Waterparks and Nervous Systems
“Hopefulness lies in knowing that while early experiences shape the nervous system, ongoing experiences can reshape it.” Deb Dana
“The nervous system holds the key to the body’s incredible potential to heal itself” Sir Jay Holder
I love waterparks and I have been to quite a few of them. Nothing beats a great soak on a warm summer day! Or for us Canadians in December, it is more like desperately searching for an indoor pool somewhere to try and convince your body you are NOT enduring a bitterly freezing -40 degree cold snap. I think the best waterparks have lots of space to explore, some family fun level waterslides, a few more extreme rides and an awesome, spacious, inviting, warm (not too crazy) wave pool. And some poolside space to relax too! I saw a few photos of waterparks recently and thought they might make for a great little jaunt down nervous system lane, to examine a few basics.
Each of us is born with a complex set of neurological and sensory connections that we call a nervous system. Your nervous system is what “drives the bus” of every aspect of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self and creates a sense of well-being, pleasure, ease and embodiment that is authentic and sustainable. Do you get the sense that your nervous system is breathtaking, amazing, astounding level important? (Because it absolutely is!) Simply put, the function of the nervous system is to transmit signals from the brain to other parts of the body using nerve cells called neurons. Through this cellular communication, the nervous system controls our breath, vision, movement, sensory processing, thoughts and feelings, sleep and body processes, to name just a few. In an ideal world, your nervous system would be a bit like the amazing waterpark I described above. Plenty of space and warmth, a few family friendly level drops, some more extreme bits here and there (we all need a little excitement) and an abundance of lovely, flowing, gentle waves.
Some years ago, I took an outstanding course called “Smart Body Smart Mind” with Irene Lyon. Irene used the analogy of a swimming pool when talking about the impact of trauma on the nervous system. She said that a nervous system is like a pool filled with beach balls. Each ball represents a stressor in our systems. People with a lot of early trauma, health issues and challenges often have a small, rigid pool filled with many balls. Those balls are packed in tightly, without easy exits, and there is very little space in the system for water to flow freely. Hence the entire system is tightly wound, congested and often feels STUCK. I am sure you can imagine this is a perfect storm for toxins to build up internally, causing all manner of issues from gut disturbance, food intolerances, joint pain, brain fog and eventually leading to chronic illness(es).
In a healthier system there are still balls (cuz we all have stressors!) but the pool is larger, the balls are fewer and there is more space for the water to move around. There is more capacity available when new balls come in, more room for balls to move out and more FLOW for the system. Instead of building up internally, toxins can pass through smoothly and there are more exits paths available to be re-directed outside the body.
When I saw the photos of the wave pools, I instantly recognized that connection in my nervous system. Take a long look at the two photos. Study the first one with all the blue water, the small number yellow inner tubes, some swimmers here and there. How does that picture make you feel? Does your system respond by thinking it feels relaxed, peaceful, easy to move around? Would you sense safety being in that pool? Pause and let that sink in for a moment or two. Breathe. Imagine it. Hear the sounds of kids playing and water splashing.
Once you settle into that feeling, put it aside for a second and take a look at the second photo. How does that visual sit in your system? Would you feel peaceful and calm if you were one of the people in the middle of that crowd? If you are anything like me, you might be finding that photo draining and claustrophobic. Perhaps your nervous system reacts with a firm “NO WAY” to even considering a day in that chaotic environment.
Many of us had plenty of tubes, floaters and balls put into our nervous system swimming pools before we even had a chance to make conscious choices so this is a not an invitation to feel inadequate or blame yourself. If you are a bit (or a lot) overwhelmed with your current situation, that is totally normal. Hear that again…. totally normal!!! When a lot has happened to us, our internal water parks can feel more like the type with “knock your socks off” level extreme wave pools and flip upside down kind of waterslides. Not a space where the go to feelings are ease and simplicity.
The amazing thing about our nervous systems is that they can be reshaped, over time, to experience things differently. Our nervous system pathways today do not have to be the same as they were one year ago or how they will be six months (or even six hours) from now. We are constantly changing. As we slowly and intentionally build new skills, we begin to create space in our internal structures so the balls can shrink in size and eventually find their way out of the pool. With practice, this can result in having less balls, a larger and stronger, yet more flexible, pool structure, plenty of exit pathways and much more movement.
If you are keen to get started with helping your nervous system build regulation, you can begin today using a simple practice of connecting with your breath for just a moment. You don’t have to change anything at all…. just notice. Your focus and awareness is such a powerful and effective tool for wellness. For those of you who want a bit more guidance, I will give you a few ideas to play with. Feel how the breath comes in and out of your nostrils, sense cool air in the back of your throat. Experience how the temperature of the air as you inhale is different from when you exhale. Pay attention to how your body expands and contracts with the in and out; maybe notice the skin stretching and ribs enlarging to make extra space. Do you sense breath in your belly, ribs or pelvis? Maybe in your shoulders or collarbone? Try and make it more of a playful, inquisitive, organic experience, rather pushing your system to do anything intense. To begin with, the most accessible things can often be the most helpful to a nervous system that is in the initial phases of exploration. If that is just one breath, or even 2 seconds of sensing one inhale, that is just fine. Start where you are!
It can be tempting to think the goal is to be perfectly steady and always on track with our systems. But in reality, there will always be more intense rides from time to time, and seasons where the surges feel stronger and a bit (or a lot) more chaotic because life happens. In a strong, flexible, regulated pool that change and variability isn’t a major problem because we have the capacity to go with the flow and ride the breakers as they come and the ability to stay in regulation while the storm is passing. As John Kabat-Zinn said “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” So, lets grab our boards and head for the pool shall we?
globalnews.ca/news/6683034
chinatoday.com/photo/crowded_waterpark.htm