🌙Blooming in the Shadow of the Moon: The Two Rhythms of Our Nervous System🌙

Our bodies move through life guided by two sacred rhythms, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. Each carries its own purpose, its own pulse: one for survival, one for restoration. Together, they are the heartbeat of our inner garden, the wind and the soil, the sunlight and the roots. 🌙✨

The Sympathetic Rhythm: The Fire of Engagement

The sympathetic rhythm is the surge, the spark of readiness. It rises when life asks for your attention. A sudden call, a worry, a jolt that sets your heart racing.

• Pulse quickens

• Thoughts sharpen

• Muscles coil

Energy hums through your nerves like lightning. It is not wrong. It is your body saying: You are alive. You can respond. You can meet the moment.

This rhythm can feel like restless energy, fire in your chest, urgency vibrating through every cell. It is the inner garden in full bloom under stormy skies. Roots tense, branches ready, petals alert. Sometimes sharp, almost uncomfortable. Sometimes exhilarating, alive, electric. It is the sacred pulse that primes you for action, connection, survival, and engagement with the world. ⚡🌸

The Parasympathetic Rhythm: The Sacred Return to Ease

The parasympathetic rhythm is the moonlight after the storm, the gentle return to yourself. It is the softening, the quieting, the warm whisper that says: You are safe. You may rest.

• Muscles release tension

• Shoulders drop

• Breath deepens, flowing like liquid

• Chest opens, heart softens

• Warmth spreads like golden moonlight

  
  

Mind clears. The inner garden exhales, roots sinking deep, branches letting go. This rhythm is the tender embrace of the earth beneath you, a gentle lull that reminds your nervous system that restoration is always possible. Even after fire, even after storms, your garden blooms again.

It whispers: Breathe. Rest. Heal.

Both rhythms, sympathetic and parasympathetic, exist within you. The surge and the ease, the movement and the stillness, the fire and the moonlight. They are partners in a sacred, ever-flowing dance. Always shifting. Always alive. Always tending your inner garden. 🌿💛

In the Wake of the Wave: When Sympathetic Surged

This spring, when my cat Dallas became very sick, I felt this dance vividly:

• Heart racing

• Thoughts spinning

• Sweat prickling my skin

• The world tilting beneath me

  
  

Awareness alone didn’t stop the storm, but it gave me an anchor. Once the surge softened, I remembered the pause between movement and stillness. I stepped outside, letting the wind kiss my face. I watched the trees sway, listened to bird song, breathed slowly, and reached inward and upward.

Gradually, my heartbeat softened. Warmth spread through my chest and face. My mind anchored. I was still tender. The challenge hadn’t vanished, but I could move forward with clarity, grounded in both my fire and my ease.

This was the sacred meeting point of sympathetic and parasympathetic. A living meditation, a Moon Bloom in motion. 🌿🌙

Where These Rhythms Come From

Our nervous system develops long before we have memory of it:

• The sympathetic system begins in the second trimester, pulsing with early readiness and response.

• The parasympathetic system grows from the third trimester through about age two, shaping how we rest, recover, and regulate.

Even before memory, the body remembers. Early experiences (tender or turbulent) plant seeds that shape how our nervous system will dance between movement and ease for the rest of our lives. 🌙✨

🌸 Petal in Palm Practice

Purpose: A gentle, grounding way to reconnect with your body, your breath, and the present moment. This practice helps you notice subtle shifts, like planting tiny blooms of calm and focus along your arm.

How to practice:

1. Find your space: Sit or stand somewhere that feels comfortable. Let your body feel supported.

2. Choose your bloom: Pick a small object that feels good in your hand. A crystal, a token from your purse, a sticky gecko from your grandchild’s toy trunk, or anything else that draws your attention.

3. Lift and notice: Inhale slowly to a count of three as you raise your arm with the object. Really notice its texture, weight, and color. Let your eyes follow it gently.

4. Lower and release: Exhale to a count of seven as you lower your arm, keeping your gaze soft and your head still. Imagine the energy of the object spreading through your arm like light unfurling.

5. Repeat: Do this 10 times, moving slowly and letting your awareness flow with the movement.

6. Feel and reflect: Notice your body’s subtle shifts. A softening in your shoulders, a spark of calm, or the gentle presence of your own awareness.

   
   

Tip: This is about sensing, not counting perfectly. Let your body guide your rhythm and your attention follow the bloom.

These practices are shared for gentle self-awareness and grounding. They’re not a substitute for therapy or medical care. Go at your own pace, and reach out for support if anything feels overwhelming.

A Whisper for the Next Step

Take a slow breath and notice your body. Feel the tides of surge and ease you’ve explored. The pulse of action, the gentle return to rest. 🌙

By tuning into this ebb and flow, you are planting seeds for deeper awareness, nurturing your inner garden with each inhale and exhale. Your nervous system is alive, sacred, always guiding you, even when life feels chaotic.

In the next post, we will follow the vagus nerve. The delicate thread between brain and body. Discover how tuning into its pathways can help you move safely between movement and stillness.

For now, carry this awareness with you, whispering: I see my rhythms. I honour them. I am safe to bloom. 💛🌸