Greetings, Reader!

I met a new client this week (who we'll call Jill) who has been living under the shadow of chronic pain and fatigue for years. She said that she feels like she is living in a permanent fog that is so dense that she feels lost in space.

Jill got teary when she shared that she used to be a funny, engaging person, and now she doesn't even recognize herself.

She feels like her true self has been replaced by a stranger who is too tired to engage, too overwhelmed to be present, and too guarded to connect.

Jill expressed deep grief over the way her condition has changed her personality, and she longs for the day when she can feel like herself again.

Listening to Jill share her story reminded me of Resmaa Menakem, who wrote, "Trauma decontextualized in a person looks like personality."

When your body lives in a state of high alert, you naturally contract. The behaviors you might judge yourself for, such as being overly rigid or too easygoing, over functioning or procrastinating to manage chaos, self-isolating to save energy, or shutting down when things get hard, aren't personality quirks, they are survival strategies. Your nervous system is simply trying to keep you safe.

You are an amazing human, and the world needs your gifts Reader. I want you to be so supported and resourced that you can be unabashedly yourself and you can live your life fully.

I don't want you to just survive, I want you to thrive.

Safety is the love language of the nervous system. When the nervous system feels safe, you can engage with the world from a place of presence rather than protection.

When the capacity of the nervous system expands:

• You feel more present and curious.
• You become more patient, and aren't as easily rattled.
• You are able to feel your feelings without shutting down or revving up.
• Pain is harder to activate.
• You can think more clearly, and you don't get so easily overwhelmed by options, ambiguity, or challenge.
• You recover from stress faster.
• You no longer feel stuck or shutdown.
• You can be your true self.

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These shifts aren't personality changes; they are what becomes possible when your nervous system feels safe. ​
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I'm leading a workshop tonight at Kula Yoga in South Burlington, VT that is designed to help you shift out of protection mode and find your way back to yourself. Through simple, guided practices, you will:

• Develop a simple way to assess your nervous system's capacity.
• Learn how to shape the way your nervous system perceives the world so you feel safe in your body again.
• Develop a toolkit of daily practices to reduce stress signals and expand your nervous system's capacity so you experience less pain and more freedom.

The Details:

Where: Kula Yoga, South Burlington, VT

When: Tonight from 6:00 - 7:30 pm!

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I'm really excited about this workshop, and hope you can join me!

In love and solidarity,

Rachel Doctor of Physical Therapy & Integrative Pain Specialist Build a resilient nervous system to help you flow through the seasons of your life with courage, wisdom, and compassion.

PS: If this resonated with you, but you aren't able to join the workshop,schedule a free Nervous System Attunement Strategy Session. You'll get clear on what your nervous system needs and what is keeping you stuck, and we can develop a customized plan tailored to your unique nervous system to help you feel like yourself again.

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Invitations to Work Together Practice Qigong with me online to boost your nervous system's resilience. Unwind tension in your nervous system with CranioSacral Therapy. Rewire your nervous system in my upcoming Break the Pain Cycle program. Schedule a FREE Nervous System Attunement Strategy Session.​