What are internal resources?
Internal resources are tools and techniques to restore balance in the nervous system.
A key features of chronic stress and trauma is that it keeps our nervous system stuck in survival mode: a self-reinforcing loop of being in danger. Even when we consciously know we're safe, our nervous system will remain on high alert.
Internal resources provide the balancing experience to this feeling of being in danger: the feeling of safety. This feeling of safety allows the nervous system to unwind, gradually shifting out of survival and into a state of rest, digestion, and healing.
In survival mode, our energy is focused on protection, at the expense of our other vital functions. If our body stays stuck in this state, we may develop a variety of symptoms and chronic illnesses.
By shifting into healing mode through the use of internal resources, we can allow for the body to restore and replenish itself. This is why we call these tools resources: because they resource the body, enhancing its capacity to heal and bounce back from stress.
Resources examples
There are many resources available to us, including body-awareness, breathing, and visualization techniques.
Below I will provide 3 examples of resources. For a more comprehensive list you can visit my Instagram account.
When practicing these resources, find a quiet place and spend at least 5 minutes observing changes in your breath and bodily sensations. You might notice internal movements or a sense of relaxation—signs that your nervous system is starting to release.
Islands Of Safety: Trauma can make the body feel like a threatening place. However, we almost always find that there are some areas in the body that actually feel ok, even good. This good feeling can help provide some relief and rest for the nervous system to shift. Scan your body and ask yourself, what area in the body feels good, resourceful? It might be the palms, legs, spine, heart—anywhere in the body. Once you have found an area, bring your awareness deeper into it, resting there. Notice the sensations that emerge from being in this “Island of Safety”.
Grounding: In survival mode, our energy tends to rise up, disconnecting us from our body and the earth. This exercise helps restore that connection. Focus on a point where you contact the ground—your feet, buttocks, or back. Feel your weight sink downward. Notice the earth's support beneath you. Gradually release into that support.
Boundaries: Survival mode can create a sense of losing control over ourselves. This exercise reminds the body of its boundaries and that it is the container of the experiences moving through it. Bring your awareness to your skin. Feeling the envelop around your body, how it delineates what is inside and what is outside. Allow yourself to feel the comfort of experiencing this boundary.
Growing our resources
As you practice these resources, you may find that some exercises resonate with you more than others. You may also find that the exercises that resonate change over time.
This is because each exercise shifts our nervous system in a unique way. Depending on what it needs at different times, some resources will work better than others.
The more we practice the resources, the stronger they become, and the more resilient our nervous system grows.