Somatic Nervous System Regulation

Decades of dance have taught me the art of presence — not just presence in the moment, but presence to music, to movement, to one’s own body, and to community. As a performer and choreographer, I learned long ago that before art can flow through the body, the noise of daily life must be cleared from it. Over time, I began weaving somatic techniques into my warm-ups and rehearsals — methods inspired by disciplines like the Delsarte system — to prepare not just physically, but energetically and emotionally for authentic expression.

It wasn’t until my community was hit by a devastating natural disaster in 2013 that I truly began to understand the nervous system’s role in trauma and recovery. Amidst the chaos of organizing aid, cleaning up flood damage, and supporting neighbors, I could feel my own body signaling distress. Instinctively, I turned to the same tools I’d used to prepare for the stage — breath, tapping, micro-movements, grounding rituals — and began applying them to recalibrate my own nervous system. What began as instinct became inquiry, and then focused study.

Today, my work in somatic nervous system regulation blends movement, neuroscience, and body-based awareness to help people recognize and respond to their internal states. I guide individuals in learning the language of the body — sensation, rhythm, and breath — so they can move from overwhelm to centeredness, from freeze to flow, from fight-or-flight to safety. This isn’t about achieving calm at all costs; it’s about cultivating the capacity to meet life’s intensity with embodied presence and resilience.

People who engage in this work report breakthroughs in self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience. They begin to identify their nervous system states and apply gentle, embodied techniques to shift them. My mission is to make these practices accessible — not just for dancers or trauma survivors, but for anyone who wants to return to themselves in a world that pulls us in a thousand directions.  I deliver somatic nervous system regulation in workshops, ongoing resilience circles, and through one-on-one sessions and coaching cycles.