The body leads
In our work together, our intention is to restore core autonomic nervous system regulation. Self-regulation, or really, emotional regulation is the underlying capacity that we build, and it is through this regulation that we pursue our motivations. This is a regulation of energy in the body. We neither want to be stuck in a state of hyper-arousal, nor stuck in a state of low-tone or shut down. We want to find a calm alertness in between extremes, and that is a major aspect of SE.
The videos on this site are nervous system exercises to help you incorporate moments of calm vitality into your life. Look for subtle changes. Small change is often good in this work, because too big of a change can overwhelm the system.
When an animal is unable to fight or flee, it freezes and is either eaten or left in this tonic state of immobility. When it recognizes it is safe, it comes out of this state with tremors and shaking — a cascade of held energy that resembles the thrashing, running, or biting it might have done. Humans, however, often have to dampen our impulses to fight or flee in order to get through the day. The freeze state in humans is also one that takes time to complete, and we often do not allow the body to find its way out of a freeze state.
Discharging held protective energy and is another aspect of SE.