This is another tricky question to answer! It’s important to begin with a mutual definition of “overwhelmed.” And to consider “past” and “present” time. Basically, overwhelmed means “too much.” It’s the most basic description of trauma: Something that was, or is, “too much” for our nervous system to process. Historically, this is the case with past trauma, as survival energies and emotions were too much to handle at the time, and became trapped energy.

We work very specifically and diligently in SBSM with Attention and Intention. These are two very powerful practices! We also build a solid foundation of “here and now” awareness. When we start turning our attention to our body, and more specifically, our nervous system, with the intention of healing our trauma, we may inevitably feel things that have historically been overwhelming. However with the SBSM education and practices embedded in awareness, you can be more prepared and able to avoid becoming overwhelmed now.

In SmartBody SmartMind™ we take many steps to prepare you for this with education, so you can understand what is happening in your experience, which generally makes it less scary, and by guiding you slowly from the basic, resource building work, to deeper investigations of the system. That being said, when you work with the nervous system, there’s no way to predict with 100% accuracy how different people (and nervous systems) will respond to each lesson. For example, some people may experience increased feelings of safety and presence from a lesson intended to support resource building and containment, and that same lesson may bring on high activation or shutdown for others.

This is why we will stress, over and over again, ‘GO AT YOUR OWN PACE!’

Discovering your own pace can be a rich healing and learning experience in and of itself! It’s a basic life skill that everyone needs to learn in order to work with their nervous system in a way that grows regulation and capacity with the least amount of potential overwhelm. Nervous system regulation work is a practice of getting to know your unique system and how to most skillfully support your system, and with time, we can become better at knowing when something is “too much,” “not enough,” or “just right.”

SmartBody SmartMind™ is, at its core, a self-study program. Irene and her team of trained, nervous system and trauma healing specialists will be there to answer questions, and there are many opportunities for live curated Q&A. Ultimately this process is about becoming your own medicine. How you pace yourself on that journey, and what you discover on the way, is ultimately your responsibility.

Finally, as mentioned above in another FAQ, some members find working privately with a skilled somatic practitioner to be complementary to the learning and practice of this in-depth online program. Please consider this, if you are concerned about your capacity to be with the sensations and emotions that may arise. If you are uncertain on what level of support you may need, we recommend you consult with appropriate healthcare providers.

Ultimately, it’s useful to be informed that part of the healing journey may include feeling things that have been difficult in the past to feel, and may still be difficult. We will give you education, tools, and support, as you learn to know and navigate your own unique system on the way to growing regulation and healing trauma.