Your Nervous System Is Not a Life Coach (But It Does Mean Well)
- Laura Underwood
- May 20
- 4 min read
Updated: May 20

Our inner child sits inside of us like that overly cautious friend who once got burned on a hot stove and now screams every time you walk into the kitchen. She feeds constant messages to your nervous system with one goal: to keep you safe. The trouble is, the nervous system doesn’t define “safe” the same way your ambitious, soul-evolving adult self does. It defines “safe” as predictable, low-risk, and let’s-not-do-anything-crazy-like thrive.
It doesn’t care about your dreams of becoming a yogi, launching your passion project, or showing up as the radiant, magnetic version of yourself. It’s over here like: “Remember that time in 3rd grade when you raised your hand and everyone laughed? Let’s never do that again.”
The body remembers everything that’s ever happened to you. Every trauma, every hug, every scraped knee, and bruised ego. It logs what hurt, how much, and precisely what to avoid so it never happens again. Think of it as your personal TSA—Trauma Screening Authority.
So when you sit in front of the TV, planning your next big move—dreaming about waking up early, going to the gym, and eating kale like it’s candy—your nervous system is totally on board, because you're still on the couch. It’s only when you actually get up that the alarms go off. “CODE RED: She's putting on sneakers! Abort mission!”
If you've ever set an intention for growth and then ghosted your potential, you're not alone:
We turn down invitations that light us up—because joy feels unfamiliar.
But deep down, we know: we were made for more than just getting by.
We scroll past the retreats, the workshops, the healing spaces—telling ourselves we’re “too busy.”
But deep down, we know: what we genuinely need can’t wait.
We often downplay our dreams, labeling them “unrealistic” before they have a chance to unfold.
But deep down, we know: they came to us for a reason.
We pour ourselves into everyone else and leave ourselves empty—because being needed feels safer than being seen.
But deep down, we know: we’re allowed to take up space.
And then, there are the physical tolls. Let’s take Michelle, for example. By all appearances, she had her life together—career, house, friends. But beneath it all, she carried years of unresolved grief and self-blame from a past relationship that ended without closure. She didn’t talk about it; she powered through, telling herself it was over, no big deal.
But her body disagreed.
It started as low-grade fatigue. Then chronic back pain. Then here comes the anxiety that came out of nowhere. Eventually, her doctor told her she might have to start managing a “mystery illness.”
You know the kind; the tests come back “normal,” but you feel anything but normal. You're tired even after eight hours of sleep. You develop food sensitivities you never had before. Your joints ache, your stomach rebels, your chest feels heavy, or your head is constantly foggy.
For some, it manifests as autoimmune flare-ups that appear seemingly random. For others, it’s persistent digestive issues like IBS or bloating that don’t respond to any diet. Or maybe it’s a cycle of migraines, hormonal imbalance, or just an overall sense that your body is screaming for help—but no one can figure out why.

And because it doesn’t show up clearly on a scan or a chart, you begin to wonder if it’s “just in your head.” Maybe your doctor even told you, "It's in your head." But it’s not. It’s in your nervous system. It’s the body waving a red flag, asking you to pay attention to what hasn’t yet been resolved.
Michelle began to realize what her mind had buried and her body had archived—in great detail.
Only when she began exploring somatic practices did things shift. She discovered that moving her body intentionally, breathing deeply, and allowing herself to feel those long-held emotions—not just think them, but feel them—began to unlock the tension she didn’t even know she was gripping.
Somatic releasing is the practice of paying attention to the feelings in your body and consciously letting go of the energy you're still carrying—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes, your mind might not even remember what created the stuck energy. But your body does. And it will keep the score until you help it rewrite the ending.
Enter DanceAlchemy—a somatic healing modality that utilizes movement, music, breath, and intuition to revive those frozen parts. It nurtures, softens, and moves, giving your nervous system the safety it needs to exhale, finally.
Here’s the truth: You can’t think your way into freedom; you have to feel your way there.
Call to Action: Ready to stop ghosting your growth? To stop living by the rulebook your nervous system created during childhood?
Join us June 7 for Observing Your Thoughts and Quieting the Mind. This powerful event is designed to help you release what no longer serves you and reconnect to your body in a way that brings peace, presence, and purpose.
✨ True healing and somatic release is available—for you and the people you love. ✨
Click the link below to sign up
Your future self is already cheering for you.
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