Blog Posts
Exploring the Emotional Causes of Neck Pain and the Healing Power of Nervous System-Based Body Work
Unraveling the Knots:
Neck pain is a common ailment that many of us experience at some point in our lives. While physical factors like poor posture and muscle strain are often attributed to this discomfort, the emotional aspects of neck pain are frequently overlooked. This week, we will delve into the emotional causes of neck pain and explore how nervous system-based body work can offer a holistic approach to healing.
The Mind-Body Connection
The connection between our emotions and physical well-being is a complex and intricate web. Stress, anxiety, and unresolved emotions can manifest physically, often targeting areas like the neck and shoulders. The mind-body connection is a powerful force, and acknowledging its role in our physical health is crucial for comprehensive healing.
Emotional Causes of Neck Pain
Stress and Tension: Chronic stress can lead to muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulder area. The neck and shoulders are a common place for emotions like overwhelm, carrying the weight of the world, or feeling unsupported. The neck can also hold tension when we’re not freely expressing ourselves, or are being overly rigid or scarce in any aspect of life. When this stress is prolonged, our bodies tend to build on tension, creating knots and stiffness in the muscles and can lead to disfunction or degeneration of these areas.
Anxiety and Worry: Anxiety and worry can contribute to the tightening of neck muscles. The constant mental strain can result in physical discomfort, with the neck being a common area where this tension manifests.
Unresolved Trauma: Past traumas or unresolved emotional issues may be stored in the body, affecting our posture and muscle tension. The neck, being a vulnerable and sensitive area due to being our center of expression and connection with the flow of life, can become a physical manifestation of emotional pain.
Nervous System-Based Body Work: A Holistic Approach
Nervous system-based body work focuses on regulating and balancing the autonomic nervous system, which plays a significant role in both our emotional and physical well-being. Techniques such as nervous system integration, somatic experiencing, and craniosacral therapy, target the nervous system to release tension and promote healing.
Nervous System Integration: This gentle, nervous system-centered approach focuses on balancing the bio-energetics of the nervous system by bringing light touch into areas of tension or stored stress and trauma to facilitate healing and re-integration of those stored stressors. This frees up energy which is used by the body for healing, for more bandwidth and adaptability, as well as relieves tension patterns throughout the body.
Somatic Experiencing: Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, somatic experiencing is a therapeutic approach that aims to release stored trauma and stress from the body. Practitioners guide individuals through a process of body awareness, helping them release tension and restore balance to the nervous system.
Craniosacral Therapy: This gentle, hands-on therapy focuses on the craniosacral system, which includes the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. By releasing restrictions in this system, craniosacral therapy promotes relaxation and encourages the body's natural healing abilities.
The Integrative Approach
To address neck pain comprehensively, an integrative approach that combines nervous system-based body work with other healing modalities is often beneficial. Practices such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and psychotherapy can further support emotional well-being and enhance the effectiveness of body work.
Understanding the emotional causes of neck pain is a crucial step toward holistic healing. Nervous system-based body work offers a unique and effective approach by addressing the root of the issue—balancing the nervous system. By acknowledging the mind-body connection and embracing a comprehensive approach to well-being, individuals can pave the way for lasting relief and a healthier, more harmonious life.
How to expand beyond your current state,
As we approach the holidays and the end of this year, I invite you to pause and notice what is alive for you right now?
Are there any charged emotions or states that you're currently experiencing?
Some will feel behind, there's still so many check boxes to tick. Some are already hanging out anxiously in 2024. Some feel overwhelmed by holiday chaos. Some feel frustrated that they didn't "get further" this year.
Whatever the state is can you slow down for one moment to fully feel it? To breathe it into every cell, and exhale sighing out, letting go. Can you trust that this is exactly where you are menat to be? Repeat a couple of times, allowing that charged energy to dissipate.
When we converge on one emotion, thought or feeling we're rehearsing one note of an entire song. We're practicing "feeling stuck" unconsciously replaying the same state on repeat. Regulation is the act of moving from stress back into balance, dancing between these states over and over again.
In order to expand beyond our present state, we first must acknowledge it, and feel it.
From there, we can practice opening our perceptual lens, and practicing movement. Now, take a 10,000 ft view at your life, from a greater perspective can you see what's going well in your life? Can you feel some different emotions present? If you felt contracted before, can you feel an expansive emotion, and vice versa? When we can make space to feel both contraction and expansion; when we can pivot between the two emotions we build resilience and flexibility within the nervous system. Our ability to regulate in any moment grows. We can more easily move out of fight/fight/freeze or fawn back into calm and connected.
Practice moving between these two feelings or states. Feel everything from the posture in your body in each state, to the quality of your thoughts, emotions, and physical tension or openness.
This practice is teaching your nervous system to expand out of it's current state, but to also practice fluid flow between states. A necessary skill for optimal living.
Thank you to those that came to our community appreciation afternoon, I had such a lovely time with you all and hope it brought you a sense of calm, connection, and clarity! I would love to hear what other community events you'd like to see in the new year.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
Add a layer of comfort,
I hope that you had a wonderful thanksgiving week.
I know there are varied feelings around the holidays from neutral, to blissful, to chaotic. Each year may vary, and each feeling is valid, and an invitation to reflect on what is arising in your life.
As this year comes closer to a close, I hope that you take some time to reflect on what was worth celebrating, what opened your heart, what was unexpected, what you learned, and what you were proud of.
I hope that you have a moment to slow down, quiet the outer noise, to ground into the stillness of this season inviting us to reflect inwardly.
From there, I hope you can hear your intuition, I hope you can tap into creativity and what you truly desire. I hope you move forward with trust for the unfolding of your life, and integrate what's arising.
Please join us this Sunday, for our community appreciation day! Clients and email community are welcome to slow down, reflect, and create together on Sunday, December 3rd, 1-4pm.
If you are having a hard time slowing down, processing what's arising, or tapping into your intuition. As one of my mentors says, "can you add a layer of comfort?" This layer of comfort will help to signal safety in your nervous system so that you have more bandwidth for life.
Some examples of a layer of comfort:
Put on a blanket, or cozy slippers.
Make yourself a cup of tea, or a soothing bath.
Receive physical touch, body work, or converse with a safe friend or loved one.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
Holiday peace
My guess is that your inbox is flooding with emails announcing sales, and your calendar is feeling full as the holiday season is afoot.
Are you feeling the pressure to rush, to get more done, or overwhelmed by the flow of this season? Or have you been able to slow down, and tap into the bliss of the season?
There's no right or wrong answer.
Take a moment to check in with yourself, and ask yourself the following questions:
How am I feeling?
What's contributing to how I am feeling?
How do I want to feel?
What can I do or who can I be to contribute to how I want to feel?
Some of my favorite practices for this time of year:
💜 Condense my email list and social media following or time I allow on these platforms.
💜 Create intentional time to focus on what I appreciate and what I am grateful for. List it, say it in my mind, feel it.
💜 Take list of my needs before I spend time with family. Do I know I need alone time to read, mediate, walk, or re-center? Schedule it in, like I would an important appointment.
💜 During these darker months, I really prioritize connecting with my inner world and connection to spirit through meditation, journaling, and self-discovery books.
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If you are local, please check out our community appreciation day below! Clients and email community are welcome to create peace and connect with your body, mind, and soul on Sunday, December 3rd, 1-4pm.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
My tips for a harmonious day
Creating harmony in the moment,
Ever been on your phone or computer and shocked by how many tabs you have opened at once? Maybe you've just been moving from one thing to the next. Or you were juggling many tasks at once, when you noticed how many tabs were open you felt chaotic, overwhelmed, or even judged yourself!
I've been there, it's all good, my friend.
Our nervous systems are our internal processing systems and are repeatedly taking in new information, and "opening new tabs" until that information gets processed and integrated.
One "tab" could be the fear you felt when you heard the news that day. Another "tab" could be the emotions you're still processing about witnessing your partner's reaction to a stressful day. And yet another "tab" may be your own negative self chatter, judging your behavior.
You may not even notice all of the "tabs" open until they're overwhelming, or *insert other frequent emotion you experience.*
This is your body's version of a "check engine light," expressing through emotion, tension or symptoms, that you've departed from homeostasis and are building on stress & tension.
So how do we close the "tabs?"
Just like the time it takes to physically close the tabs on your computer, we insert the intentional time to express, process, and integrate the experiences that build on throughout our days.
Some examples of this:
- After you experience something emotional or heavy, close your eyes for a few moments. Connect with something stable & steady, your breath, an imagined tree in your favorite nature spot, or gravity and just stay here a few moments. If emotions come up, let them move through you like waves, tears are a wonderful sign of release.
- Pause and give yourself a hug during your day. Or squeeze each finger tip on your hands, up your arms and to your shoulders. Touch help to calm us and bring us into a state where we can process.
- Nervous system integration sessions are specifically designed to help you process and integrate the physical, mental, & emotional stress and tension that's built on a daily basis, and to re-pattern the deeper core patterns that build on over a lifetime.
- In bed at the end of your day, feeling safe, held, and comfortable in your bed reflect through a lens of gratitude on everything that day from highs to lows. Lows are opportunities, to grow, learn and align yourself more fully with who you are meant to be.
Let me know which is your favorite xx
Is it a breakdown or a breakthrough?
Is it a breakdown or a breakthrough?
If you've ever put in the time, energy, and intention into your healing and still felt hopeless, this one is for you.
We live in a world where we are marketed quick fixes every single day, and a land where dopamine hits are always within reach. When you decide you want to get well, or you want to change something about yourself, or to stop settling, you expect it to happen overnight and you expect it to feel good.
There is nothing wrong with these expectations, it's just that when you start to see where those ideas and expectations come from it can help you open up to see what this whole healing journey is really about.
Healing is remembering your wholeness, it's dis-covering the layers of beliefs, perceptions, of tension that's been keeping you living for someone or something else other than your authentic self. It's shaking off the shell of fear that you've been living under, and embracing your hearts desires because you are inherently worthy of them.
Healing is complex, layered, and *the quick fix mentality in you may not want to hear it* but it's a life long endeavor to walk the path of self dis-covery, to keep your heart open, and to choose to bring your best self forward.
All that being said to remind you that if you've been putting in the energy, effort, and intention (which I know you have been) that energy is on it's way back to you. Life supports life. When you make a choice to support your life force and you start to walk in the direction of who you are here to become, the old energy of yesterday is being freed up to recirculated in your direction, and life will always support you with everything you need.
Sometimes it just takes longer than you expect, and almost always it looks different than you imagined, in the best way of course ;)
All aboard! Breakthroughs ahead <3
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
So what's the heart of life?
Here you are, just opening this email for a little inspiration.. when woosh! A wave of overwhelm washes over you, you've been plugging away at home on a work project for the last few days and you completely forgot you have company coming. They'll arrive tomorrow! A wave of panic has you jumping from one thing to another, feeling frazzled by the time they arrive, and exhausted by the time they leave.
Now, breathe in and release a deep exhale.
It's really common to live in a reactive place to life, to feel overwhelmed by all that's coming at you, and to feel disconnected.
But there is so much more to the spectrum of living.
Heart of life was born out of a vision of living in a world where more folks feel more connected more of the time, more folks recognize their wholeness, more folks are kind and loving, and more folks feel alive and present.
The heart of life I'm talking about is a place or space within yourself where you feel connected, a feeling that only you can define, one of your true authentic essence. When you are tethered to your heart of life, you move with ease. Instead of reacting to the world around you, you respond in a compassionate way. You give yourself grace, when you forget, you put off, or disconnect. You know that where you are now is just a step on your journey to becoming more whole.
No matter where you are in connection to your heart of life, you are seen, you are appreciated, and you are welcome here.
If you are local, please check out my save the date below, I am thrilled to invite you to an in-person community appreciation day! All are welcome to uncover, steep in, and connect with their heart of life.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
Is your bandwidth limited or abundant
Taking inventory on your bandwidth,
Your nervous system's bandwidth is your capacity to process life in the moment. Experiences within that bandwidth you have the capacity, and the resources to digest, to make sense of, to grow from. Experiences outside of that bandwidth, you did not have the capacity or resources to fully process in that moment so your brilliant body holds onto that information in your nervous system, with the intention of processing it with rest, time, or movement.
On a day to day basis your bandwidth will vary. Based on life's curveballs and experiences, as well as your baseline or set point (where your nervous system is comfortable, or feels safe).
Where is your bandwidth?
Can you identify a time in your life where you had a lot of capacity for life?
Can you identify a time in your life where you had little capacity for life?
Where do you fall on that spectrum today?
Which way are you trending?
There is not right or wrong here. There are seasons of life, and periods of growth, and I truly believe that it is all happening in your favor.
These are some general guidelines that I follow to live in harmony with my body and my bandwidth and to trend towards optimal in the life long game.
When your bandwidth is limited:
Sleep, hydration, and focusing on processing and integration are the KEY! These are simple foundational pieces that will get you far. The more they are prioritized, the quicker I tend to see folks expanding back into a more spacious and adaptable bandwidth.
When your bandwidth is abundant:
This is the optimal time to try something new, to challenge yourself physically, mentally or emotionally. It's also a time for deeper integration in a proactive way (inner healing that happens without a stimulus or trigger).
Do you find yourself working with your biology, or against it? Let me know what lands most with you!
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
For when you're feeling triggered
Peace with the pieces,
You are as multi-faceted as a diamond.
You have an array of varying passions, skills, characteristics, and qualities that make you, you. There are certain aspects of yourself that are more accepted by others, and serve us both personally and professionally, and there are other aspects that we subconsciously hide from the world around us.
These parts of ourself get repressed; the anger or frustration that we don't want to show around our kids, the grief that's inappropriate during the work day, the need to move at a different pace that we do not want to be perceived as laziness.
It's usually when these bottle up, or get pointed out by someone else that we can get triggered and feel like a mess.
The thing is that we all have these aspects, and when we get triggered we can choose to stuff them back down and act out of fear of being judged or dis-liked, or we can frame this as an opportunity to integrate these parts of ourself. The latter allows us to move into more wholeness, to feel all that it is to be human, to love and accept, and ultimately make peace with the pieces of ourselves.
A few simple practices to make peace with the parts of yourself that you may feel separate from:
Signal safety within your nervous system. Dis-covering repressed parts of ourselves can lead to feeling triggered, fear of judgement, and unsafe. You can signal safety by breathing in a square breath pattern, by feeling the steady force of gravity beneath you, or by shaking your whole body (much like an animal would shake off after stress).
Extend loving words to yourself. The Ho'oponopono prayer is a powerful practice that I revisit often. Reciting these words and feeling them land in your heart, "Thank you. I am sorry. I forgive you. I love you."
Reflect on & support your younger self. The foundation of our patterns is set in the first 7 years of our lives. Close your eyes and connect with a version of you that is 7 or younger and is feeling similar to how you are feeling, and ask yourself: "what did they need to hear to feel safe?" "what was this version of me longing for from a parent, supportive figure, or friend?" With your eyes closed, let the adult you give this to that version of you. Let them feel safe, held, seen, and watch what unfolds.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica
A conscious reset,
We just returned from a relaxing weekend in the perfect fall destination.
There is something to be said about intentional time set aside, spent outside of your everyday environment, with supportive, loving community, cultivating relaxation.
I am a person that loves their alone time, and yet I've found that one of the quickest ways to get into a heightened emotional state is to really hone in on the aspect of supportive community. We are not in this alone, and we do not have to do this alone, even if we are used to it! Appreciating the company of another, and being in the elevated field of another expands our own capacity (to be kind to ourselves, to breath deeper, to set aside our worries).
That's one of the reasons I started offering Creating Coherence as a monthly gathering. I felt the need for a simple and accessible 'retreat' from our everyday lives, and the presence from us getting together left me inspired for days.
I am inviting you to our last monthly gathering of the year this Thursday, details below. In the new year I plan to introduce a new series (both virtual and in-person) that will support us even deeper on our paths to optimal living.
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In gratitude & good health,
Dr. Jessica