Mind-body practices that support nervous system regulation
- Ilke de Lange
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
This blog comes from Ilke de Lange who discusses techniques we can use to support our nervous system on our mind-body recovery journeys (and beyond!).
Stress is something we all experience: it’s part of life. Whether it’s work deadlines, family responsibilities, a lengthy to-do list or unexpected challenges, our bodies react automatically to perceived threats.
Although stress can feel like a burden, it has an important function. It prepares us for fight or flight (so that we can protect ourselves from danger). This survival mode is also called the sympathetic response of the (autonomic) nervous system.
However, stress can become harmful and can manifest as physical symptoms, when we are not able to turn off the fight-flight response.
For all these reasons, it’s important to learn how to support ourselves through stress – and gently guide the nervous system back towards regulation.
The good news is that our bodies have a built-in brake: the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system! This part of the nervous system is often referred to as ‘rest and digest’ mode. Activating this state can help soothe your nervous system. In this blog, we’ll discuss evidence-based ways to engage the parasympathetic state to help you gently return to regulation.
But before we explore techniques, an important note about regulation….
As mentioned above, the stress response is an important biological rection. This natural response to the world around us is not something to ‘fix’; trying to force regulation can actually be unhelpful. What’s more, in supporting your nervous system, the goal is never to always be calm. Stress is inevitable, as is activation. The goal is to develop capacity and resilience within the nervous system by supporting yourself to return to regulation in good time.
Awareness is an important first step here: begin by simply noticing your stress response when it arises - and to honour it. Feel the physical effects of stress in your body, truly listen in to the nervous system. Offer yourself deep compassion and explore what kind of responses might feel most supportive, including the tools discussed below.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises have shown positive effects on stress in multiple scientific studies. Several different ways of breathing have been studied and found to be helpful. The important thing is to find exercises that you find soothing and enjoyable, that resonate with your system. Examples include pranayama breathing (Bhimani et al., 2011), box breathing and diaphragmatic breathing (Bentley et al., 2023).
Progressive muscle relaxation
Another way to soothe your system is via progressive muscle relaxation (Muhammad Khir, et al., 2024). This involves contracting one muscle group at a time to create tension and then releasing it, progressing through the body, muscle group by muscle group.
(Guided) meditation
That (guided) meditations can support stress reduction is quite well-known (e.g. Goyal et al., 2014), but did you know that a regular meditation practice can even change your brain structure? Super cool (I think) and consequently, meditation can have beneficial effects outside of the times you practise. These changes are found in multiple brain areas, including the hippocampus and amygdala which are associated with memory and emotional processing (Marchand et al., 2014).
If meditation doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, perhaps because your symptoms make stillness difficult, you could try different approaches such as mindfully noting sights, sounds and scents in your environment while you take a gentle walk.
Be in nature
Being in nature can support overall health, including stress management. Neuroscience evidences that being in nature more often can decrease the production of the stress hormone, cortisol (as well as other effects) (Yao et al., 2021). If nature isn’t accessible for you right now, you might be interested in a study by Stobbe et al. (2022), which showed that listening to birdsong on headphones for six minutes can decrease feelings of anxiety and could therefore be a nice alternative.
Humming, chanting or singing
Hum, chant or sing as loud as you can! These activities have been shown to decrease stress (Grape et al., 2002; Perry et al., 2024; Trivedi et al., 2023) via vagus nerve stimulation, which activates the parasympathetic state. If you want an even more regulatory effect, sing, chant or hum with someone you feel safe with.
Laughter
Laughter, or even hearing laughter, can also help activate the parasympathetic nervous state (Fujiwara & Okamura, 2018). So watch your favorite comedy show and laugh out loud!
When we are experiencing more severe symptoms, watching upligfting shows can be a lovely way to soothe your nervous system, while lifting mood and providing a positive distraction.
A consistent practice
Rather than seeing nervous system practices as tools to use when stress overwhelms, it’s helpful to incorporate them into your daily life, using a little-and-often approach. Activating the parasympathetic state regularly supports nervous system health and well-being. Consistent, small practices can make a significant difference to your health and healing. Which little supportive practice could you incorporate today?
Beyond these practices, in nervous system regulation, lifestyle also influences your system significantly. Lifestyle domains such as sleep, diet, exercise and social connection can all support the functioning of your nervous system too (but more on this in a blog post to come…).
References
Bentley, T. G., D’Andrea-Penna, G., Rakic, M., Arce, N., LaFaille, M., Berman, R., ... & Sprimont, P. (2023). Breathing practices for stress and anxiety reduction: Conceptual framework of implementation guidelines based on a systematic review of the published literature. Brain sciences, 13(12), 1612.
Bhimani, N. T., Kulkarni, N. B., Kowale, A., & Salvi, S. (2011). Effect of pranayama on stress and cardiovascular autonomic tone and reactivity. Nat J Integ Res Med, 2, 48-54.
Fujiwara, Y., & Okamura, H. (2018). Hearing laughter improves the recovery process of the autonomic nervous system after a stress-loading task: a randomized controlled trial. BioPsychoSocial medicine, 12(1), 22.
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., ... & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174(3), 357-368.
Grape, C., Sandgren, M., Hansson, L. O., Ericson, M., & Theorell, T. (2002). Does singing promote well-being?: An empirical study of professional and amateur singers during a singing lesson. Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science, 38(1), 65-74.
Marchand, W. R. (2014). Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies. World journal of radiology, 6(7), 471.
Muhammad Khir, S., Wan Mohd Yunus, W. M. A., Mahmud, N., Wang, R., Panatik, S. A., Mohd Sukor, M. S., & Nordin, N. A. (2024). Efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation in adults for stress, anxiety, and depression: a systematic review. Psychology research and behavior management, 345-365.
Perry, G., Polito, V., & Thompson, W. F. (2024). Exploring the physiological and psychological effects of group chanting in Australia: Reduced stress, cortisol and enhanced social connection. Journal of religion and health, 63(6), 4793-4815.
Stobbe, E., Sundermann, J., Ascone, L., & Kühn, S. (2022). Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 16414.
Trivedi, G., Sharma, K., Saboo, B., Kathirvel, S., Konat, A., Zapadia, V., ... & Patel, K. J. (2023). Humming (simple Bhramari Pranayama) as a stress buster: A holter-based study to analyze heart rate variability (HRV) parameters during Bhramari, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep. Cureus, 15(4).
Yao, W., Zhang, X., & Gong, Q. (2021). The effect of exposure to the natural environment on stress reduction: A meta-analysis. Urban forestry & urban greening, 57, 126932.
