Overwhelmed or shut down? Your breath may hold the key. Explore the nervous system through the lens of yoga — and tend to yourself with greater care.

A Path to Balance and Resilience

If you’ve ever thought:

“I know my nervous system has something to do with why I feel this way… but I don’t totally get it,” you’re not alone.

The nervous system is incredibly powerful, but let’s be honest — it can be hard to understand.

The science can feel dense. The language can get clinical.

And most of us were never taught how our own bodies actually work — let alone how to support them.

I’ve been there, too. What helped me most was not trying to learning everything, but experiencing it in simple, accessible ways — like noticing how breath changes how I feel in real time.

And that’s where we begin.

What Yoga Taught Me About the Nervous System

In yoga philosophy, the nervous system isn’t explained in clinical terms — it’s described as energy in motion:

• Rajas is the energy of activation. Movement. Drive. Stress. Forward motion.

• Tamas is the energy of rest. Stillness. Heaviness. Withdrawal.

• Sattva is the clarity and steadiness that comes when those energies are in balance.

We all cycle through these states — throughout our day, our week, and our lives.

But sometimes we get stuck and it begins to look like stress, anxiety, depression, or burnout.

If we live in Rajas all day (scrolling, rushing, overcommitted, overthinking)…
Then collapse into Tamas at night (numb, vegged out, heavy, disconnected)…
We'll start to wonder why we don’t feel like ourselves anymore.

This is nervous system dysregulation — but more importantly, it’s a sign that your system is doing its best to protect you.

You’re not broken and there's nothing wrong with. But you are out of your own rhythm.

And your breath can help bring you back.

How Breath and the Nervous System Work Together

Breath is one of the most powerful tools we have for nervous system regulation, it's free and always with you.

Here’s what you really need to know:

• Sympathetic activation (Rajas) → Inhale Breath
  This is the system that energizes you. It helps you rise to a challenge, get things done, move forward. But when overused, it can leave you stuck in overdrive (hello, tension + anxiety).

• Parasympathetic activation (Tamas) → Exhale Breath
  This is your rest-and-digest mode. It helps you slow down, recover, and restore. When supported, it can help you feel grounded, calm, and clear. When out of balance can look and feel like lethargy, burn out or depression.

When we balance the two — we access what yoga calls Sattva: a state of centered, clear, and steady presence.

From Static to Clarity

Imagine tuning an old radio — all you hear is static, interference, and noise.

You make a small adjustment… and the signal clears. The music comes through.

That’s what breath can do for the nervous system.

It doesn’t erase life’s chaos, but it helps you find a clearer signal. But how you breathe matters and that's why I created this 5-day Nervous System and Breath Exploration Journey for you.

🎥 Ready to Explore This Together?

I created a free 5-Day Nervous System Reset Series on YouTube — five short, beginner-friendly practices that combine breath and simple postures to help you reconnect with your body.

Each day focuses on a different part of regulation:

• Awareness

• Vagal Toning (for vagus nerve)

• Energy balance

• Stillness and safety

• Listening and integration

No experience or props needed. Informative, gentle and beginner-friendly.

👉 Watch the full series here

You don’t have to study the nervous system to help yourself feel better, you just have to be open and curious.

Begin with your breath and I’ll meet you there.

Deep Encouragement on your Path,

🤍Mandy

P.S. Whenever you're ready, Home Yoga Therapy can help you in these ways:

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