Why learning to regulate your nervous system is just as important as thought work with Victoria Albina
Dec 17, 2024
auto_awesome
Victoria Albina, a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach and UCSF-trained Nurse Practitioner, dives deep into the importance of regulating the nervous system alongside thought work. She shares her journey towards somatic healing and practical steps to reconnect with the body for emotional well-being. Listeners learn effective techniques to calm anxiety, the impact of tone on emotional reactions, and explore tools for personal growth. With over 20 years in health and wellness, her passion for helping others shines through.
Reconnecting with bodily sensations is essential for emotional well-being, enabling individuals to process feelings without judgment or suppression.
Understanding the three branches of the nervous system enhances emotional regulation, allowing individuals to navigate stressors with greater awareness and resilience.
Deep dives
The Importance of Mind-Body Connection
A key insight highlighted is the critical need for individuals to reconnect with their bodies and emotions. Many people tend to intellectualize their feelings, which leads to a disconnection from their bodily sensations. This suppression can result in feeling overwhelmed and reacting disproportionately to stressors. Learning to recognize and process bodily sensations is essential for achieving emotional well-being and understanding one's reactions.
Understanding the Nervous System
The episode provides an overview of the nervous system and its impact on emotional regulation. It explains the three branches: sympathetic (fight or flight), parasympathetic (safe and social), and dorsal vagal (shutdown), describing how each affects our responses to perceived threats. The discussion emphasizes the significance of recognizing these states, as they influence our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. This understanding can empower individuals to navigate their emotional responses more effectively.
The Role of Awareness in Healing
Awareness is presented as a fundamental aspect of healing emotional responses and achieving personal growth. The episode stresses that recognizing feelings without judgment enables individuals to process them without stifling or disregarding their emotions. By approaching their emotions with curiosity instead of shame, listeners can better understand their experiences and create healthier patterns. This emphasis on awareness helps individuals reconnect with their bodies, fostering a supportive environment for self-acceptance and healing.
Practical Strategies for Regulation
The conversation introduces simple yet effective strategies for individuals to regulate their nervous systems during times of stress. Techniques such as mindful breathing, grounding exercises, and engaging in routine checks of bodily sensations are recommended as ways to develop awareness and respond to feelings constructively. By cultivating this sense of connection and understanding of their bodily responses, listeners can better navigate anxiety and fear. The episode inspires taking intentional steps towards emotional resilience and overall well-being.
Victoria Albina (she/her) is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide with a passion for helping humans socialized as women reconnect with their bodies and minds, so they can break free from codependency, perfectionism and people-pleasing and reclaim their joy.
She is the host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast, is trained in Somatic Experiencing, holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Victoria has been working in health & wellness for over 20 years and lives on occupied Munsee Lenape territory in New York.