The nervous systems of our reptile ancestors had one of two ways to find safety: fight/fight, or freeze. Our mammal ancestors evolved a beautiful innovation: connectedness. We human mammals are wired to detect safety in connection to others. When secure connection is present, the nervous system signals the body to calmly proceed with digestion and healing and learning. When this connection is missing or threatened, our mammal nervous system is likely to trigger a fear signal. And when that signal is chronic, as is so often and sadly the case, depression and/or anxiety can be natural consequences. And our nervous system gets stuck in home-away-from-home stress setting.
Our challenge: restore the calm setting that is the true home base of our autonomic nervous system. That we do through the regular experience of connectedness, to safe others, and to our interior.
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