the nervous system is the command center of the body, orchestrating the signals that guide every movement, thought, and sensation. it gathers information from both internal states, like hunger or emotions, and external environments, such as temperature or sounds, to send messages throughout the body.
this video is a part of a series of live meditations where we are not aiming to regulate or control the nervous system, instead, taking the opportunity to tend to the nervous system. allow this practice to be a space where you nurture your nervous system, honoring its role in connecting you to yourself and the world around you. thank you for joining.
<3 dae
below you will find a transcript to this medi session:
(00:00:00)
my name is dae. i am a meditation guide. i do movement classes and workshops.i work with the nervous system and somatic healing.
and all of these things are going to come together in one way or another in today’s grounding experience.
what we'll do is: i'll give you a little overview of a part of the nervous system that we’re going to chat about. then we’ll get into our body. we’ll do a particular breathwork—it’s called box breathing or square breathing. i’ll give you some insight as we go through it. if you're familiar, we’ll explore that; if it’s new to you, we’ll explore it together. you’re welcome to ask questions or share insights during or after, and we’ll go from there.
all right, so first things first—i am so fascinated by the nervous system. the nervous system is the command center of our body.
it allows for everything happening in the body to function by sending pulses throughout.
it works through systems that inform your organs, muscles, bones, and skeleton to do their jobs.
and by jobs, i don’t mean a “clocking-in” sort of thing; rather, it’s like a community.
community is a word that gets used a lot, but here it means a true sense of,“i’ll help you with this,” or “i know how to do this,” or “let’s lean on this for now.”
we see this in action when we get injured.
for example, if you hurt your left knee, the right side of your body often takes on more weight and responsibility.
it’s a system of holding, supporting, and being with you.
our nervous system has two main parts: the central nervous system - the brain and spinal cord. the peripheral nervous system - everything else, including the limbs and head.
every part of our body connects with the nervous system in some way.
and i’m fascinated because the nervous system literally runs everything in the body.
here’s the thing—we are constantly living in stress.
i was chatting about this with a friend recently.
many years ago, humans faced threats like lions.
our nervous system would decide: fight, flee, or freeze.
but now, it’s like there are lions everywhere—phone calls, traffic, loud noises, the news, online content.
our bodies don’t know how to handle constant, repeated stress.
so we end up living in this state of stress,
which, over time, can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more.
one part of the body is overworking,
another compensates,
and there’s this push and pull within the body’s community.
that’s why we work with the nervous system.
to offer it ease, tending, nourishment, and compassion.
to show the mind and body that it’s okay to relax.
because we’re always running, and that doesn’t allow us to rest.
but rest matters.
rest isn’t just something we do to be productive later.
in fact, resting to improve productivity isn’t ideal.
rest is something we deserve simply because we’re alive.
(00:05:00)
it doesn't have to come at the expense of being good at something or overworking ourselves.
when we offer our nervous system an opportunity to be tended to, cared for, and loved,
we're showing love to all the parts of the community within our body and because of that, we also show up as people with a little more ease, people who can respond to our environment in a more mindful and responsive way rather than reacting.
this creates a ripple effect. not only are we tending to our nervous systems for ourselves and the internal community within,
but also so we can be a community to those around us.
our nervous system takes in information from the external world and from within us. it does so through senses we might already know: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. these help us experience the external world.
but we also have two senses that help us connect to our internal world: interoception and proprioception.
interoception helps us understand responses from our internal organs. it notices sensations and emotions in the subtle body.
fun fact: in tibetan buddhism, the subtle body is seen as the nervous system in modern science.so this understanding of the nervous system isn’t new. it’s wisdom that has existed and held true for years.
while we’re incorporating modern science into this practice,
we can also honor the traditions behind it. interoception is our awareness of internal sensations—like ticklishness, arousal, hunger, or thirst. proprioception, on the other hand, helps us understand our body's position in space.
it’s what lets us navigate the size of our body, move through a room, or adjust to avoid bumping into someone passing by on a sidewalk.
since our nervous system is responsible for picking up this internal and external information, it makes sense that when it's overstimulated or ungrounded, we might misinterpret or struggle with the information we receive.
this can be overwhelming and lead to small mishaps—like bumping into someone—or more heightened experiences, like feeling overly alert while driving.
today, we're going to work on grounding through breathwork.
one of the most effective ways to tend to the nervous system is through meditation and breathwork.
but i encourage you to explore other practices that feel good for you: gardening, journaling, cooking, or any activity that nourishes your nervous system.
(00:10:00)
literally anything that helps you feel connected to your body and mind. it doesn’t have to be meditation—i just like to share meditation, and that’s what we’ll be doing today.
we’ll start with an opening meditation, practice some box breathing - a more structured breathwork technique.
return to meditation, and then close. we’ll be working to strengthen our ability to engage with our internal senses—
interoception and proprioception—throughout.
i’ll invite you now to find a comfortable seated position.
if that doesn’t feel accessible to your body today, you’re welcome to lay down. you can also move throughout the practice if your initial position becomes uncomfortable.
it’s completely fine to change positions—don’t feel stuck in one place just because we started there.take a moment to settle in as i sip some tea.you can gently close your eyes or have a soft gaze out in front of you as we practice today, think about how listening to your body
and tending to its community can send signals about what your nervous system needs to feel safe, easeful, and peaceful.
if you have any expectations about how this practice should look or feel, i encourage you to let them go. there’s no need to add pressure to yourself—our bodies and minds already face enough of that. what would it look like to let that go for the next few minutes?
take any final wiggles out. lift your shoulders up, back, and down to open your chest, allowing for easier oxygen flow.
if seated, find a neutral pelvis position. imagine your belly button lightly connecting to your spine without tucking in your stomach.this is a space where you don’t need to “suck in.”
instead, simply notice and allow your pelvis to rotate to a neutral position.
if you’re seated, place your feet flat on the ground or in a comfortable position if on a cushion. rest your palms wherever feels natural. if you’re lying down, consider keeping your eyes open to stay awake.
for this exercise, you can breathe in and out through your nose unless instructed otherwise. if that’s not comfortable or accessible, exhaling through your mouth is perfectly fine.
inhaling and exhaling through your nose can help focus your breath,
but exhaling through your mouth is soothing and calming for the body. choose what feels right for you.
as you settle into a natural breath without forcing it,
i’ll explain box breathing. box breathing, or square breathing, is a technique to stabilize the nervous system, especially in moments of stress. it’s a versatile tool—you can use it anytime:
during a commute, before or after meals, or even to help you fall asleep.
here’s how it works:
inhale for four counts,
hold for four counts,
exhale for four counts,
hold for four counts.
we’ll start with four counts per side, but if you want to extend the duration, feel free to do so—just ensure all sides remain equal to form the “box.” you can explore what feels right in your body.
(00:15:00)
and if at any time distractions, ideas, or to-do lists come up during this exercise, just acknowledge them. you don’t have to analyze or judge—simply let them be and return your focus to your breath.
we’ll breathe together:
inhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
exhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
let’s keep going:
inhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
exhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
inhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
exhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
inhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
exhale for one, two, three, four.
hold for one, two, three, four.
now, try this at your own pace. if you lose count or skip a hold, that’s okay. settle into your rhythm: inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four again.
if this is your first time, it might feel a little awkward,
and it’s perfectly fine to take a few rounds to get used to the pattern. there’s no need to rush, push, or feel like you’re not “doing it right” if your count isn’t perfectly at four yet.
starting with a shorter count—like two or three—is absolutely okay.
just avoid going too short, as it might create heat in the body,
which isn’t the goal here. we’re focusing on calming the nervous system.
this breathing practice sends signals to the brain through the nervous system. it tells your body whether you’re in a state of stress and need to calm down or if you’re already at a baseline and just want to relax deeper. it’s essentially saying, “we are safe,” and “it’s okay to ease into this moment.”
at first, keeping count might feel a bit uncomfortable.
but over time, as you begin to feel safer and more comfortable in your body,your breath will naturally invite ease. this helps the body communicate more fluidly with the mind.
although we often hear about the “mind-body connection,”
it’s important to remember that they are not separate—they are one.
this practice creates space for your body and mind to share signals, fostering a sense of safety and ease as you listen to the community within.
listening to your body’s signals strengthens that connection,
bringing you into deeper alignment with your nervous system.
this alignment helps you nurture a sense of peace and harmony.
(00:15:00)
And if at any time any distractions or ideas or to-do lists come up during this exercise,all you have to do is acknowledge it. You don't have to analyze it or judge it. Just let it be.Let it do its own thing and return back to your breath with your focus.
so we'll breathe in together for one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
exhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
We'll keep going.
inhale one, two, three four
hold one two three four
exhale one two three four
hold one two three four
inhale one two three four
hold one two, three, four.
exhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
exhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale one, two, three, four
hold one, two, three, four
exhale one, two, three, four
hold one, two, three, four.
and now we can try this at our own pace.
i think I may have skipped a couple holds after an exhale.
but we're going to try this again.
but try this at your own rhythm.
so we're inhaling for four, holding for four, exhale for four, and hold for four again.
and if this is the first time that we've done this, it may feel a little funky, right? so it might take a couple rounds to get a little bit more acquainted with that breathing pattern, and that's okay.
that's completely fine. there's no need to rush it or push it or feel like you're not fully maximizing if you're not even getting to four.
right.
it's perfectly fine to start at two, three. I think one might feel a little exhausting after a little bit might bring up a little bit more heat than it's just opposite. we're trying to calm down our nervous system.
what this breath activity is telling our bodies, right? because our oxygen, our inhale and our exhale signals different part in our brain due to our nervous system. so it's telling our body, “hey,
we're either in a state of stress and we need to calm down”
or we're at a baseline and we're looking to relax a little bit deeper.
and so it's sending signals to our brain saying, hey, we are safe. hey, we can...we are feeling an ease in our breath even if at first it feels a little uncomfortable especially if we're trying to keep on count over time as we feel a little bit more safe a little more comfortable in our body it will send these signals of you know ease of understanding ultimately opening up the space for our
body to communicate with our mind even though they're connected and we often hear in our our world that it's a mind body and connection but they are essentially one um that you're that you're safe that it is safe to explore the signals that your body is sharing with you because as we said as we began listening to the signals of our body is giving us an opportunity to be more in connection with the community of our body the community of our nervous system and help us create that sort of peace and ease.
(00:20:00)
i’ll give you a few more seconds and we'll start at our inhale again and i’ll guide us for a couple of rounds. so together we will inhale for one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four,
exhale one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
exhale one, two, three, four.
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale for one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four,
exhale one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale for one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four,
exhale one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four.
inhale for one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four,
exhale one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four.
last round.
inhale for one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four,
exhale one, two, three, four,
hold one, two, three, four.
and find a natural breath now flowing in and out through your nose or through your mouth if that's what's feeling most comfortable allowing for a natural rhythm that doesn't feel forced just letting it be giving yourselves a few rounds of breath that includes your inhale that brief hold even if that's intentional or not your exhale and that brief hold whether it's intentional or not allow for that cycle to flow through a few times
when you're feeling ready to do so, you can start to invite some movement back into your body, become a little bit more acquainted with your space, noticing the sounds, the colors,
the temperature.
maybe rocking side to side, giving yourself a hug, opening your eyes if you had them closed.
give yourself a few moments, minutes if you can, ideally, before you carry on with your day. thank you so much for joining. i appreciate your patience with me skipping a couple holds.
i hope that wasn't confusing.
good thing everything was in fours. but yeah, i really appreciate you joining.please do feel free to share if anything came up, any ideas that you wanted to share, if there's anything that you're looking forward to me doing in the future, i would be happy to take it into account and to share it with y'all.
alright y'all, have a good one.
Share this post