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. [TIME SENSITIVE] Tend & Defend: Meeting the Moment with Mama Bear Energy

    1D AGO

    [TIME SENSITIVE] Tend & Defend: Meeting the Moment with Mama Bear Energy

    Show Notes In this episode, I share a time-sensitive invitation and the deeper somatic framework behind it: how we meet collective intensity without bypassing, dissociating, or burning ourselves out. Recorded in the midst of February’s unfolding events, this conversation explores why tending to safety and defending what we love are not opposites — but complementary nervous system capacities. I reflect on the ways our nervous systems respond to overwhelming information, the limits of catharsis as a strategy, and the importance of cultivating embodied access to protective energy. Through the metaphor of “Mama Bear energy,” I explore how anger, grief, and fierceness can be held with presence, titration, and relational support — rather than discharged in ways that leave us disconnected from our experience. This episode is an invitation to practice both tenderness and protection, to move toward intensity with skill and choice, and to imagine what becomes possible when we learn to ride the full wave of activation and settling together. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & a time-sensitive announcement 03:00 — Living inside collective intensity 06:30 — Deep diving vs. looking away 09:30 — Why embodiment matters more than catharsis 12:30 — Introducing “Tend & Defend” 15:30 — Mama Bear energy as protection rooted in love 18:30 — Titration, presence & riding the wave 21:30 — The three phases: co-regulation, burn & build 24:30 — Why safety is rarely absolute 27:30 — Accessing protective responses in the body 30:30 — Power, identity & embodied healthy aggression 33:30 — Practicing boundaries and self-protection 36:30 — Imagining what we want to build together 39:30 — Closing reflections & invitation  Resources Sign up for Tend & Defend here. We meet on 2/12 @4pm AK /8pm ET Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    15 min
  2. Trusting Safe Enough

    FEB 5

    Trusting Safe Enough

    Show Notes  In this episode, I share a nervous system breakthrough that emerged from time on glacial ice — a shift from managing risk with urgency to trusting what felt safe enough. Recorded on a winter walk in Anchorage, this conversation explores how learning to read nuance in safety can transform not only our experiences in wild places, but also how we move through everyday life. I reflect on skating around icebergs, noticing real versus perceived threat, and the relief of being able to stay present inside an experience that once felt overwhelmingly stressful. Through stories and somatic insight, I explore how our nervous systems learn to orient toward danger — and how, with practice, they can also learn to recognize cues of safety, stability, and support. This episode is an invitation to rethink what safety means, to move beyond the illusion of certainty, and to cultivate a deeper trust in both the environment and the body’s capacity to respond. Rather than waiting for perfect safety, we practice sensing what is safe enough — and allowing that to be a place of genuine settling and joy. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & winter walking reflections 03:00 — Introducing the idea of “trusting safe enough” 06:30 — Icebergs, risk & the familiar hum of anxiety 10:00 — When conditions feel stable enough to stay 13:30 — Differentiating real threat from perceived threat 17:00 — Why “safe enough” matters more than perfect safety 20:30 — From practice to embodiment in nervous system work 24:00 — The “gas in the system” metaphor for activation 28:00 — Overreaction, self-judgment & nervous system habits 31:30 — Training the body to notice safety cues 34:30 — Discharging stored stress & releasing excess charge 38:00 — Inside-out vs. outside-in approaches to release 42:00 — Trusting the body’s ability to read reality 45:30 — Safety, systems, and the limits of certainty 49:00 — The two parts of trust: environment & self 52:30 — Celebrating nervous system wins & closing reflections Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    37 min
  3. Calm Is Not The Goal

    JAN 29

    Calm Is Not The Goal

    Show Notes  In this episode, I talk about nervous system support for moments when the world feels anything but calm. Recorded from my couch on a snowy day, this conversation explores why calm isn’t always the goal — and why coherence, presence, and right-sized responses matter more when we’re living inside ongoing intensity. I reflect on what it means to be activated in ways that make sense for the moment, how our nervous systems respond to political and personal stress, and why emotions like anger, grief, fear, and urgency are not signs of failure but signals asking for care and support. I share practical ways to bring in safety and co-regulation without bypassing what’s real or disengaging from what matters. This episode is an invitation to build capacity for being with discomfort, learning to read nervous system states, and staying present enough to respond thoughtfully — even when calm isn’t available or appropriate. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome, settling in & orienting together 03:30 — Noticing deactivation and when the body needs movement first 06:30 — Intensity, current events & why these skills matter now 11:30 — Calm vs. coherence as a nervous system goal 14:30 — Over- and under-responding to stress 17:00 — Validating activation: anger, grief & urgency 19:30 — Co-regulation, support & not being alone 22:30 — How nervous system state shapes perception 25:30 — A story from the Brooks Range: state shifts in real time 31:00 — Learning to read your default stress responses 34:30 — Untangling intensity from threat 37:30 — Layering safety into activated moments 41:00 — Staying engaged without bypassing or dissociating 45:00 — Discomfort, capacity & right-sized stretch 49:00 — Making space for calm when it arrives 52:00 — Closing thoughts & care for what’s ahead Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    49 min
  4. Somatic Workouts

    JAN 22

    Somatic Workouts

    Show Notes In this episode, I reflect on an evolving experiment: weaving somatic nervous system skills into interval-style workouts. Recorded on a winter walk in Anchorage, this conversation explores why learning how to be with activation may be essential for accessing real rest, resilience, and regulation - especially in intense times. I talk about how most nervous system work focuses on deactivation, and why that often isn’t enough. Through the lens of somatics, workouts become a practice space for meeting intensity with safety, uncoupling effort from threat, and building capacity to stay present through activation cycles rather than managing or escaping them. This episode is part teaching, part reflection, and part timestamp in a creative process that’s still unfolding - an invitation to rethink how movement, safety, and nervous system care can work together in more integrated ways. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & recording from the winter woods 03:00 — Why somatic skills need spaces beyond therapy 06:30 — The desire to deactivate & why it often doesn’t work 10:00 — Adding safety: orienting, resourcing & co-regulation 13:30 — When the body needs activation before it can settle 17:00 — How we manage intensity: fight, flight, freeze & collapse 21:00 — Using workouts as a practice space for nervous system work 24:30 — Weaving somatics into interval training 28:00 — Uncoupling physical effort from danger 32:00 — What participants are noticing in somatic workouts 36:00 — Generalizing these skills to mountains & daily life 40:00 — Over-coupling: activation with collapse or fear 44:00 — Creating safety to stay present with activation 48:00 — When movement mobilizes old, stuck charge 52:00 — Practicing down-regulation in micro breaks 56:00 — Staying with the backside of the wave 1:00:30 — Closing reflections & where this work may be heading Submit your questions for the Q&A [here] Photos and links from this episode: www.mindandmountain.co/podcast

    1h 4m
  5. Cordova Trip Report: When Everything Comes Together

    JAN 15

    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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
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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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