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. Cordova Trip Report: When Everything Comes Together

    6D AGO

    Cordova Trip Report: When Everything Comes Together

    In this reflective episode, I share a trip report from a recent visit to Cordova — a place that offered spaciousness, perspective, and a much-needed pause from routine. Through stories of travel, weather, and being in a different rhythm of life, I reflect on how stepping out of our usual environment can reveal what we’ve been carrying and what we might be ready to set down. This episode explores the nervous system impacts of rest, novelty, and beauty, and how being in relationship with place can gently reorganize us. I talk about noticing capacity, letting schedules soften, and allowing experiences to land without needing to extract meaning or productivity from them right away. This is a slower, contemplative listen — an invitation to let travel (near or far) remind you of your own rhythms, needs, and the quiet recalibrations that happen when you give yourself a little more space. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & setting the scene 03:00 — Traveling out of routine & shifting nervous system pace 06:30 — First impressions of Cordova: place, weather & atmosphere 10:30 — Rest, spaciousness & letting days unfold 14:30 — Noticing capacity when structure falls away 18:00 — How beauty and novelty support regulation 22:00 — Letting experiences land without rushing meaning 26:00 — Reflections on simplicity, connection & perspective 30:00 — Bringing travel insights back into daily life 34:00 — Closing thoughts & gentle integration Resources/Images Check out these videos on my Instagram to get an idea of how grand the ice was:  The Canyon The Blue Room The Ice Tunnel  Ski Babes is part of the training I've been doing that kept me feeling so well prepared for this trip. You can learn more about the training subscription here.  Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    1h 4m
  2. Starting the Year With a Yawn

    JAN 8

    Starting the Year With a Yawn

    Show Notes  In this first episode back after winter break, I head out for a snowy walk and reflect on what it means to begin a new year from winter energy rather than urgency. Instead of pushing for big resolutions or immediate action, this episode explores the value of slower starts, limited capacity, and honoring the quieter, underground phases of growth. We talk about seasonal cycles, perimenopause, nervous system pacing, and the tension many of us feel between collective New Year momentum and what our bodies are actually asking for. I share a personal reflection on creative timing, resisting the pressure to rush ideas into form, and trusting that what’s meant to grow needs the right conditions — not speed. This episode is an invitation to soften into January, listen for your true rhythm, and allow beginnings to be gentle, internal, and emergent. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome back & walking in winter 03:30 — New year energy vs. winter reality 07:00 — Limited daylight, capacity & seasonal pacing 11:00 — Perimenopause, nervous system shifts & slowing down 15:00 — Beginnings don’t have to be loud or visible 18:30 — Collective New Year momentum: when it helps, when it pressures 21:30 — A personal reflection on creative timing & not rushing emergence 26:00 — Seeds, gestation & trusting what’s underground 29:30 — Using New Year energy lightly & with intention 33:00 — Nervous system change, plateaus & growth spurts 36:30 — Closing reflections & permission to move slowly Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    39 min
  3. Walking Practice – Coregulating With The Earth

    JAN 1

    Walking Practice – Coregulating With The Earth

    Show Notes In this short walking practice, I guide you through a simple, grounding way to co-regulate with the earth using movement, gravity, and sensory awareness. Designed to be done outdoors (or indoors if needed), this practice invites you to slow your pace, feel your feet making contact with the ground, and notice how the body responds when it’s in relationship with something larger and deeply supportive. We explore downward flow, letting go of what you don’t need to carry, and gently receiving support back up through the feet, legs, and pelvis. There’s no right way to experience this practice — you’re invited to follow what feels supportive, release what doesn’t, and trust your nervous system’s timing. This episode is an offering for winter walks, transitions between tasks, or anytime you want to feel more grounded, supported, and connected to the earth beneath you. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & setting up the walking practice01:30 — Slowing pace & noticing the rhythm of your steps02:45 — Feeling the feet make contact with the earth04:00 — Gravity, grounding & downward flow05:30 — Letting excess energy move into the earth07:00 — Making space for what wants to grow next08:30 — Receiving support up through the feet and legs10:00 — Bringing earth energy into hips and pelvis12:30 — Orienting to place while staying connected14:00 — Closing & releasing the active practice Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    15 min
  4. Orienting + Resourcing Practice

    12/25/2025

    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
  5. Solstice + Holiday Nervous System Skills

    12/17/2025

    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
  6. Embodied Athlete: What Does That Even Mean?

    12/11/2025

    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
  7. Somatic Skills: Coregulation

    12/04/2025

    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
  8. Stories of Healing, Place, and Belonging with Mahshid Hager

    11/27/2025

    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
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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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