Life is constantly changing and, in order to survive, we must adapt to what’s going on around us and within us. Any change (positive or negative) can cause varying degrees of stress that can affect us physically, mentally or emotionally.
We perceive our world through the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for the communication to and from every cell, organ and tissue in the body. Stresses placed on the nervous system — whether they are physical, chemical, or emotional in nature — can show up as obstructions in a person’s spine. I know you’re thinking “really, my worries can show up in my spine?!” Think of a time when you received some unfortunate news, what happened to your body? Most likely you forgot to breathe, the tension in your shoulders increased and your head drooped forward as you tried to process the information given to you. Every time we process information our nervous system (located in the spine) is involved.
As we maneuver through life, we must adapt to, and accommodate, the events that we encounter. Our brain must interpret the information and activate the body to respond accordingly. When an event occurs that our brain decides is “not safe” for us to fully experience, the energy and information of that event is stored in the body as tension. Over time that tension can result in muscular tightness, spinal distortion, reduced range of movement and reduced breath in that area.
Your body and your brain communicate with each other via the nervous system located in the spine. Interference in this communication (NeuroStructural Dysfunction) can lead to conditions or symptoms that can affect your health and wellbeing. When your body and brain are not communicating optimally it can impact you both in the way you feel and what you feel. When there is NeuroStructual Dysfunction, you may experience physical pain or tension, anxiety, low energy or overwhelm. Donald Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis, says that “pain or disease arises when the body does not have enough energy to make adaptive change”. When you are unable to adapt to or to make the changes necessary for you to remain in your circumstance it is interpreted as a stress. If the stress is great enough, our nervous system will initiate a physical response.
In an interview published in Positive Health Magazine, Dr. Donald Epstein explains: “This is a very real thing — anyone who is at the crossroads of life, physically, emotionally or spiritually, or anyone who cannot get further than they were before, needs Network care to help their brain to move from stress physiology which results in a person’s structure being fixed in defence posture. In fact most of us remain in defence mode throughout our lives and this can retard the higher, more evolved area of the brain from developing its unique properties and evolving new strategies for experiencing and responding to life. There are many people whose vertebrae, ligaments and tissues are locked into stress patterns, creating so much tension, that their focus in life is just getting through another day! Network care allows the brain to move from the stress physiology into safety.”
At BodyMind Wellness Studio we address NeuroStructural Dysfunction with Network Spinal Analysis, using light touches at specific vertebral segments to ease tension within the spinal cord. The brain becomes aware of the tension within the joints and muscles and initiates greater movement and deeper breath allowing for a release. Over time the body learns how to develop strategies to self-regulate and remembers how to heal. Releasing tension within the nervous system allows for optimal functioning both mentally and physically. When the body and brain are communicating optimally it makes it easier to adapt when life is calling us to make necessary changes.
“When faced with the unfamiliar we can become uncomfortable and retreat or we can allow that discomfort to show us where we need to grow.”
Copyright 2022 Dr. Julie Doobay
