Someone recently asked me, “What’s your favorite type of flower?”

My answer: “Roses and unicorn baby’s breath.”

Then, I spent the next minute trying to explain what unicorn baby’s breath flowers look like. 😅

The simplest description? They’re like rainbow-colored stars, except in flower form.

Here’s what I mean👇🏽

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These flowers seem to sparkle and smile when you look at them.

They remind me that we don’t have to look far in order to find traces of magic on earth. Flowers are just as magical as stars, as spirits, as fairies. They’re so commonplace that we might take them for granted sometimes... but imagine if every flower on earth disappeared; how much less beautiful this world would be.

Also, I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a whimsical name like unicorn baby’s breath.

Flowers are a source of sensory joy for my nervous system. Seeing one, out in the wild or arranged with care in a bouquet, delights me to no end.

🫶🏽 I bet there’s something out there that brings you as much joy as these magical rainbow flowers bring to me.

Maybe it’s the comforting scent of your pet as you cuddle them in bed.

Or the sounds of a song that your brain associates with happy memories.

Or the texture of your softest blanket.

Or the first sip of your favorite tea, when the temperature & taste are just right. Not too hot, not too cold, not too steeped.

💕 In my work as a therapist, I’ve seen that experiences of sensory joy can sometimes be hard to access – especially if there is a history of not feeling safe in the body due to trauma & systemic oppression; or if pleasure & joy are newer experiences for the nervous system.

But — to end on a hopeful note here — we all have the capacity to experience sensory joy, in some way.

Whether through the eyes, ears, nose, or senses like touch & taste… sensory joy can start with simply noticing that you feel 1% more relaxed when you’re petting your dog, or listening to your favorite song, or smelling the flowers.

💐 With support & time, we can all build the capacity to experience more joy in our nervous systems.

(This is something that we might work on together in a Nervous System Healing Intensive, which you can learn more about here.)

Joy is what resources & sustains us as we navigate a world in grief and upheaval.

Joy is a lifeline. Let it in, wherever you happen to find it. Your nervous system will thank you.

With care,

ON THE PODCAST | EP 14 Caring for the Perinatal Nervous System: A Transpersonal Lens Let’s talk about the perinatal nervous system – what it is, how it differs from a non-perinatal nervous system, and how caring for mothers creates a ripple effect of healing across generations. In this conversation, Paige DiChiara & I explore perinatal health from a scientific, spiritual, & systemic lens. We discuss: 🌱 how to honor the perinatal transition as a rite of passage – instead of pathologizing the experience, as is often the case in Western medical models 🌱 why the health of mothers is directly correlated to the health of society & the planet 🌱 the somatic intelligence of the nervous system, and why the biological shifts that occur during the perinatal portal make total sense from an evolutionary point of view 🌱 the process of “matrescence”: a multi-layered metamorphosis into motherhood, impacting everything from identity to neurobiology to finances 🌱 the benefits of decentering patriarchy, and why matriarchy is not what most people think LISTEN HERE (40 min) 🌻

P.S. Know someone who needs to hear this? Forward it along. New readers can subscribe ​here​.

P.P.S. If you’re interested in working together, I’d love to support you.

🌻 For folks who are overwhelmed & burnt out, but too busy for weekly therapy, I offer Nervous System Healing Intensives​ — three 90-minute sessions, using brain-body modalities (Brainspotting, IFS, EMDR) that go deeper than talk therapy & help you feel better, sooner.

Intensives are a type of short-term, accelerated therapy — for folks who prefer a hyper-focused approach to healing; who need longer than 50-min sessions to warm up & process deeply.

👉🏽 If you want to get an Intensive on the books, click here to book an intro call.

I help highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves.

💗 Need a nervous system reset? —> Join me for a Calm Place meditation.
📚 Curious to learn about neurodiversity + holistic healing? —> Peek at my blog.
🗞️ Want to catch up on old newsletters? —> Check out the archive.

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