Why Your Nervous System is a Story, Not a Problem

There is a lot of noise right now about "fixing" or "hacking" the nervous system... but from a somatic and PPN (Pre- and Peri-natal) perspective, your nervous system isn't a problem to be solved. It is the most sophisticated, biological intelligence on the planet. It is a living story.

This story didn't begin with you... it is a long, ancestral epic passed down through your lineage that found a unique new expression in the fluid of your mother's womb. Every nervous system carries the "chapters" of those who came before - their survival, their resilience, and their capacity for love.

The Shimmering Tree

If you could see your nervous system clearly, you would see it extends far beyond your brain and spine. It is a shimmering, silver-threaded tree that reaches into every millimetre of your being. To me, it looks like a mycelial network... those vast, underground fungal webs that allow a forest to communicate, share nutrients, and protect the whole.

If you’ve ever seen the film Avatar, you might remember how the characters "plug in" to the glowing roots of the Mother Tree to listen to the memories of their ancestors and feel the pulse of the forest. This isn't just science fiction; it is a beautiful metaphor for our biological reality. Your nervous system is your sensory interface with life. It is constantly "tasting" the atmosphere around you, sensing safety or shifts in the field long before your logical mind has a word for it. You are never a solitary island... you are part of a pulsing network of information.

When the System "Flares"

Many of us use the word "triggered" to describe those moments when our heart races, our gut tightens, or we feel a sudden urge to hide. I sometimes prefer to call these moments "flares." When your system flares, it isn't a glitch. It is your internal mycelium sensing something in the field that reminds it of an old, unfinished chapter.

In somatic work, we understand that trauma is often an experience that happened too fast, too soon, or with too much intensity for us to process at the time. A "trigger" is actually your nervous system trying to bring that data back to the surface so it can finally be "digested" and integrated. It’s an act of intelligence, not a failure.

The Wisdom of Dysregulation

We have been culturally trained to ignore the subtle signals of our biology. We were taught to override our "no," to push through exhaustion, or to stay "polite" even when our system was sensing something was off. When we live in a state of chronic "high-alert" (dysregulation), it isn't because our nervous system is broken... it’s because it is working overtime to protect a story that hasn't been heard yet.

The nervous system is persistent. If we miss the subtle whisper - a slight tension, a fleeting thought - the body eventually has to shout (chronic pain, anxiety, or deep exhaustion) to get our attention.

Befriending your system means slowing down enough to hear the whispers again. This brings us to true regulation. It is often misunderstood as just "being calm," but true regulation - the kind that allows us to feel alive - is the ability to stay connected. It is the capacity to stay present with yourself, with others, and with the world, even when things are difficult. It is a state of fluidity... where you are neither a rigid boulder nor a chaotic storm, but a living, flexible part of the forest. Regulation is also deeply relational… Just as the forest floor thrives because of the shared warmth of the mycelium, our systems settle most deeply when they are in the presence of another safe, "held" field.

Slowing Down to the Speed of the Body

To move from "suppressing" to "befriending," we need to slow down. Our cognitive minds move at the speed of light, but our nervous systems move at the speed of the earth.

In the PPN world, we talk about slowing down to the speed of the body. Just as the mycelium doesn't rush the spring, your nervous system can’t be rushed into feeling safe. It requires a "held field” - a safe base - to begin the slow process of uncurling. Like a fern frond or a new sprout, your nervous system cannot be forced into bloom... it needs the right conditions to unfold at its own pace.

The Ancestral V: The Living Roots of Support

In considering that your nervous system is a long epic passed down through your lineage... it is important to remember that you are a "success story" that spans generations.

Think of your nervous system as a continuation of a much older mycelial web. You carry the physical imprints of your lineage - their triumphs, their survival strategies, and their capacity for deep rest. When we feel overwhelmed or "thin-skinned," it is often because we feel like a solitary sprout trying to survive a winter gale.

I often invite clients to imagine an Ancestral V standing at their back. For some, this is a line of known family. For others - especially those with difficult or traumatic histories - this is a connection to the biological lineage of resilience. For you to be standing here today, it took the success of every ancestor before you. We are here because of the "love of thousands."

(I often listen to the song 'Nana' by Simrit when I need to bring this sense home to my own body; it captures that feeling of being held by an ocean of lineage.)

Imagine this wide, supportive "V" standing behind your heart. This is your Sovereign Throne. Feel it specifically behind your shoulder blades, supporting your spine. This allows your sternum and heart - the seat of your sovereignty - to soften and open, knowing its back is covered. When you lean back into that field of support - even just a fraction of an inch - your nervous system receives a new signal: I am not the only one holding this. You don't have to "do" the regulation; you allow yourself to be regulated by the field, leaning into a strength that is much older than your current stress.

Tending the First Stirring

I invite you to stop trying to "fix" your system and start simply tending it. If you find yourself in a "flare," or just feeling the rush of the world, try this gentle sequence... it’s not about doing it "right," it’s just about being here:

• Acknowledge the Story: Pause and say to yourself, "My system is sensing something important right now." This tiny shift moves you from being a "victim" of the trigger to being a witness to your own shimmering tree.

• Lean back and Land: Imagine that wide "V" of support behind you... the love of thousands standing at your shoulder blades. As you lean into that field, let yourself find your heels. Notice the weight of your feet and the rhythm of your own pulse... letting the speed of the body take over from the speed of the clock.

• Notice the Sprouts: As you settle, you might feel tiny, micro-impulses... a flicker in your fingers, a sigh in your chest, or a quiet thrum. These are the incipient movements - the sprouts of your next chapter. You don’t have to do anything with them yet... just breathe, and acknowledge that they are there.

A Sovereign Blessing

May you give yourself permission to be a "slow sprout" in your own timing.

May you trust the silver-threaded wisdom of your nerves, and the deep, mycelial reach of your own heart. When the world asks you to rush, may you remember the forest at your back, and the love of thousands that carries you into this new light.

Invitation to Connect

If these reflections on the nervous system and the "first stirring" resonate with you, I invite you to join me in a more held, relational space:

• 1:1 Somatic Support: For a deep, personal tending of your system’s unique story.

• The May Womb Surround: A four-day immersion into the "deep earth" of our earliest imprints, held in the safety of a small, supportive collective.

Learn more about working with me

© Fayenen, Feb 2026. All rights reserved.