Engage with NATURE to NURTURE!

Our Autonomic Nervous System is designed to keep us safe and alive. It includes two main branches, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.

Ideally, we are in a state of rest and safety where our nervous system is at ease and we can connect, this is referred to as a ventral vagal state. From this state, if we sense danger, real or perceived, our sympathetic branch can trigger us into a state of activation, preparing us for fight or flight. If we sense this will not be successful in keeping us safe, we may shift into a dorsal vagal, parasympathetic state of collapse, shutdown, or dissociation. All of this happens automatically, below our level of perception throughout the day. Ideally, this system works smoothly, and we can engage in a life well lived.

For many of us for difference reasons, this is not the case, we spend much of our time depressed, anxious, stressed, or disconnected in either a sympathetic state of activation or a dorsal vagal state of collapse.

One way to intervene and nurture our Autonomic Nervous System is through spending time in nature. Time in nature reduces stress, improves well-being, and moves us into a ventral vagal state where we can connect with others. Come engage with nature at Willow River State Park 10/10/21 GROUP HIKE TO CONNECT and 11/13/21 GROUP HIKE TO CONNECT. Would love to see you out! 

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Dana, D. (2018). The polyvagal theory in therapy: Engaging the rhythm of regulation.