Certain stereotypes hold true for many of us at the Branches, including that we gravitate towards things that are “natural.” Yeah, we make our own kombucha, wear barefoot shoes and love us some coconut oil. But beyond the cliches, what makes something “natural” anyway?”
Folks often make a distinction between human-made and naturally-occuring, but humans are in fact a part of Nature. Does that mean that everything we do is natural, too? Maybe. And maybe the culturally inherited belief that we are separate from Nature (or worse, meant to tame or exploit it) is part of why reintegrating humanity into the sphere of Nature feels so important.
One thing that makes it clear we are definitely animals is our autonomic nervous system. This is the branch of the human nervous system that governs all the stuff our bodies do without our conscious input, like breathing, blood flow, digestion, sneezing, arousal, sweating, crying – you get the picture. These are all things we can consciously influence, but the urge or impetus is just… natural, inherent, innate.
Another autonomic function we all share is tremoring. Sometimes it shows up as a shiver when we’re cold, or wobbly knees when we’re nervous, or a full-body tremble when we’re trying really hard to hold a steady boat pose.
Did you know that we can take a therapeutic approach to the ways that our bodies shake? There is deep potential for cultivating well being with mindful engagement with our neurogenic tremor. If your curiosity is piqued, you should check out Leslie’s course, Integrating Stress & Tension with TRE, starting on April 25.
We encourage you to find ways to embrace being natural in whatever ways bring you a sense of joy and freedom. Lots of TRE (Tension Release Exercise) programming with Leslie is coming up over the Spring, so keep your eyes peeled for news of more opportunities to learn and practice.
The Branches 