28/07/2026
Three weeks.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
J. Muir
For the past three weeks, I’ve been away from the quiet presence of the mountains, navigating the fast-paced pulse of big city life.
As a somatic therapist, I spend my days helping others track their bodily sensations, notice states of arousal, and cultivate regulation. But living in the body it’s an ongoing, daily practice. And these past few weeks were a vivid reminder of just how deeply our physical environment shapes our inner physiology.
In the mountains, my nervous system rests into a naturally slower rhythm. The wide horizons give the eyes space to soften, the stillness invites deeper breathing, and the cadence of life feels anchored in something ancient and unhurried.
In the city, the sensory input is continuous: flashing lights, constant ambient noise, fast-moving crowds, and a baseline urgency that subtly keeps the body on alert. I felt my shoulders drawing up, my breath shortening, and my system working overtime just to filter the noise and stay centered.
It was a gentle reminder that overstimulation isn’t a personal failure, it’s a biological response. Our bodies were built to register the pace around us, and when that pace shifts rapidly, our nervous systems respond.
Returning home to the mountains, I felt an immediate exhale. The moment my feet touched familiar soil and my eyes took in the high ridge lines, my system began to settle back into its natural baseline.
If you’ve been feeling overstimulated, hurried, or disconnected from your center lately:
1. Check in with your environment: Is the world around you asking your body to move faster than feels natural?
2. Seek micro-moments of spaciousness: Even in the middle of a concrete jungle, look up at the sky, feel your feet planted on the earth, or take three unhurried exhales.
3. Honor your pace: You don’t have to match the velocity of a fast-moving environment.
Oh how good it is to be back to a slower cadence. 🌲✨
