From Ailey Jolie, a psychotherapist blending the principles of depth psychology, relational somatics, intersectional feminism, and interpersonal neurobiology. Re-posted from Substack here.

There is a dangerous misunderstanding circulating in the wellness world right now. Nervous system regulation has become a catchphrase; casually tossed into conversations and stamped onto nearly every offering in the self-help space. In every corner of wellness, we are taught that if we breathe deeply enough, ground consistently enough, and meditate just a little longer, we will be able to meet every hard and harsh moment life throws our way with serene neutrality. I want you to know: this isn’t true.

Beneath this false promise lies something far more insidious. In our rush to self-soothe, we risk severing ourselves from something sacred; the body’s instinctive knowing. True somatic work was never intended to make us endlessly calm. It was designed to return us to right relationship; with ourselves, with the world, and with the irreducible wisdom that lives within sensation.

That wisdom does not always whisper ‘be still’. Sometimes, it says this is intolerable. And sometimes, it demands that we rise.