Nervous System States: Ventral, Dorsal, Sympathetic

“The Vagus Nerve Whisperer” joins The Aging Project Podcast. 

In this episode we go goes deep into one of the most important — and most overlooked — pillars of women’s health: nervous system care.

Shelley welcomes Tracy Whitton, a practitioner with 22 years’ experience and a unique gift: the ability to feel, sense, and intuit what a woman’s body is holding. Her clients call her “the vagus nerve whisperer” because of her work helping women calm, repair, and restore their nervous system.

Tracy has seen the same pattern in thousands of women: We’re living in constant overdrive — juggling kids, ageing parents, careers, rising stress, and the hormonal shifts of peri and menopause. Add past trauma or unresolved emotional load, and most women are living in fight-or-flight or shut-down mode without realising it. And here’s the truth she shares:

👉 Calm is not a luxury — it’s the foundation of aging well.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. What the nervous system actually is — and why women need to understand it Tracy explains the sympathetic (stress), parasympathetic (calm), and dorsal (shutdown) states in simple language. She introduces the vagus nerve — the body’s main communication superhighway — and why it’s the key to regulating stress, digestion, mood, energy, inflammation, and hormone balance.

2. Why peri & menopause amplify nervous system issues Estrogen changes make women more reactive to stress, less resilient, and more likely to experience anxiety, overwhelm, thyroid issues, sleep disruption and gut symptoms.

3. How dysregulation shows up in daily life Tracy shares the subtle signs women ignore, like: Constant rushing or urgency Feeling “tired but wired” Emotional numbing Bloating, constipation, or gut slowing Anxiety spikes, irritability, sleep issues Forgetting to breathe Feeling disconnected from joy She explains why so many women say “I’m fine, just busy” even when their body is begging for calm.

4. What happens when you ignore your nervous system Tracy breaks down how chronic stress leads to: burnout thyroid problems gut issues autoimmune flare-ups chronic fatigue emotional overwhelm Yes — a “nervous breakdown” is a real physiological collapse. The hopeful news? It’s reversible when women begin nervous system care.

5. Tracy’s unique method: Her work blends: clinical knowledge intuitive clairvoyance somatic wisdom deep vagus nerve activation

6. Simple rituals any woman can start today Tracy offers practical tools for women who feel overwhelmed or disconnected from calm: breathwork gentle movement warmth, quiet and stillness building pauses into the day creating safety in the body reconnecting with self-compassion She explains the qualities of repair — dark, quiet, warm, slow, soft, and still — and how to weave these into daily life.

7. The book: 365 Days of Nervous System Care Eight years in the making, this book is a daily companion filled with rituals, practices, and insights designed to help women shift from stress to safety. Tracy also shares her new Facilitator Training, helping more practitioners learn how to guide women through nervous system repair.

8. Tracy joins The 120 Club

This month, Tracy leads an exclusive 2-hour Calm Body Workshop for members — live and with replay included. 9. One message for every woman 40–60 Tracy’s closing wisdom is simple and profound — a reminder that calm isn’t a luxury, it’s your birthright.

Links Mentioned

🔗 Buy Tracy’s Book https://www.amazon.com.au/365-Days-Nervous-System-Care/dp/1764254619

🔗 Connect with Tracy

https://www.stmt.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/stillness_through_movement/

🔗 Join The 120 Club and attend The Calm Workshop with Tracy. on Sunday 7th December, 4.00-6.00 AEDT

You'll attend free as a member. Unlimited replay access as a member. 

🔗 Join The Calm Workshop with Tracy only (Non members price) . 20 days replay access. 

Register Here