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Why work with the body?
Your nervous system has two modes: active (sympathetic - fight/flight) and rest (parasympathetic - rest/digest). When you're stressed, burnt out, or dealing with trauma, your nervous system can get stuck in active mode—constantly alert, unable to switch off.
This isn't a choice. It's your autonomic nervous system doing what it's designed to do: keep you safe. But when it stays in survival mode long-term, you get chronic tension, insomnia, anxiety, digestive issues, and exhaustion.
As a result many of us spend our lives in our heads.
Thinking.
Planning.
Worrying.
Analysing.
Trying to think our way through stress, pain, overwhelm or change.
Sometimes that helps.
Sometimes it doesn't.
Because our experiences don't just live in our thoughts. They also show up in our bodies. Tight shoulders. A clenched jaw. Shallow breathing. Restlessness. Fatigue. The feeling that you're always carrying something, even when you can't quite name what it is.
Body-based practices offer another way in. Through movement, breath, relaxation and mindful awareness, we create opportunities to slow down, reconnect with ourselves and develop a greater understanding of what we need. This isn't about fixing you. It's about learning to listen. Many of the practices used at Ashwild are informed by somatic approaches, psychology, mindfulness and nervous system science. Together, they help create more moments of calm, clarity, connection and choice in everyday life.
Explore our services and get in touch
Our Services
01.Settle the Storm Class
A weekly community practice for people who need a little more breathing room. Each session explores a different theme through gentle body-based movement, guided relaxation, reflection and community. Designed for people experiencing stress, burnout, chronic pain, life transitions, grief, overwhelm or simply the demands of everyday life. No experience needed. No pressure to perform. Just space to slow down, reconnect and notice what you need. Movement • Reflection • Community
02.1:1 Personalised Support
Personalised support for stress, overwhelm, chronic pain, life transitions and the challenges of being human. Together, we'll explore the relationship between your body, thoughts, emotions and experiences, helping you better understand what you're carrying and develop practical tools that support everyday life. Drawing from somatic practices, breathwork, mindfulness, psychology and reflective conversation, each session is tailored to your needs, goals and circumstances.
03.Children's Wellbeing Sessions
Gentle regulation work for children (ages 5-12) in schools, nurseries, events, or at home. Playful 30-45 minute sessions building regulation skills, emotional literacy, and confidence through movement, creativity, breathwork, and grounding. Trauma-informed, neurodivergence-friendly, adapted to each child's needs. Can act as bridging provision where SEN support isn't yet in place or complement existing services. Block bookings and term contracts available for schools/nurseries.
04.Workshops & Events
Longer experiences designed to explore a theme in greater depth. Through movement, reflection, relaxation and community, these sessions offer more time to slow down, reconnect and step away from the demands of daily life. Themes change throughout the year and may explore rest, change, self-trust, creativity, grief, resilience and other aspects of the human experience. Small groups. Trauma-informed. Accessible and adaptable for all bodies.
Upcoming Events
Play & Exhale TasterWed 26 AugThe Alice Cross Centre
Settle the Storm Taster SessionWed 02 SeptThe Alice Cross Centre
The Quiet: Somatic movement, breathwork & cacao in natureSat 06 JunMilton Country Park
Early Bird AvailableRelease. An embodied movement workshopSat 16 MayOur Lady Immaculate Parish Centre
Why it works & what it can do for you
POLYVAGAL THEORY
Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory shows that the vagus nerve (the main nerve connecting your brain to your body) regulates your nervous system state. When it's
toned and active, you can rest. When it's underactive, you stay stuck in fight/flight.
Somatic practices, breathwork, and progressive muscle relaxation all activate and
tone the vagus nerve, signaling to your body that it's safe to settle.
SOMATIC MOVEMENT
Research shows that gentle, mindful movement:
- Reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest mode)
- Releases stored tension in muscles and fascia
- Improves interoception (your ability to sense what's happening in your body)
Unlike exercise (which activates your sympathetic system), somatic movement is slow,
intentional, and designed to calm—not energize—your nervous system.
BREATHWORK
Controlled breathing directly impacts your autonomic nervous system:
- Slow exhales (longer than inhales) activate the vagus nerve
- Box breathing (4-4-6) shifts you from sympathetic to parasympathetic
- Diaphragmatic breathing reduces heart rate and blood pressure
- Vagal toning exercises strengthen your nervous system's ability to regulate
Studies show breathwork reduces anxiety, improves sleep, and increases heart rate
variability (a measure of nervous system resilience).
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION (PMR)
PMR works by systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups, which:
- Releases chronic muscle tension (where stress gets stored)
- Trains your body to recognize the difference between tension and relaxation
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Reduces physical symptoms of anxiety and stress
Research shows PMR is effective for insomnia, chronic pain, and anxiety disorders.
EVIDENCE BASE
These aren't alternative therapies. They're evidence-based practices used in:
- Trauma therapy (somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy)
- Pain management clinics
- Sleep medicine
- Stress reduction programs (MBSR - Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)
The research is clear: when you work with your body, your nervous system can shift.