Coregulation Conversations

Sarah Histand
  • 5.0 (14)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Exploring nervous system regulation, somatics, strength, and our relationship with nature to build capacity, connection, and possibility.

  1. Orienting + Resourcing Practice

    1D AGO

    Orienting + Resourcing Practice

    Show Notes In this short, supportive practice episode, I guide you through one of the most foundational nervous system tools we use again and again in this work: orienting through the senses to resource the body. This is a practice you can return to anytime you want to slow down, come back into your body, and gently support regulation — whether you’re walking, sitting, or even moving through your day. We explore how shifting attention to the senses can help the nervous system settle, gather scattered energy, and bring you more fully into the present moment. There’s no right outcome here — settling, increased sensation, neutrality, or simply noticing more are all welcome and useful experiences. This practice is an invitation to let the body lead, notice what feels neutral or pleasant, and choose whether to rest in a sense of wellbeing or carry that resourced presence into whatever comes next. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & setting up this standalone practice01:45 — Gentle movement, comfort & listening to the body02:45 — Using the senses to orient to your environment04:00 — Slowing attention so the body can take things in05:30 — Noticing signs of settling or increased sensation06:45 — Gathering yourself into the present moment08:00 — Finding something neutral or pleasant to rest attention on09:45 — Letting the body receive pleasure or ease11:00 — Resting in wellbeing or transitioning back into action12:30 — Closing & invitation to return to this practice anytime Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    13 min
  2. Solstice + Holiday Nervous System Skills

    DEC 17

    Solstice + Holiday Nervous System Skills

    Show Notes  In this holiday-season episode, I share gentle, practical ways to support your nervous system through the intensity of winter gatherings, family dynamics, and end-of-year reflection. Grounded in place, seasonality, and co-regulation, this conversation weaves together Winter Solstice wisdom, orienting practices, and simple relational tools that help the body feel safer — even when emotions run high. We explore why the holidays can feel like “advanced-level” nervous system work, how connection nourishes us more than we realize, and how small moments of choice, pleasure, and shared rhythm can make a real difference. This episode is an invitation to slow down, let go of perfection, and move through the season with more support and self-compassion. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome, winter weather & orienting to place 05:00 — Why seasonality and slowing down matter 09:00 — Winter Solstice as a pause for reflection and completion 14:00 — Honoring wins, integration & making space 19:00 — Holidays as “varsity-level” nervous system work 24:00 — Normalizing activation, grief & mixed emotions 29:00 — Co-regulation basics for holiday gatherings 34:00 — ORCAS framework: simple nervous system support 40:00 — Contact nutrition & the power of connection 46:00 — Kind eyes, tone of voice & shared rhythm 52:00 — Eating together as nervous system nourishment 58:00 — Closing reflections & seasonal wishes Resources Mentioned The O.R.C.A.S. Framework  Contact Nutrition with Carmen Spagnola  Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    1h 5m
  3. Embodied Athlete: What Does That Even Mean?

    DEC 11

    Embodied Athlete: What Does That Even Mean?

    Show Notes Embodied Athlete  In this wintery walk-and-talk episode, I explore what it really means to be an embodied athlete — not just someone who moves their body, but someone who can stay with their body through intensity, activation, rest, and everything in between. This episode is both personal and practical: I share my own multi-year journey of unlearning performance-based worth, navigating a long fertility season, and rebuilding my relationship with movement from the inside out. We talk about how most of us are conditioned to override, push, rush, or disconnect during movement… and how somatic skills like interoception, presence, and capacity-tracking completely change the experience. I explore the nervous system science behind subtle cues, intensity cycles, dissociation, activation, injury prevention, and what it actually feels like to move from safety rather than stress. Throughout the episode, I weave in winter sensory moments, co-regulation cues, breath awareness, and a gentle invitation to slow down — even in a culture speeding up. This conversation is for anyone rebuilding their athletic identity, recovering from a “slow season,” or wanting to feel more alive and present inside their body while they move. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to a single-digit winter walk & behind-the-scenes of outdoor recording 02:00 — Holding high standards and imperfection: the nervous system in real-time 04:00 — Introducing today’s topic: what “embodied athlete” really means 06:00 — Origins of the concept & how your fitness work has evolved 08:00 — Slowing down the walking pace + noticing rushing as a nervous system habit 10:00 — Subtle body cues: breath changes, tension, and early stress signals 12:00 — Interoception as a skill: catching activation early instead of at a “9 or 11” 14:00 — How somatics reshaped your relationship with fitness, effort, and identity 16:00 — Fertility, loss of athletic control, and the unraveling of performance-based worth 18:00 — The collapse of “train your body and get what you want” culture 20:00 — High activation + exercise as a coping strategy (and why it eventually stopped working) 22:00 — The role of mindset tools in earlier versions of Ski Babes & Summer Strong 24:00 — Nervous system baseline shifts: from chronic activation → internal spaciousness 26:00 — Letting go of the athlete identity & finding worth separate from performance 28:00 — Presence as a core pillar of being an embodied athlete 30:00 — Dissociation during intensity: why it happens & how it functions 32:00 — Learning to stay present through activation, discomfort, and effort 34:00 — Practicing this in Ski Babes intervals: safety, choice, & uncoupling intensity from fear 36:00 — Injury prevention through presence: knowing the difference between “hard” vs. “harm” 38:00 — Orientation + environmental awareness as protection for the body 40:00 — Overriding vs. capacity: why pushing through everything takes a toll 42:00 — Making effort from safety instead of stress (and how different it feels) 44:00 — Returning to athletics from embodiment: what’s possible now 46:00 — Closing reflections from the snowy trail & continuing the Embodied Athlete series Resources Mentioned Learn more about Mind & Mountain Training/ Ski Babes + Summer Strong Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    48 min
  4. Somatic Skills: Coregulation

    DEC 4

    Somatic Skills: Coregulation

    Show Notes In this episode, I explore one of my favorite nervous system skills: coregulation — how we borrow steadiness, safety, and connection from the world around us. Even though co-regulation is often talked about in the context of other people, in this episode I break down the many ways we can co-regulate with place, nature, movement, breath, and even small moments of beauty we notice in the environment. I share what co-regulation actually is on a physiological level, why it works, and how we can use it in daily life when we’re overwhelmed, shut down, anxious, or just… spun out. We talk about the myth of “self-regulation,” the relational nature of the nervous system, and why humans aren’t designed to do this alone. Throughout the walk, I weave in winter sensory cues, orienting practices, a few personal examples, and some gentle reminders that you don’t need to be perfectly calm to co-regulate — you just need one small place to connect. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to the snowy walk & introduction to today’s topic 01:30 — What co-regulation actually is (and what it isn’t) 03:00 — Why humans are built for relational nervous system support 05:00 — The limits of “self-regulation” and why it’s not a realistic expectation 07:00 — Co-regulating with nature: trees, light, color, movement 09:00 — How to feel for external anchors when you’re overwhelmed 11:00 — Positive environmental cues vs. neutral cues — and why both help 13:00 — A small example: letting the crisp winter air shift your state 15:00 — Co-regulation with animals, posture, and shared rhythm 17:00 — How environment changes our physiology without us trying 19:00 — Why you don’t need to feel “good” to co-regulate effectively 21:00 — The power of pacing, breath, and simply being in motion 23:00 — Micro-moments of connection as nervous system medicine 25:00 — How co-regulation builds capacity over time 27:00 — What happens in the brain and body during co-regulation 29:00 — Using co-regulation as a bridge back into your own body 31:00 — Everyday co-regulation practices you can use instantly 33:00 — Closing reflections & a reminder to look for one small point of connection today Resources Mentioned Resources Mentioned Free Coregulation download  Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    58 min
  5. Stories of Healing, Place, and Belonging with Mahshid Hager

    NOV 27

    Stories of Healing, Place, and Belonging with Mahshid Hager

    Show Notes In this rich conversation, Mahshid Hager joins me to explore the deep connections between healing, place, ancestry, and belonging. We talk about what it means to reconnect to land after displacement, how our bodies carry the memory of where we come from, and the ways somatic practices help us rebuild relationship with place even when we feel far from home. Mahshid shares her own story of growing up in Iran, living in diaspora, and finding her way back into a sense of rootedness through land-based ritual, creative expression, and nervous system work. Together, we reflect on migration, inherited grief, cultural loss, and the longing to belong — as well as the resilience, beauty, and wisdom that emerge when we let the body guide us back into relationship with the world around us. Throughout the episode, we weave in conversations about slowness, pleasure, the seasonality of healing, walking as a somatic practice, and how land teaches us how to stay connected, even through change. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & introducing Mahshid 02:00 — Mahshid’s early experiences of land, childhood, and cultural roots 04:00 — Growing up in Iran and the imprint of place on the nervous system 06:30 — Diaspora, migration, and the grief of displacement 09:00 — How the body remembers what the mind forgets 11:00 — Rebuilding relationship with land from afar 13:00 — The role of somatic practice in finding belonging 15:00 — Walking as a healing practice & listening to the land’s cues 17:30 — Creativity, ritual, and seasonal attunement 20:00 — What belonging means when you’ve lived in many places 22:00 — The tenderness of not feeling “from” anywhere 24:00 — Working with inherited grief & intergenerational patterns 26:00 — Softening through pleasure, presence, and sensory orientation 28:00 — The body as home: redefining rootedness 30:00 — Mahshid’s perspective on healing across cultures and continents 33:00 — How slowness supports nervous system repair 35:00 — Land as co-regulator: reciprocity, listening, and care 38:00 — Returning to ourselves through nature-based practices 40:00 — Closing reflections & what Mahshid hopes listeners carry forward Resources Mentioned Learn more about Mahshid's work  Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    58 min
  6. The Somatics of Winter

    NOV 20

    The Somatics of Winter

    Show Notes In this episode, I explore how the season itself can shape, support, and soften our nervous systems. Winter invites a different pace, a different kind of presence, and a unique set of somatic cues — and in this episode, I talk through how we can work with that instead of fighting it. I share what I’m noticing in my own system as temperatures drop, what winter naturally asks of the body, and how slowing down isn’t a failure — it’s intelligence. We look at winter as a built-in co-regulator, a sensory landscape, and a companion in healing work. Throughout the walk, I weave in orienting practices, gentle observations from the snowy landscape, and reflections on capacity, stillness, and the ways nature mirrors our inner processes. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & stepping into the winter landscape 02:00 — The shift into winter pace: slowing down, softening, adjusting 04:00 — How cold, quiet, and stillness influence the nervous system 06:00 — Capacity changes in winter (and why it’s not a personal failure) 08:30 — Sensory cues in winter: sound, light, color, breath 10:00 — The “inner winter” — rest, pause, and lower output 12:00 — Orienting practice: noticing the support of the season 14:00 — Nature as co-regulator: what the landscape teaches 16:00 — The nervous system’s layering process during seasonal shifts 18:00 — Why winter amplifies both tenderness and resilience 20:00 — Making room for slower rhythms & deeper listening 22:00 — How to work with winter rather than fight its pull 24:00 — The difference between collapse and seasonal downshifting 26:00 — Capacity, overstimulation, and protecting what’s precious 28:00 — Why winter is a powerful time for somatic work 30:00 — Gentle practices for this season (movement, orienting, pauses) 32:00 — Reframing winter as supportive, not restrictive 34:00 — Closing reflections & an invitation to let winter hold you Resources Mentioned The Winter Healing Circle Website  Sign up for Ski Babes Hot4Winter 21 Day Play Practice  Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    44 min
  7. Your Thinking Mind Helps… It Just Can’t Do It All!

    NOV 14

    Your Thinking Mind Helps… It Just Can’t Do It All!

    Show Notes: Episode 12:Your Thinking Mind Helps… It Just Can’t Do It All! In this snowy walk-and-talk episode, I explore the often-overlooked role of the cognitive mind in somatic and nervous system healing. Even though so much of this work centers on body-based awareness and bottom-up change, I’ve been noticing how grounding, relieving, and even essential it can be to understand what’s happening in the nervous system. I share what’s been coming up for me during Winter Healing Circle enrollment, why cognitive insight can soften self-judgment, and how the mind sometimes gets in the way—but can also become a powerful ally. Throughout the episode, I weave in co-regulation practices, orienting cues, wintertime sensory delights, and reflections on the dance between thought, sensation, and presence as we walk through the snow together. Timestamps:  00:00 — Welcome, winter arrives & walking in the snowy forest03:00 — Introducing today’s theme: the role of the mind in somatic work04:30 — Slower enrollment season & the realities people are facing07:00 — Why cognitive understanding matters in nervous system healing10:00 — Disconnection vs. overwhelm: two common body-awareness patterns12:45 — Helicopter pause + sensory delights on the winter walk14:00 — Orienting practice: noticing what delights you in your environment18:00 — The human drive to understand: quizzes, astrology, systems & meaning-making20:00 — How cognitive insight brings relief (“I make sense!”)23:00 — The somatic foundation: understanding the nervous system’s logic26:00 — The “second arrow” and how understanding reduces self-judgment28:00 — How cognitive learning supports deeper body-based work30:00 — Daily nervous system tending vs. deeper one-on-one work33:00 — Why insight alone doesn’t create change (and what does)36:00 — Activation cycles, completion, and the insights that follow the wave39:00 — Lineages behind this work: Indigenous traditions + animal behavior41:00 — The prefrontal cortex, why humans get stuck, and how to help the mind step aside44:00 — Thought-channel overwhelm & shifting to sensation or imagery47:00 — Closing reflections + an invitation to find delight where you are49:00 — How to share your thoughts & support the show Resources Mentioned The Winter Healing Circle Website Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    47 min
  8. Touch, Parenting, and the Joy of Embodiment with Merreley Donohue

    OCT 30

    Touch, Parenting, and the Joy of Embodiment with Merreley Donohue

    Show Notes: Episode 11: The ORCAS Model: Supporting Ourselves and Each Other In this second episode of our Winter Healing Circle series, I sit down with my dear friend and co-teacher Merreley Donohue – one of those people whose very presence brings safety and calm to the nervous system. Together we explore what it means to live and parent through the lens of somatic awareness, to ask for and receive support, and to bring body-based wisdom into everyday life. This conversation touches on embodiment, nervous system regulation, motherhood, and the surprising power of connection – both in person and through the screen. Episode Breakdown 00:00 — Welcome & introduction to the Winter Healing Circle series03:10 — How Sarah and Marilee met in Valdez, Alaska06:00 — Marilee’s background in bodywork, Rolfing, and Somatic Experiencing10:00 — Life in small-town Alaska & finding micro-communities of support15:00 — What brought Marilee to somatic work personally and professionally18:30 — Parenting teens, self-care, and learning to regulate through chaos22:00 — “I don’t have time!” — carving out micro-moments of presence24:00 — Learning to ask for and receive support30:00 — Trusting body cues and nervous system language34:00 — Virtual touch work and the power of intention41:00 — Supporting pregnancy, birth, and babies with somatic tools47:00 — Intergenerational nervous system patterns and resilience50:00 — Parenting as presence: finding regulation (and muffins) in hard moments55:00 — Assisting in somatic trainings & the beauty of shared growth1:00:00 — Closing reflections & details on the upcoming Winter Healing Circle Resources Mentioned The Winter Healing Circle Website Falls + Close Calls Masterclass Registration - 10/30 @ 4pm AK/8pm ET  Merreley's Website  Merreley's Instagram Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    1h 2m
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Exploring nervous system regulation, somatics, strength, and our relationship with nature to build capacity, connection, and possibility.

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