Nervous System Fundamentals

Somatic Practices & Education for Resource, Regulation & Embodiment…

This is a body based course and explores how we can use psycho-education, yoga, somatics and embodiment tools to support resource and regulation in our autonomic nervous system. It is a foundational course that uses Polyvagal Theory and Somatic Experiencing® principles as a lens to understand and map our nervous system and offers tools that might be helpful in creating stability, grounding, regulation and resource. The aim of this course is to help each participant understand how they could begin to create more stability and safety inside their own body. No previous experience of yoga is necessary. The practices are simple and accessible to all.

There are 9/10 spaces available for in person courses and 15 spaces available online. It will be a closed group. In case of illness or missed sessions both in person and online workshops will be recorded for participants use only. A course manual will be provided.

FULL INFO BELOW…

Session 1 - Nervous System Education

• Learn about the nervous system through the lens of Polyvagal theory and the Somatic Experiencing® definition of the threat response cycle. To support your understanding of your own nervous system and its responses.

• Introduction of the Three Key Practices from Somatic Experiencing®: Orienting, Grounding and Resource.

• Explore how to listen to the body’s signals through sensation and how it receives cues of welcome and warning from our environment, relationships and inside the body itself (Neuroception).

Session 2 - Cultivating Safety & Resource

• Continue to embed the practices of orientation and grounding.

• Deepen connection of how to consciously uplift cues of safety & resource internally and externally can contribute to our bodies ability to settle back into a sense of embodied safety.

• Explore and deepen our connection with the resources we have identified that support us in life.

• Additional somatic movement and yoga based practices that support the vagus nerve, embodiment and regulation.

• Continue to explore how the body is communicating through sensation.

Session 3 - Mapping the Nervous System

• Map how different nervous system zones of fight/flight, freeze & regulation might affect our body, emotions, thoughts, impulses, behaviours and responses.

• Continue to explore how the body might be communicating through sensation.

• Continue to embody tools from previous sessions.

Session 4 - Self Regulation: Working with fight/flight

• Explore embodied practices that support working with the states of fight/flight.

• Continue to explore sensation as the bodies language of communication.

• Explore moving from small challenge to safety/resource.

• Continue to explore Orientation, Grounding and Resource.

Session 5 - Self Regulation: Working with freeze

• Explore embodied practices that support working with the state of freeze/collapse

• Continue to explore moving from small challenge to safety/resource.

• Continue to explore sensation as the bodies language of communication.

• Continue to explore Orientation, Grounding and Resource.

Session 6 - Integration

• A creative group led session to support the integration of all that has been shared and experienced on this course.

one - to- one session

• Booking a one - to - one session (or more) during the course is really helpful to explore more in depth what is coming up for you.

• This is a suggestion and not a requirement to participate in the course.

• One - to - one sessions will be an extra cost of £60 per 1hr.

2026 Spring In Person Dates - FULLY BOOKED

• Saturday 28th Feb 10:00 - 13:00 at The Hands on Retreat

• Saturday 14h March 10:00 - 13:00 at The Hands on Retreat

• Saturday 28th March 10:00 - 13:00 at The Soma Shala

• Saturday 11th April 10:00 - 13:00 at The Hands on Retreat

• Saturday 25th April 10:00 - 13:00 at The Hands on Retreat

• Saturday 9th May 10:00 - 13:00 at The Soma Shala

2026 SPRING/SUMMER Online (via Zoom) Dates- SPACE AVAILABLE

• Workshop 1 Sunday 26th April 10:00 - 13:00

• Workshop 2 Saturday 9th May 15:00 - 18:00

• Workshop 3 Sunday 24th May 10:00 - 13:00

• Workshop 4 Saturday 6th June 10:00 - 13:00

• Workshop 5 Saturday 4th July 10:00 - 13:00

• Workshop 6 Saturday 18th July 10:00 - 13:00

2026 Autumn In Person Dates - TBC

Cost

• £325 - payable by BACS.

• An initial non-refundable deposit of £95 is required to book your place.

• I self fund subsidies to make this work more accessible for those experiencing financial hardship. I especially welcome enquiries from anyone experiencing financial hardship who identifies as being marginalized due to race/ethnicity, disability, gender, from the LGBTQI+ community and those in reciept of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Jobseekers Allowance.

• Payment plans welcome- your welcome to pay in installments if you need to please be in touch to arrange dates.

• Cancellation/refunds - If you need to cancel no refunds are available unless I can fill your space. In which case I can offer you a full refund minus the £95 deposit. If I need to cancel, you will be refunded the full amount.

• Please note this course is not a substitute for individual therapy.

Venues

Please note there are two venues for this course. Both are within 10 mins from Ashburton.

You can find out more about The Hands on Retreat here (TQ13 7JJ).

And more about The Soma Shala here (TQ126NZ).

Both venues are beautiful nature based yoga and movement studios.