? And 3) How do you navigate the existential terror that embodiment provokes? How do you build capacity when capacity is terrifying? To use your earlier metaphor of body building: How do you build muscle when exercise, historically, has always been life threatening?

[@helenas7416]

Brilliant question. In my experience some of the most traumatised people disconnect completely from their bodies because being connected is intolerable. When a person is chronically unsafe they can’t afford to be aware of their lack of safety as it would be intolerable.

[@calimayne]

Thank you so much for your work

[@HDCAMAN]

This is Gold

[@bloemenans]

Soo thankful for your teachings you explain it so clear, it helps me an my clients tot develop a more healthy way of relating to the past and present feelings

[@franciscoguevara9727]

hey irene , could you give a review about EMDR i know you've have mentioned it before. While trauma is really emotional, cognitive and relational too. I understand its also a lot of stored survival stress this is why we learn and study how to regulate the nervous system. I've found EMDR very potent and helpful, but it can bring up a lot. If the basis of what you teach is to attune to what is in the present to continue to build capacity so that we can then release older somatic stresses that are stored, wouldn't EMDR be like overwhelming the system under that line of thinking? I've been in my healing trauma journey for 2.5 years and i maybe started integrating the somatic approach like 6 months ago. I'm not the kind of person that will say that i didnt make progress "untill i integrated the somatic approach", cuz that would be untrue and very black and white. I made loads of progress with the psycogolical, emotional , jungian, pete walker, boundaries, codependency, journalling schools of thought (top down maybe) approaches. I know of a somatic practicioner that i see that also doesn't really speak against EMDR either we have just emphasized how its important to have container in the present for everything that comes up!

[@supersizegud]

Also stored love, joy. Its all energy

[@eleanor4759]

A paradigm shift that came from this video for me is the aim of coaxing and fully being with your survival response/undesirable emotion as opposed to attempting to dissipate it through controlled breathing, etc. I thought the latter was NS healing when in reality the former practice is what allows the trauma to be released.

[@IreneLyon]

Hi Ellie I, Jen here from Team Lyon. You've got it re the aim in this work! An important related concept is that we need to have the nervous system capacity to be able to stay with our underlying responses. Many of us need to start by growing capacity first.

[@eleanor4759]

@@IreneLyon what would be a sign that someone didn't have capacity?

[@IreneLyon]

@@eleanor4759 - Seth here with Team Lyon. There can be many levels of capacity. If someone really had NO capacity they would be in a coma. Even people who are bed-ridden often have some capacity to learn and start exploring their own system (in fact we've had more than few SBSM Alumni who have gone from being bed-ridden to being able to move around and function as a result of doing this work). So it's a matter of scale. Some common signs of limited capacity can include getting anxious easily in social situations, or when presented with things like deadlines, or an uncomfortable conversation. Getting triggered easily into rage, or collapse and shame, is a sign of limited capacity, as would be becoming exhausted and having to go back to bed after doing a few errands.

[@eleanor4759]

@@IreneLyon thanks so much for the response!