5 Ways to Support Your Nervous System Naturally
Movement, Breath, Sound Healing, Essential Oils & Regulation Through Connection
In a world that’s often fast, loud, and demanding, your nervous system is constantly working behind the scenes—responding to your environment, processing emotions, and trying its best to keep you safe. But when stress becomes chronic, even the most resilient systems need care.
The truth is, regulation doesn’t require elaborate tools or a dramatic life overhaul. Your body already holds the wisdom to return to balance—and sometimes, all it needs is your willingness to slow down and listen.
Here are five simple, nurturing ways to support your nervous system naturally, backed by both ancient traditions and modern research.
1. Restorative Movement: Yoga & Gentle Flow
Movement is a powerful form of self-regulation—but it doesn’t have to be high-energy or goal-oriented. In fact, some of the most healing forms are soft, slow, and deeply restful.
Restorative yoga invites your body into supported shapes, using props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks to allow full release. Poses are held for several minutes, helping activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your body responsible for rest and repair.
According to research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, practices like yoga increase heart rate variability (HRV)—a marker of nervous system resilience—and reduce markers of stress and inflammation (Streeter et al., 2012).
Even just one supported pose—like legs up the wall or reclined butterfly—can help reset your system when practiced with presence and breath.
2. Breathe Into Calm
The breath is your nervous system’s best friend. When stress spikes, your breath becomes shallow and tight—but with awareness, you can use it as a tool to return to ease.
Try box breathing or 4-7-8 breath to calm the body and settle the mind:
Inhale through your nose for 4
Hold for 7
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8
Even just two or three rounds can help soften the edges of anxiety and tell your body: You’re safe.
A study in Psychiatry Research found that slow, diaphragmatic breathing reduces cortisol levels and boosts emotional clarity—making it a simple but effective daily nervous system tool (Ma et al., 2017).
3. Soothe with Sound Baths
Sound healing offers a direct, vibrational way to soothe the nervous system—no words required. A sound bath immerses you in the tones of crystal singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and other instruments that help shift brainwaves and encourage deep relaxation.
Research has shown that sound meditation can reduce tension, anxiety, and physical pain. One study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that participants who experienced a sound bath reported significantly lower tension and anxiety scores afterward (Goldsby et al., 2016).
You can attend sound baths in person or listen online. Try lying down with a blanket, closing your eyes, and simply receiving. There’s nothing to figure out—just let the sound work on a cellular and emotional level.
4. Ground with Essential Oils
Essential oils are one of the gentlest ways to connect with the nervous system. Through scent, they work directly with the limbic system—your brain’s emotional and memory center—and help regulate emotional states.
Some go-to oils for nervous system support include:
Lavender – calming, especially for anxious energy
Frankincense – grounding and spiritually centering
Chamomile – soothes restlessness and tension
Vetiver – deeply grounding for scattered minds
Bergamot – emotionally balancing and uplifting
If you’re looking for thoughtfully formulated options, explore BBS blends at The Denver Village—created with nervous system support in mind. These blends are crafted to offer more than just scent; they hold intention, plant wisdom, and emotional care
5. Regulate Through Connection & Community Support
While individual tools are powerful, one of the most essential forms of regulation happens through co-regulation—the way our nervous systems attune and calm in the presence of others.
This is where community becomes a healing force. Whether it’s a long hug, eye contact with someone you trust, or simply being in a shared space of support, our bodies respond to relational safety.
If you're local, The Denver Village offers not just resources but a healing community—a space where nervous systems can soften together, whether through group practices, conversations, or simply presence.
Research in social neuroscience shows that human connection reduces the body’s threat response and promotes oxytocin—the “bonding hormone”—which is key in calming the nervous system (Porges, 2011; Siegel, 2010).
If in-person connection feels out of reach, start small. One voice message. One check-in. Even shared time with a pet can remind your system that you are not alone.
In Closing
Nervous system support doesn’t need to be overwhelming. It can be one deep breath. One supported yoga pose. One drop of oil. One song. One moment of being held in safe community.
Let it be simple. Let it be sacred. Let it be enough.
You are not behind, and you are not broken. You are simply returning—to calm, to connection, to yourself.
Resources & Further Reading
Streeter, C.C., Gerbarg, P.L., Saper, R.B., Ciraulo, D.A., & Brown, R.P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Ma, X., Yue, Z., Gong, Z., Zhang, H., Duan, N., Shi, Y., & Wei, G. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Psychiatry Research.
Goldsby, T.L., Goldsby, M.E., McWalters, M., & Mills, P.J. (2016). Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being: An Observational Study. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine.
Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation.
Siegel, D.J. (2010). The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician's Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration.
