04/03/2026
How does Neuro-Rocking Release Therapy affect the nervous system?
Rocking has a profound effect on the human nervous system and science proves that humans are wired to respond to rocking. It helps our development in the early years of life and soothes the nervous system allowing for the organs to interact with one another with minimal disruption.
Rocking reduces the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) overload (fight/flight/freeze/friend mode) which has become a pandemic and a chronic state of being among the citizens of modern societies. People are angry, snappy, frustrated, unsatisfied, over-emotional or under-emotional (freeze mode), relationships do not last longer than a few months, parents and children cut ties, the su***de rate is the highest it has ever been, high rates of infertility too, great prevalence of autoimmune diseases especially among the female population, there are school shootings, mass stabbings, social media bullying… These experiences make us feel unsafe which is the root of every traumatic event. As babies, we felt comfort and safety in the arms of our parents, being held, rocked, attended to. As we grow up, we realise we have to build such sense of safety and security for ourselves and it can be very challenging for adults who are mostly engaged in the sympathetic nervous system.
The SNS relays in the amygdala in the centre of the brain, adjacent to the hippocampus (responsible for memory). The amygdala activates in the face of perceived danger or threat and is the chief in the processing of emotions and memories associated with fear. The amygdala is overactive and dysregulated in cases of PTSD, triggering inappropriate responses such as aggression, withdrawal, fight, freeze, flight. Also, loss of appetite or over-eating, feeling stuck in life, hypersensitivity. Such overload subdues the PNS processes (resting and nourishing mode). Some of the symptoms are lack or excess of appetite, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, a sense of doom, toxic relationships, unfruitful careers… and when sustained for long it can cause conditions such as IBS, adrenal fatigue, chronic pain, depression, autoimmune diseases and more.
The PNS is activated by rocking and it sends signals of safety, comfort, calm, wellbeing and relaxation by the release of certain hormones and chemicals such as serotonin (the mood stabiliser), dopamine (the reward chemical), oxytocin (the love hormone) and endorphins (the pain killer) which are involved in many essential processes like heart rate and digestion as well as mood.
In a regulated nervous system, the endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive, urinary, reproductive, skeletal and lymphatic systems function smoothly and one feels naturally content.
Most chronic pain cases have a strong psycho-emotional component and a dysregulation of the nervous system, in particular the vagus nerve, and this is why we use the Indian Head Towelling technique to gently release the cervical spine which is where the vagus nerve exits the cranium, through the jugular foramen, and travels downwards to all the other organs in the body. Hence its importance!
The splenic branch of the vagus nerve is where many of the autoimmune goodies are created, which is why people that struggle with anxiety would also have digestive issues and possibly catch colds easily or have some other autoimmune disease.
I hope you found this read interesting! And if you'd like to train with us and make a difference with an evidence-based therapy method, visit https://neurorockingreleasetherapy.com/nrrt-training/
Ana Guerrero
