Episode 70: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout
Healing is messy, nonlinear, and often unpredictable. But sometimes, it takes a seemingly random experience—like an ecstatic dance class—to bring a major lesson to the surface. In this episode, Amanda reflects on what dancing taught her about the nervous system, the value of community, and the power of receiving suggestions (not just open-ended questions) on the healing path.
While visiting a friend in Colorado, Amanda attended her first-ever ecstatic dance class. Despite a background in rigid, rule-bound movement (track, powerlifting, CrossFit), this experience asked her to drop the script and follow intuition. It was uncomfortable at first—but also illuminating.
As the music started, the instructor offered not rules, but gentle guidance. Breathe. Connect. Move freely. And through these suggestions, Amanda was able to begin moving in unfamiliar, freeing ways. This mirrored a larger realization: how crucial suggestion can be in therapeutic settings, especially when the nervous system is still stuck in survival mode.
What made the dance class feel safe and transformative? It wasn’t just the movement. It was the structure the instructor offered:
These three C’s are foundational in nervous system healing. Without them, unfamiliar experiences can feel threatening. With them, transformation becomes possible.
In early healing, being asked “What do you think you need?” can feel paralyzing. When the nervous system is dysregulated, it’s hard to imagine new ways of being. This is where suggestion becomes powerful. It offers a starting point. A spark. A “try this and see.”
Amanda compares this to mimicking dancers around her—trying on movements until her body began to move on its own. Similarly, in coaching or therapy, the right suggestion can be a bridge to new behavior or self-belief.
Many clients come to Amanda’s practice after feeling stuck in talk therapy. A common theme: lack of tools. Too much reflection, not enough integration. One client said, “If I knew what would help, I wouldn’t be asking.”
The Rise As We model follows Amanda’s trauma-informed healing pyramid:
Each stage includes both reflection and suggestion. Because tools matter. Physiology matters. And sometimes, someone else showing you how to move—literally or metaphorically—is what gets you unstuck.
Healing isn’t just in your head. It’s in your body. Amanda reminds us how children naturally express emotion through movement: fists when angry, spinning when excited, eye contact when scared. Over time, these expressions get shut down.
Ecstatic dance reawakened a part of Amanda that had been quieted. And it invited her to ask: What if the weirder I move, the more I fit in?
This kind of embodiment practice isn’t just play. It’s regulation. It’s integration. And it can be a profound part of becoming who you were before the world told you to shrink.Want to explore this kind of healing in a supportive community? The Regulated Living Membership includes nervous system tools, somatic practices, and monthly connection.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
A mental health newsletter that feels like a deep breath: simple, grounding, and here to remind you that healing is possible.
Regulated Living provides neuroscience-backed mental health coaching to help you regulate your nervous system and reclaim your life from anxiety and depression.
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