Taking in the Good
Reconnecting the body and the mind
Mindfulness, breath work, gratitude, time in nature, and meaningful connection are simple practices that can profoundly change the way we experience our lives. They invite us to slow down, become present, and reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. Alongside these practices, massage therapy, somatic awareness, and Yoga offer another pathway to healing—one that begins not with the mind, but with the body.
At the center of this mind-body connection is the vagus nerve, a major part of the parasympathetic nervous system that connects the brain with the heart, lungs, digestive system, and much of the body. A significant amount of communication travels from the body to the brain, reminding us that healing cannot always happen through thought alone. We cannot simply think our way out of anxiety, fear, or emotional pain. Sometimes, we have to feel our way toward safety. Our nervous system influences the stories we tell ourselves. When we are in a state of stress or sympathetic activation, our thoughts may become fearful, angry, or hyper-vigilant. When we feel overwhelmed or shut down, the story may become, “I can’t.” But as the nervous system begins to experience safety, connection, and calm, something begins to shift. We become more capable of seeing possibility, experiencing joy, and responding rather than simply reacting.
This is where Massage Therapy can become a powerful healing modality. Through therapeutic touch, presence, breath, and awareness of the body’s sensations, massage can offer the nervous system an experiences of goodness like safety, trust, pleasure, and relaxation. It gives us permission to slow down and listen—to notice where we hold tension, where we protect ourselves, and where we might finally begin to let go. When massage is combined with somatic awareness, yoga, breath work, mindfulness, visualizations, and other supportive practices, it can become part of a beautiful and supported process of reconnecting with the body. Rather than pushing difficult emotions, thoughts, and sensations away—rather than looking for relief, or a way to escape—we learn to notice them with curiosity and compassion, and discover that they change over time.
Somatic healing theories remind us that our bodies carry experiences long after our conscious minds have moved on. Through gentle awareness, we can begin to rediscover parts of ourselves that may have become hidden beneath stress, fear, or patterns of protection. We learn that healing is not about becoming someone different. It is sometimes not even about returning to who we were before we learned that we had to protect ourselves from feeling. I believe healing is synonymous with growing; it requires us to learn about ourselves and the world, to grow in our capacities, and to see our own capabilities increase by coming through difficult times. Healing happens when we can integrate the stories we’ve been carrying in our nervous system with what is currently happening in our bodies, in the present moment. Sometimes we need the caring and trained support of another person to help us to stay present and feel safe in the process.
As our relationship with our own nervous system changes, our relationships with others can change as well. We may become better able to establish healthy boundaries, remain present during difficult conversations, repair after conflict, and create deeper, more authentic connections. And perhaps most importantly, we learn that we do not have to be afraid of our feelings, thoughts, or sensations as they arise and dissipate.
The human brain naturally looks for what might go wrong. Its negativity bias was designed for survival. That is why intentionally taking in the good matters. When we pause to notice gratitude, beauty, connection, safety, kindness, or even a moment of peace, we give ourselves an opportunity to truly experience those things—not simply recognize them intellectually, but allow them to settle into the body. Healing does not mean that we will never experience sadness, anger, fear, or discomfort. Those emotions are part of being human. Healing means developing the capacity to meet them with compassion instead of resistance. Perhaps this is the work of a lifetime: learning to listen to our bodies, honor what we feel, and gently remind ourselves that we are safe enough to experience the fullness of being human. To breathe. To feel. To connect. To receive. To let go. And, little by little, to take in the good.
Written by Sara Beard, LMT
