Why Healing Your Nervous System is a Load of BS

And why breathwork, yoga, and journaling are not the solutions

Do you see the same thing that I see when it comes to what is being shared online about “nervous system regulation.” It’s like it’s being sold as the holy grail of healing. And of course, I have something to say about it.

What I see:

“Regulate your nervous system and suddenly your digestion will fix itself.”
”Reset your nervous system and your trauma dissolves.”
”Hack your nervous system with this breathing technique and you’ll finally feel calm, safe, and alive.”

It sounds so nice, right? And it is quite easy to market when so many people have been chasing their tails for years. But, it’s not the truth.

I think the industry convinces people that if they’re still sick, inflamed, or anxious, it’s their fault for not meditating hard enough. It’s like spiritual gaslighting but it seems so innocent when it’s marketed as “good for your body."

I’ve fallen for it myself — the endless yoga, the cold plunges, the ‘just breathe more’ era. And when it didn’t work, I thought I was the problem. You’ve probably been there too. Which is why I am so passionate about sharing the realness underneath it all now.

And this marketing keeps you hooked on classes, workshops, and programs that never get to the real problem. Because there is no single nervous system “reset” or one-off hack. There’s no magick cold plunge that is going to erase decades of dysregulation (I don’t care how many you do either). Things like breathing and journaling matter and are supportive tools, but they are not the whole equation. And I want you to understand why they aren’t so you can stop going down this rabbit hole and thinking something is wrong with you when these things don’t work.

Your nervous system doesn’t operate in isolation. It’s wired in your fascia, your posture, your skeletal structure (Functional Patterns taught me this), your gut, your mitochondria, your early childhood imprinting, and even your terrain. If these deeper layers are disrupted, or ignored, there is no 30-second Instagram tip that is going to change the fact that your body is still running on fumes.

This is what I want you to understand: nervous system “regulation” is not simple, linear, or a hack (even if someone on Instagram tells you they have the solution for you). It is a multi-dimensional, body-wide process. And I’m going to tell you why.

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Quick Notes On The Nervous System

The nervous system, in its simplest form, is the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, the autonomic branches, and the enteric system in your gut (ruled by Virgo and Gemini in medical astrology).

Numerous bodily functions are controlled by the nervous system which is why the idea of a “reset” is laughable. Things like your heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, your breath, motor skills. Which is why the idea of a “reset” is laughable — you don’t reboot a 24/7 feedback network.

And let’s touch on Polyvagal Theory since this is plastered everywhere too. Did you know it’s controversial in actual neuroscience? Many of its core premises (like the dorsal vagal “shutdown” response) have been challenged in research.

Translation: most of the Instagram advice you’re seeing wasn’t even tested on bodies like yours. Which is wild, yet not surprising these days.

Most autonomic research also leaned on male physiology, animal models, and small homogeneous cohorts — not diverse human populations. So if you’re a woman and you’ve been told to “activate your ventral vagus,” remember: these models weren’t even built on female physiology in the first place.

When people talk about “resetting” it, they ignore that it is always active, always relational, always layered. You can’t reboot it — you can only gradually retrain its inputs, restructure its body, and rewire its implicit programs.

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The Illusion of “Reset” and “Calm”

How many times have you seen or heard someone say “reset” your nervous system? Too many to count? Same.

And how you just have to be so calm, and unbothered, that’s how you’ll know you have a regulated nervous system? Also way too many times to count?

Reset is a catchy word and feels like instant gratification, too, right? Like this quick fix is promised, a clean slate, a new baseline. Sounds incredible honestly.

But the problem is that your nervous system isn’t a button. It’s not the light switch to the bathroom you can just turn on and off. It’s essentially like a full on orchestra of your body — every instrument needs to play at once and all in a beautiful coordinated effort, which isn’t something that is super simple. If one instrument is out of tune, it’s like the whole set feels chaotic or off. Your body is the orchestra, your organs and systems are the instruments.

This is why any time you do one of those 30-second videos with the breathing hack doesn’t actually work long term. Or why you have to continue to go back to yoga to feel the high after class, because it doesn’t actually last. You’re most likely just addicted to the dopamine hit, or forcing yourself to go because that’s what seems like “you’re supposed to do.”

And another myth to bust: calm does not equal regulation. Capacity is what equals regulation. If you are suppressing your emotions to appear calm on the surface, that will not get you to the regulated state you are seeking.

A healthy nervous system doesn’t stay in one gear — that would be like driving a manual car in first gear for your entire road trip. Your nervous system should expand, contract, be able to handle arousal, and move back into a parasympathetic state naturally. You shouldn’t need 12 sound baths, a cold plunge every day, and multiple yoga classes to experience regulation.

What I’ve written about here are the things most people don’t see on their own. This is why I created my Strategy Intensive — to actually determine what’s going on under the surface and give you a plan that isn’t just another hack. Read to the end to learn more.

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Why the Hacks Don’t Stick

Here’s the part nobody selling you “nervous system healing” wants to come forward with: