What Is Coherence Practice and How It Supports Your Nervous System

Posted by Amy

You may have heard me mention coherence practices in my work and wondered what that really means. Coherence is one of the quiet, powerful tools that supports nervous system regulation, emotional steadiness, and a clearer connection to your own inner guidance. It is simple enough to practice daily and deep enough to change how you relate to stress and to your life.

In this post, I want to explain coherence in everyday language and share why it has become an essential part of how I support clients through transformation.

What Is Coherence

Coherence describes a state where different parts of your system are working together in a harmonious way. In a coherent state, your heart rhythm, breath, emotions, and thoughts are more synchronized and supportive instead of scattered or at odds with each other.

You might think of it as a state of inner harmony. Your body does not have to be perfectly calm, but there is a sense of steadiness, connection, and flow. You feel present rather than pulled in many directions at once.

How Coherence Relates to the Nervous System

Your nervous system is always adjusting to what is happening around you and within you. When you are stressed, your system shifts into survival responses such as fight, flight, or freeze. When you are in a more regulated state, your system supports rest, digestion, connection, and clear thinking.

Coherence practices help your system spend more time in that regulated state. By working with breath, attention, and emotion, coherence helps your body feel safe enough to shift out of constant alertness and into a more stable rhythm.

What Coherence Feels Like in Daily Life

• a sense of grounded presence
• more patience and less reactivity
• clearer thinking and easier decision making
• breath that feels fuller and more relaxed
• a feeling that you are inside your body rather than floating above it
• more access to compassion for yourself and others

People often describe coherence as feeling more like themselves. It does not remove all difficulty, but it changes how they meet it.

A Simple Coherence Practice You Can Try

1. Settle your body

Sit or stand in a way that feels supported. Let your feet rest on the floor or feel the weight of your body supported by your chair or cushion.

2. Bring awareness to your heart area

Gently place a hand over your chest if that feels comfortable. Imagine your breath moving in and out through the center of your chest.

3. Slow and soften your breath

Breathe in for a slow count of four. Breathe out for a slow count of four or five. Let the breath be smooth and gentle, not forced.

4. Invite a supportive feeling

Recall a moment of appreciation, gratitude, or simple kindness. It could be a person, a pet, a place in nature, or a small memory that feels warm. You do not need to feel it strongly. You only need to gently turn toward it.

Stay with this for a few cycles of breath and notice how your body responds. You may feel more spacious, a little softer, or a little more steady. These are all signs of coherence beginning to build.

Why I Include Coherence in Coaching

Coherence is not a quick fix, but it is a powerful foundation. When we build coherence in your system, you are better able to stay present with your emotions, hear your intuition, and follow through on the changes you want to make.

It also gives you something concrete to lean on between sessions. You can return to a coherence practice any time you feel overwhelmed, scattered, or disconnected. Over time, this becomes a way of caring for your nervous system rather than fighting it.

Coherence as a Daily Companion

Coherence practice is not about getting it perfect. It is about returning, again and again, to a more connected state. A few minutes of intentional breath and attention can shift the tone of your day, your relationships, and the way you experience your own inner world.

You deserve a life that feels steady enough for you to be fully present in it. Coherence practice is one way to support that.

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Explore my approach: The Approach

Or connect with me for a conversation: Book a Free Call

Understanding Nervous System Regulation and Why It Changes Everything

Posted by Amy

Many people come to coaching because they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to follow through on the changes they want to make. They often believe they need more discipline, a better plan, or a stronger mindset. In reality, the missing piece is usually nervous system regulation.

Nervous system regulation influences how you think, how you respond to stress, how you make choices, and how you relate to others. When your system is steady and coherent, life feels workable. When it is overwhelmed, even simple tasks can feel too heavy.

In this post, I want to offer a clear and grounded explanation of what nervous system regulation means and why it is central to the work I do.

What Nervous System Regulation Really Is

Your nervous system is always scanning for cues of safety or danger. When it senses safety, you breathe more easily, think more clearly, and feel present. When it senses danger, even emotional danger, it shifts into survival responses that change your breath, your thoughts, and your ability to act.

Regulation happens when your system knows how to move out of survival mode and return to a steady state. It is not about being calm all the time. It is about being flexible, resilient, and able to find your center again.

Signs of a Regulated State

• deeper and slower breathing
• the ability to focus
• clearer decision making
• a feeling of presence
• emotional steadiness
• healthy boundaries
• a sense of internal spaciousness

Signs of a Dysregulated State

• racing thoughts
• reactivity or irritability
• difficulties with focus
• emotional overwhelm or numbness
• shallow or rapid breathing
• exhaustion or shutdown
• looping thoughts or overthinking

None of these signs mean something is wrong with you. They are simply your system trying to protect you.

Why Regulation Comes Before Change

Many people attempt to create change while their system is still in survival mode. They try to plan, set goals, or push themselves forward while their body is overwhelmed. This often leads to frustration because the body cannot support the mind when it is overloaded.

This is why my work always begins with regulation. When your system feels safe, everything shifts. Your clarity improves. Your intuition strengthens. You can follow through on what matters because your body is not fighting you.

Regulation is the ground that real change grows from.

Simple Ways to Support Your Nervous System

1. Breath awareness

Place a hand on your chest or belly and feel your breath move for a few slow cycles.

2. Orientation

Look around your space and rest your eyes on things that feel pleasant or neutral. This helps your system feel safe in the present moment.

3. Grounding through contact

Press your feet into the floor or your hands into your legs. Physical contact helps settle the system.

4. Slow exhale

Let your exhale be slightly longer than your inhale. This gently signals your body that it can soften.

Why This Matters for Coaching and for Life

Nervous system regulation supports every part of life. It shapes how you process emotions, interact with others, make decisions, and recover after stress. It is also one of the most powerful tools for restoring trust in yourself.

If you have ever known what you needed to do but felt unable to follow through, or if you have felt overwhelmed even when you wanted change, nervous system regulation may be the missing piece.

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Explore my approach: The Approach

Or connect with me for a conversation: Book a Free Call

What It Really Means to Be a Yoga E-RYT 500

Posted by Amy

Yoga certifications can be confusing from the outside. People see a string of letters but do not always know what kind of training or experience is behind them. If you have seen the title E-RYT 500 on my site and wondered what it represents, this post will offer a clear explanation and a deeper look at why it matters.

The short answer is simple. E-RYT 500 is the highest level of teaching credential recognized by Yoga Alliance. It reflects extensive training, long term practice, and many hours of guiding real people through yoga and embodiment work.

What E-RYT 500 Actually Means

E-RYT means Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher. The number 500 indicates that the teacher has completed at least 500 hours of advanced yoga training across many areas of study, including:

• anatomy and biomechanics
• functional movement
• alignment based practice
• breathwork and meditation
• philosophy and history
• trauma informed principles
• energetic and subtle body theory
• teaching methodology

The E in E-RYT is important. It means the teacher has taught for at least 2,000 hours in real life settings. This includes group classes, private sessions, retreats, workshops, and long term guidance. In other words, it represents lived experience rather than study alone.

Why This Matters Beyond the Yoga Mat

My background as an E-RYT 500 shapes my coaching in ways that reach far beyond movement. Yoga is not only a physical practice. It is a way of understanding breath, emotion, tension, patterns, and the deeper stories that live inside the body.

1. Somatic fluency

Years of teaching trained me to read the body with sensitivity. I notice how breath changes under stress, how muscles respond to emotions, and how certain patterns reveal deeper concerns.

2. Nervous system regulation

Long before I worked as a coach, I helped people regulate through movement, awareness, and breath. These skills support clients in every session I offer today.

3. Trauma aware facilitation

My yoga foundation taught me how to hold space with respect and care. This includes honoring pacing, offering choice, and meeting people where they are.

4. Embodied leadership

Teaching over many years helped me learn to lead with presence and clarity rather than pressure or performance.

5. Spiritual grounding

Yoga philosophy gave me a sense of meaning that is both gentle and practical. It influences how I help clients connect with inner wisdom without forcing beliefs.

Embodiment Is the Thread That Connects Everything

Even now, in holistic coaching work, my background in yoga remains the foundation of how I support people.

• We regulate before we strategize.
• We explore what your system can hold, not what you expect yourself to push through.
• We let the body guide clarity.
• We create change from a place of safety.

More than 30 years in the yoga world taught me that transformation begins with how you inhabit yourself. It begins with breath, presence, compassion, and a willingness to return to your own center again and again.

Why This Is the First Blog Post

As this blog grows, I want these posts to offer grounded guidance, embodied practices, and insights that support your nervous system and your life. Beginning with the foundation of my training felt like the right place to start.

If you have questions about yoga credentials, somatic practices, or the connection between embodiment and coaching, I would be happy to explore these topics in future posts.

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Explore my approach: The Approach

Or connect with me for a conversation: Book a Free Call