Insourcing Safety: How Somatic Practices Help Reclaim the Nervous System

For many, the idea of “feeling safe” is a moving target—often linked to external conditions. Am I accepted here? Is this person happy with me? Do I have control over this outcome? These patterns aren’t just psychological; they’re physiological.

We’ve been conditioned to outsource safety—to seek it in relationships, achievements, appearance, or approval. But neuroscience is now reinforcing what yogic and somatic traditions have known all along: true safety isn’t something we’re given. It’s something we feel. And it begins in the body.

The Nervous System and Hypervigilance

The human nervous system is beautifully wired for survival. It scans constantly for cues of safety or threat through what Stephen Porges calls neuroception—an unconscious process our bodies use to evaluate whether we’re safe. For those who’ve experienced trauma, chronic stress, or relational wounding, this system often becomes overly sensitized.

You might recognize the symptoms:

• Constant overthinking

• Difficulty relaxing, even in calm environments

• A need for control or hyper-productivity

• Emotional shutdown in moments of stillness

  
  

These patterns are not character flaws. They are the body’s protective adaptations. As psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, notes: "Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then. It’s the current imprint of that pain on mind, body, and brain."

The Power of Somatic Practices

Somatic modalities—meaning body-based—offer a way to gently rewire these patterns. Through grounding, breathwork, gentle movement, and safe touch, we begin to send new signals to the nervous system:This moment is different. You are safe now.

This process is called co-regulation when we do it with others, and self-regulation when we learn to do it for ourselves. And it taps directly into the vagus nerve, a key player in our parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) response.

Recent studies, including those referenced by Dr. Stephen Porges, show how activating the vagus nerve through slow, rhythmic breathing and vocalization can down-regulate the stress response and promote a sense of calm.

Over time, with repetition, we can help the body learn:

• Not all silence is danger.

• Stillness can mean safety, not punishment.

• I don’t have to brace for impact.

  
  

Why the Nervous System Responds to Somatic Practices

This shift from seeking safety outside ourselves to feeling it inside is more than a mindset change—it’s a physiological one. According to Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Porges, our ability to feel safe, calm, and socially connected is deeply tied to how our vagus nerve evolved.

In mammals (like us), part of the vagus nerve became connected to the muscles in the face, head, and heart—what Porges calls the social engagement system. This means that things like facial expression, vocal tone, breath, and even gentle touch have a direct line to the part of the nervous system that helps us feel safe.

Somatic meditation taps into this system:

• Slow breath signals calm

• Gentle movement restores balance

• Soothing tone and stillness help regulate the heart and relax tension

These aren’t just “feel-good” moments—they're real, measurable shifts in the nervous system. That’s why somatic work is so powerful, especially for those who’ve lived in survival mode.

By creating micro-moments of safety in the body, we begin to repattern how our system responds to stress, and in doing so, we reclaim our power to self-regulate.

Reclaiming the Inner Anchor

We call this process insourcing safety—cultivating an inner sense of support, rather than relying on external validation. It’s not about pretending everything is fine or bypassing reality. It’s about creating micro-moments where the body feels: “I am safe in me.”

And when a person learns to feel safe inside their own skin? They start living and leading from wholeness, not fear.

This is the intention behind our Somatic Meditation class—a guided experience to help you soften, land, and listen within. Whether you're managing anxiety, healing from trauma, or simply craving deeper connection to your body, this practice offers a path inward.