Corin Hinderegger is a trusted guide for conscious entrepreneurs, CEOs, coaches, healers, and change-makers, helping them align with their most authentic, thriving selves. With over 20 years of knowledge and experience, Corin leverages an extensive range of certifications to provide deep, transformative support.
In our fast-paced world, the pressure to perform, achieve, and succeed can feel overwhelming. Yet, amidst this chaos, we often neglect a vital component for creating sustainable health and wealth: our nervous system. When we understand its different states, we can reclaim our authentic selves with more ease and craft a life that harmonizes with who we truly are—ensuring that neither health nor wealth falls short.
Our nervous system operates primarily in three states: Ventral, Sympathetic, and Dorsal. Each state significantly influences how we experience life and respond to challenges. Our nervous system holds the memory of our past experiences, shaping our current realities. Depending on which state we are in, our perception of reality is informed, ultimately influencing how we navigate and experience our lives.
The 3 states of the nervous system
Ventral State: This is our natural state of peace and flow, where we experience a sense of alignment and fulfillment. In Human Design, this state is linked to experiencing our unique signature, which reflects our true selves. In this state, we trust that everything will work out and feel deeply aligned with our authentic selves. However, reaching this state can be challenging due to past experiences and triggers that keep us stuck in other states. The Ventral State is also where our immune system and overall health function optimally. It influences how easily we can make aligned decisions and magnetize our authentic abundance, as we operate at a higher frequency.
Sympathetic state
In this state, we experience heightened energy, often characterized by a sense of urgency or the fight-or-flight response. For example, you might feel frustrated while driving if someone in front of you is moving too slowly.
This frustration arises from feeling rushed, leading to negative narratives about the situation and increased tension in your body. While there are times when accessing this state is necessary to accomplish tasks or ensure our safety, consistently remaining stuck in this "do, do, do" stress pattern can create significant issues in our lives.
Dorsal state
This state is characterized by immobilization and withdrawal. When we feel overwhelmed, we may distance ourselves from others and struggle with feelings of hopelessness. Thoughts like "Why is this always happening to me?" can dominate our mindset. Engaging in mindless scrolling and procrastination is common in this state. While it’s important to access this state at times—for instance, to slow down and allow ourselves to rest to avoid burnout—remaining stuck here can lead to deeper issues, including depression and disconnection from our authentic selves.
The freeze state
This state is a mix of Sympathetic and Dorsal, creating internal conflict. In this state, you may feel pressure to accomplish tasks but lack the energy to do so, leading to feelings of guilt and frustration. It’s often characterized by a sense of being stuck, where you want to take action but feel paralyzed by overwhelm. This can result in a vicious cycle, as the pressure to perform intensifies your feelings of immobilization. Recognizing when you are in the Freeze State is crucial, as it helps you understand the underlying dynamics at play and allows you to take gentle steps toward re-engaging with your life.
Understanding the fawn response
In addition to the primary states of the nervous system, there’s a lesser-known response called the fawn response. This occurs when we prioritize people-pleasing and appeasing others to avoid conflict or gain acceptance. While this response can feel like a survival mechanism, it often leads to a disconnection from our own needs and desires. In this state, we may overextend ourselves to keep others happy, suppressing our authentic selves. This behavior can drain our energy and leave us feeling unfulfilled, reinforcing patterns of misalignment. Recognizing the fawn response is crucial, as it helps us reclaim our boundaries and prioritize our own well- being, ultimately guiding us back to a more authentic state of flow.
Nurturing your way back
Reconnecting with our authentic selves is essential for fostering well-being and creating a fulfilling life. It begins with awareness of the different states of our nervous system, our coping strategies, and recognizing when we’ve strayed from our true nature.
To find your way back, start by tuning in to your body and noticing the sensations you experience. Are you feeling tension, overwhelm, or a sense of disconnection? Acknowledging these feelings is the first step toward regaining alignment.
Incorporate practices that nourish you—whether it’s spending time in nature, engaging in mindful movement, or simply taking a moment to breathe deeply. These practices help ground you in your experiences and guide you back to a state of flow.
Moreover, reflect on what energizes you and what drains your energy. Keep a journal to track these insights and prioritize activities that resonate with your authentic self. Living in alignment with your unique Human Design not only amplifies the frequency of authenticity—an energy higher than love—but also allows you to thrive fully.
Embracing this frequency is crucial for cultivating a vibrant and fulfilling life.
Recognizing which state we’re in can be transformative. By understanding our patterns, we can begin to reconnect with our Ventral state and access all the states as needed, rather than getting stuck in one experience or another. This awareness empowers us to support our bodies and cultivate health and wealth in alignment with our true selves.
For instance, I encourage you to keep a journal for a month. Each evening, jot down the state you experienced throughout the day and note what energized you or drained your energy. This simple practice can reveal patterns and help you identify the activities that nourish you.
Another key is to familiarize yourself with your energy-giving activities. Create a visible reminder of these practices to easily integrate them into your daily routine. Even small moments spent nurturing yourself can help you return to alignment.
Building a life of health and wealth filled with resilience
Cultivating awareness allows us to navigate daily challenges with greater ease. By integrating awareness practices, we enhance our well-being and our ability to thrive in both personal and professional realms.
In my experience, focusing on alignment, nourishment, and embodiment is essential for creating sustainable change. Yet, this approach is often overlooked. Many of us become preoccupied with regulating our nervous systems, chasing every hack and piece of advice in an effort to fix, heal, and accumulate money. However, without being embodied, nourished, and content within our experiences, we cannot achieve lasting change. When we remain trapped in our heads instead of fully inhabiting our bodies, we miss the essence of true transformation.
Understanding the states of our nervous system is vital for aligning with our authentic selves, but merely trying to fix it isn’t the answer. By addressing our energetic patterns and prioritizing nourishment, we can create a fulfilling life that resonates with who we truly are. Remember, life is happening for us, not to us. With each step toward awareness, nourishment, and alignment, we open the door to a more authentic and thriving existence in all aspects of life and business.
To your aligned success.
Corin Hinderegger, Transformative Coach and Mentor for Conscious Entrepreneurs, Leaders, & Change Makers
Corin Hinderegger is a trusted guide for conscious entrepreneurs, CEOs, coaches, healers, and change-makers, helping them align with their most authentic, thriving selves. With over 20 years of knowledge and experience, Corin leverages an extensive range of certifications to provide deep, transformative support. As a popular teacher on Insight Timer and host of The Embodied Thriving Self™ Podcast, she uses her intuitive gift to pinpoint what’s missing, empowering clients to break through limiting beliefs, rewire their experiences, and embody their most aligned and thriving selves—creating success and abundance on their terms.
Having personally overcome mental and physical burnout, Corin deeply understands the journey to wholeness. Her holistic body-mind-soul approach equips clients to trust their intuition, align with their purpose, and become their own medicine—ultimately creating lasting impact, health, and wealth.
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