The Difference Between a Regulated Nervous System and a Spiritually Bypassed One
It’s easy to confuse being calm with being regulated. You might meditate every morning, breathe through conflict, and speak softly, yet still be living in a body that’s frozen, dissociated, or detached from truth.
A regulated nervous system isn’t about appearing peaceful. It’s about being present — connected to sensation, emotion, and life as it actually moves through you.
And this is where spirituality can sometimes become another disguise for dysregulation.
What Spiritual Bypassing Really Looks Like
Spiritual bypassing happens when we use spiritual concepts to avoid discomfort.
Instead of processing emotion, we “positive think” our way out of it.
Instead of expressing anger, we call it “surrender.”
Instead of setting boundaries, we label people “low vibration.”
It looks like:
Meditating instead of feeling
Forgiving without fully grieving
Performing peace while your body screams “no”
The bypassed nervous system is quiet — but not at ease.
It’s shut down, not serene.
What a Regulated Nervous System Feels Like
A regulated system can tolerate life.
It can handle tension, difference, and uncertainty without collapsing.
It doesn’t need to bypass because it trusts that emotion can move through safely.
When you’re regulated:
You can stay present in discomfort
You can feel emotion without being consumed by it
You can access intuition, creativity, and connection
This is what somatic therapy helps you reclaim — your body as a trusted compass, not something to transcend.
Why Somatic Therapy and EMDR Bridge the Gap
Spiritual growth is expansive — but if your body isn’t on board, it won’t last. That’s why I blend EMDR and somatic therapy in my work with women who are both sensitive and spiritual.
These methods don’t ask you to think your way into regulation — they help your nervous system find it. Through movement, breath, and bilateral stimulation, your system learns what peace actually feels like — grounded, alive, and fully human.
Beyond Bypassing: Embodied Spirituality
True spirituality is embodied. It’s not about ascending out of the human experience — it’s about anchoring into it. When your body feels safe, your soul can speak clearly.
When you’re regulated:
Your intuition sharpens.
Your emotions make sense.
Your presence becomes medicine.
Now Accepting In-Person Clients in Carmel-by-the-Sea
I offer in-person and virtual sessions across California, with my office located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, serving clients from Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Big Sur. Together, we’ll bring the spiritual and the somatic back into harmony — helping your body become the safest place for your spirit to live.
