Throughout my experience working as a practitioner there has been something that I am constantly educating my clients on time and time again and that is… *drumroll please*…
Neural Retraining!
If you’re sitting there thinking, “what is neural retraining and how can it help me overcome anxiety, chronic stress or illness?” you are not alone. Today I am going to give you a simple breakdown of what it is and why it matters.
Neural Retraining can sometimes be referred to as limbic retraining, limbic rewiring, or brain rewiring or brain retraining. Now that we are all on the same page about the common terms, here is a scientific breakdown.
What is Neural Retraining
Neural retraining is based on the foundational science of neuroplasticity, which means the brain has the ability to change its form and function based on our activity (pretty cool, I know). It is through that change where new neural pathways are created. Neural retraining allows you to change how your brain operates in order to respond more appropriately to your future life experiences (aka your bodies stress and fear response!).
Who can benefit from Neural Retraining?
Frankly, everyone.
If you have struggled with negative thoughts and emotions, anxiety, stress, chronic illness or traumatic experiences, then neural retraining can benefit you alongside working with a practitioner.
Where it all starts
Stress and our bodies’ response to it begins with the Limbic system part of the brain. It is the very important part of our brain that interprets sensory information and let’s us know if we are in danger or not, which is what can cause us to get into the fight, flight, or freeze response. An important part to note is that our response is happening automatically (through our autonomic nervous system) as well as in our subconscious brain – although through neural retraining, we can train it to respond differently!
Fight or flight
Thankfully, we are no longer running from lions, bears or crocodiles like our ancestors were, BUT instead, dealing with the chronic stress, prolonged states of anxiety and depression, as well as past traumatic experiences or chronic illness that can throw us into fight or flight and a chronic stress response even if we don’t realise it. This matters because when we are stuck in fight or flight and chronic stress, we are reinforcing those neural connections for overreaction within the brain and body. And for many this constant state of ‘stress’ has resulted in limbic system overactivation!
Neural pathways
It is only when we are able to get into that relaxed response state that we then can feel at ease within our brain and body and our limbic system can calm down and stop signaling danger. Every time we experience something calming or learn something new, we are creating new neural pathways through neuroplasticity. Think about the time you learned to ride a bike or drive a car!
If my research has taught me anything, it’s that: Neurons that fire together, wire together. So to move from your current state of stress, anxiety etc, we need to make changes – else the body will continue to respond in the same way!
Always remember
When things get tough, remember that you have the power to rewire your brain to live in a state of relaxation. It may not seem like it right now, but there are ways to access and create new neurons that create new neural networks that create a new response within the body- where anxiety, stress, illness, and fatigue no longer have to be your day-to-day truth.
If I have piqued your interest and you want to learn more about neural retraining and are ready to take actionable steps to improve your health, feel free to reach out to me by replying directly to this email or through scheduling a Clarity call to discover how I can support you. I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.
If you enjoyed this article and found it insightful, share it with a friend or family member that could benefit so they too can grow on their healing journey. As always, thank you for saving space for me in your day and I hope you have a beautiful week.
