Neurogenic Shaking….

This is ONE way that the body releases the imprints of trauma, tension, stress, anxiety, and past painful experiences that have been stored or imprinted deep within the nervous system,. muscles and fascia (fibrous tissue), cells, neuronal matrix.

Natural involuntary shaking and swaying is how we discharge the stress/pain energy induced within the nervous system & neuroendocrine system after experiencing an overwhelming event 

Dr. Peter Levine founder of Somatic Experiencing Int was inspired to study stress on the animal nervous system when he realised that animals are constantly under threat of death, yet show no symptoms of trauma or PTSD. 

What he discovered in his studies was that trauma has to do with the third survival response to perceived life threat, which is freeze response. This is the top of the bell curve on the Polyvagal Chart, and is controlled by the dorsal vagal nerve and parasympathetic nervous system. 

When fight and flight responses are not options any longer, we freeze and immobilise. We shut down, numb, and “play dead.” This makes us less of a target for perceived threat. This automatic trauma response and reaction is time-sensitive. It needs to run its course. The massive energy that was prepared for fight or flight (cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline as well as high levels of glucose from the liver & muscle glycogen, fear proteins, energy from mitochondria, muscular contraction & fascial signalling) gets discharged through shaking/swaying/trembling. This is an innate healing mechanism within our nervous system.

If the immobility phase doesn’t complete and stress activation cycle isn’t completed, the energy and electrical charge remains stagnant & trapped. From the body’s perspective and it’s neuroception throughout the brain-gut axis, it is still under threat, danger and remains in emergency-survival state. When the smoke detector isn’t switched off, it causes severe dysregulation and dissociation. This results in a host of symptoms such as low immunity, cardiac & pulmonary issues, raised blood sugars, gut problems, depression, anxiety, inflammation, physiological pain 

The body is this intelligent and this powerful!

When we stuff away pain, the body stores the memories in our muscles, and connective tissues that surrounds the muscles, our blood vessels and nerves. We may numb out and dissociate as a means of self preservation and protection, but…. the body knows the score and like a diary, the nervous system holds all of the memoirs. It will keep reminding you (through experiencing cyclical patterns and feelings, attracting similar situations and people that affirm limiting beliefs and narratives, and much more) until you “wake up”

This is why at Firefly Somatics™ we use an integrative neurophysiological approach to guiding people who are on a healing journey. We need to drop into the unconscious, draw into embodied presence, to heal out old shadows and imprints. It’s the only way to truly heal and break free of old patterns. Mind level work alone will not break the cycle. Reiki won’t cure you. Crystals, oracles and affirmations won’t magically make pain or imprints disappear, Deep embodied awareness is the key to freedom: you hold all the answers.

Firefly Somatics™ approach under the methodologies of The Firefly Method® works to release this stored stress energy, to turn off the threat alarm, restore the nervous system, retrain the Vagus Nerve, release the fascia, so that souls can find safety within, reconnect & come into homeostasis.