3 Everyday Practices That Gently Bring Me Back to Myself

Before I share these practices, I want to mention something that's important to me.

This article comes entirely from my own lived experience. These are practices that have become part of my everyday life and have genuinely transformed the relationship I have with my nervous system. They're simple, accessible, and deeply supportive, but they're also just one piece of the puzzle. We all arrive at healing through different doors. These practices happen to be some of mine. Whether you're exploring them alongside therapy, medical care, yoga, or simply your own curiosity, I hope they offer you a few gentle moments of returning to yourself.

Think of what I'm sharing as companions.

Small, intentional ways of helping your body remember safety while you continue caring for yourself as a whole.

For the majority of my life, my spiritual practice looked like meditation.

I loved long body scans, guided visualizations, and deep, journey-style meditations. Sitting quietly with my eyes closed felt like home.

Then, about two years ago, something shifted.

I started struggling to follow the thread of my meditations. Instead of feeling grounded, I felt... floaty. Almost disembodied. It was as though all of my awareness had gathered in my upper chakras—my third eye and crown—and forgotten that the rest of my body existed.

The first guidance that came through was simple.

Sit up.

Allow the energy to descend into my lower chakras instead of remaining concentrated in my mind.

It helped...a tun!

But something still felt incomplete.

Around that same time, my meditation naturally began evolving into something different. Sometimes it became intuitive movement. Other days it wanted mudras, spontaneous shaking, visceral release, or simply allowing my body to move however it needed to move.

I wasn't rejecting those experiences.

I loved them.

But I missed the stillness of simply sitting with myself.

At the same time, my mornings became anchored in Qi Gong and Somatic Yoga, two practices that remain part of my daily routine today. Those practices weren't my movement meditations; they were intentional disciplines that slowly helped me reconnect with my body in a different way.

Then, one morning, I felt inspired to return to breathwork meditation.

Boom.

Everything changed.

I wasn't trying to become more spiritual.

I was finally coming back into my body.

Looking back, I think I had entered another layer of my healing journey.

My mind had learned I was safe.

My body was still learning to believe it.

Although I cognitively understood I AM SAFE, my nervous system was still carrying the memory of moments when safety hadn't existed. That realization completely changed the way I approached healing.

Instead of asking,

"How do I stop feeling this?"

I became curious enough to ask,

"How can I help my body feel safe enough to believe what my mind already knows?"

These are three practices I continue returning to almost every single day.

1. Coherence Breathing

What is coherence breathing?

Coherence breathing is a gentle breathing technique where the inhale and exhale are roughly the same length, usually around five or six seconds each. That steady rhythm encourages communication between the heart, lungs, and brain, helping the nervous system gradually shift into a more regulated state.

My experience

I first discovered coherence breathing through Breathe With Sandy.

Originally, I found one of his guided sleep breathwork practices.

I remember finishing the session, rolling over...

and falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning I checked my WHOOP and noticed something surprising.

My recovery, resting heart rate, and HRV had all improved, and I genuinely woke up feeling more refreshed.

That got my attention. Since then, coherence breathing has become one of the most practical tools I use throughout my day. I practice it between client sessions. Before opening my banking app (because yes... my nervous system still has opinions about money 😂).

While walking.

While writing.

Even while listening to someone speak.

I usually begin by counting.

Then, after a minute or two, something shifts.

The counting naturally disappears.

My breath finds its own rhythm.

Eventually my body lets me know it's regulated, and I simply return to breathing normally.

That's probably what I love most about coherence breathing.

It doesn't interrupt my life.

It quietly becomes part of it.

2. Orienting

What is orienting?

Orienting is a somatic practice that helps the nervous system reconnect with the present moment by intentionally noticing your surroundings through your senses, especially your vision. Instead of remaining trapped inside anxious thoughts or future worries, you gently remind your body,

"I'm here."

My experience

This one always makes me laugh because I actually feel most connected when my eyes are closed.

Yep.

It's that wild.

That's just the way I work.

The first time I noticed this was about six years ago when I tried Capoeira.

The instructor kept saying,

"Look at your partner."

"Don't close your eyes."

"Stay connected through eye contact."

It was incredibly difficult.

I kept closing my eyes or letting my gaze drift softly towards the palm trees...

the grass...

the sky...

Pretty much everything except another person. Then, a couple of years later, orienting appeared again through Brett Larkin Yoga. As we moved through different shapes, we were encouraged to follow our hands with our eyes, notice our feet, and become aware of the room around us. That's when I finally understood. Opening my eyes could also become a grounding practice.

Today, I orient everywhere. On my morning walks I notice the texture of tree trunks. During my workday I reconnect with my tarot cards, my crystals, my notebook, my favorite pen, or simply the mug sitting on my desk.

Sometimes I'll pause long enough to smell my essential oils before continuing with my day.

Those little moments gently remind me...

I'm not already at the end of the month worrying about bills. I'm not replaying yesterday. I'm not living tomorrow before it arrives.

I'm here.

Right now.

In service of this moment.

3. The Physiological Sigh

What is the physiological sigh?

The physiological sigh is exactly what it sounds like.

Two gentle inhales followed by one long, slow exhale.

Research suggests it's one of the quickest ways to help regulate the nervous system by naturally resetting your breathing and encouraging the body to release built-up tension.

The beautiful part?

Your body already knows how to do it.

My experience

Confession.

I'm a chronic sigher. 😂

Always have been.

My husband is too.

I honestly don't know when it started, but sighing has always been one of the ways my body naturally releases tension.

If you've ever heard me showering, you've probably heard me sighing beneath the running water.

Years later, when Brett Larkin's Somatic Yoga became part of my daily morning practice, I discovered something beautiful.

We intentionally paired movement with audible sighs and long exhalations.

One of the teachings that stayed with me was that our own breath—our own sound—can become one of the most healing frequencies we have access to.

Now, whenever I notice myself feeling anxious, stressed, or activated, I intentionally sigh.

Sometimes I combine it with coherence breathing.

Sometimes I simply let one long exhale remind my body that it doesn't have to hold everything so tightly.

It doesn't even need to be loud.

As long as I can hear my own breath leaving my body, I notice the shift beginning.

Almost every time I experience the same thing.

Warmth.

Relief.

Softness.

Like my body quietly whispering,

"Thank you."

I didn't put this article together to show you how I regulate my nervous system.

I wrote it because these little practices have genuinely changed the way I move through my days, and I hope they might gently support yours too.

If one of them resonates with you, don't worry about mastering it.

Simply bring it into your life with intention.

Accompany yourself through the practice.

Become curious.

Notice what changes, not just in your body, but in your energy, your presence, your relationships, and the way you move through ordinary moments.

I'd love to leave you with one question that I often ask myself.

What helps your body remember that it's safe?

Maybe it's one of these practices.

Maybe it's music.

Maybe it's a walk beneath the trees.

Maybe it's the warmth of your morning tea.

Or maybe you don't know yet. That's okay!

Curiosity is a beautiful place to begin, sometimes the body whispers before it speaks. And in my experience...it's always worth listening🤍