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When life feels overwhelming, and the weight of past trauma lingers, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your own body and mind. I’ve been there too. But here’s the truth: your nervous system is incredibly adaptable. It can learn to bounce back, to find calm amid chaos, and to build resilience. This journey isn’t about rushing or forcing change. It’s about gentle, consistent care. Together, let’s explore some powerful techniques for nervous system resilience that can help you

Part Three Understanding why joy can feel difficult, and learning how capacity gently expands, lays important groundwork. But healing doesn’t happen through understanding alone. The body needs experience. This is where yoga and somatic practices become so powerful — not just for processing trauma, but for increasing our capacity to hold both stress and joy. Trauma research has shown us that trauma lives in the body, not just the story we tell about it. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

PART TWO How Do I Make Space for Joy Without Forcing It? A trauma-informed reflection on pacing, presence, and trust. Once you begin to recognize why joy has felt difficult, another question often emerges, if joy doesn’t come naturally, how do I meet it without pushing myself past my edge? For many people, the desire for joy is already there. What’s missing isn’t motivation or effort — it’s trust. Trust that the body can stay with something good without needing to brace, mana

I recently wrote a post about New Year’s resolutions and how the nervous system doesn’t heal on a deadline. As I was writing it, I realized I wanted to expand on that thought a little more. This time of year really is a natural time to reflect. Not to fix anything. Not to pressure ourselves into becoming someone new. But to notice. And as I sat with that idea, it got me thinking about the patterns we carry — not just from our own lives, but from the generations before us. Whe

–––––––––––––––––– PART ONE –––––––––––––––––– Why Is Joy Hard for Me? A trauma-informed exploration of joy, safety, and the nervous system If you’ve ever noticed yourself feeling uncomfortable in moments that are supposed to feel good—moments of happiness, connection, ease, or joy—you’re not alone. For many people with a history of trauma, joy can feel unfamiliar, fleeting, or even unsafe. Sometimes it shows up as anxiety when things are going well. Sometimes it’s a subtle s

I attended a winter solstice/restorative yoga practice recently, and it was one of those experiences that you want to share because it was so amazing. Everything about it invited slowing down the pace, the breath, the way we were encouraged to rest instead of strive. Winter has a way of asking that of us if we’re willing to listen. One of the practices we were guided through felt especially meaningful, and I wanted to share it here in case it resonates with you too. It’s a 13

Healing isn’t something we do to ourselves. It’s something we allow-slowly, gently, and with compassion. At Rooted to Rise, the work I offer is rooted in one core truth: your body holds your story, and your nervous system leads the way. So many people come into this space feeling stuck-not because they haven’t tried hard enough, but because they’ve been trying to heal from the mind alone. Insight, understanding, and willpower matter… but they are only part of the picture. Tr

One of the biggest misconceptions about healing is the belief that, if you do enough work, the pain will eventually disappear. That there is a timeline you should be following. A moment you reach where everything finally feels resolved, calm, and untouched by what you've been through. Many people enter healing hoping to arrive at a place where triggers no longer exist-where reactions stop, emotions don't spike, and the past no longer finds its way into the present. And when t

In my own healing and in the work that I do with clients, I've learned something that changed everything. You can't think your way out of a dysregulated nervous system. You can't talk your way out of stored survival patterns. And you definitely can't use the mind to fix issues that were created long before the mind had language. Somatic work invites us to go somewhere deeper. If you're only addressing the mind, the thoughts, the stories, the spirals, you're only touching the

Letting go of what we can’t control makes space for peace, presence, and power to grow. (And what it means to take responsibility for us) Life can feel unpredictable and overwhelming at times. We all experience things we didn’t choose like pain, loss, betrayal, or circumstances that were never fair. But even when we can’t control what happened, we can take responsibility for how we move forward. Taking responsibility for ourselves isn’t about blame or perfection. It’s about o

Emotional regulation might seem complex or dull, but essentially, it's about handling your emotions healthily. To demystify this, let's...

The start of a new year offers a unique opportunity for reflection and goal setting. As we close the chapter on the past twelve months, we can unlock new possibilities and emerge empowered with a transformative mindset. Why not tap into that potential this year and unleash your inner superpower by adopting a fresh outlook? In this post, we will explore the significance of mindset, practical steps to nurture a positive perspective, and how to implement lasting changes in your