Why you have to settle your nervous system first

I vividly remember the exact moment when I realised that I was not my thoughts.

I was getting help for my insomnia and someone skilfully pointed out that I was trapped by my thinking mind, while innocently overlooking my observing mind.

The realisation hit me round the face like a brick through a window.

I had been handed a key to escape the prison of my mind, and thereafter I have always had the means to escape whenever I feel trapped.

A recognition like this can be literally life-changing, and it certainly was for me.

But I’ve come to realise that insight alone is not always enough.

While a shift in perspective can be transformative, making the most of it requires a body that feels safe.

If our bodies remain locked in tension and anxiety, even the most profound realisations can be limited.

I have done all sorts in my life to calm my physiology down, from bodywork to psychedelics, and everything has played a valuable part.

However, there is one thing that has had a bigger impact in a shorter amount of time than anything else, and it is this: