To fully answer this question would take many articles, because healing has many facets. The one I’d like to focus on this week is observation.
Why do we sometimes find ourselves stuck in chronic patterns? These patterns might show up as pain, tension, recurring thoughts, or behaviours we genuinely want to change. Is it because we haven’t read enough self-help books? Or because we haven’t yet found the right practitioner to “fix” the pattern for us?
More often than not, we remain stuck in patterns that don’t serve us because we’re unable to observe them from enough distance. It’s why we can clearly see what our friends or family members should do to help themselves—but when it comes to our own lives, we lack that same perspective. If we could step back and zoom out, we would see more clearly what needs to shift.
So what keeps us too close to our struggles?
The answer lies in the stress response of the nervous system. When we’re in survival mode, our attention narrows. We focus on details, on urgency, on trying to problem-solve our way out of discomfort. This state binds us to the very patterns we’re trying to escape.
To gain clarity and objectivity, we need to shift out of survival mode and into recovery. This requires a change in the nervous system. When that shift happens, our awareness expands. Instead of being consumed by pain, tension, or difficult thoughts, we begin to notice a wider field of sensations and information flowing between the body and brain.
In survival mode, we’re emotionally entangled with our experience—that’s part of the protective response. But in recovery mode, that emotional intensity often softens. With a bit more space, we can begin to observe rather than react.
This capacity for observation is linked to the prefrontal cortex. When we access this part of the brain, something important happens: we move beyond “figuring things out” and into a deeper sense of knowing.
Healing isn’t just about observation—it’s about reconnecting with an inborn wisdom. A kind of intelligence that feels both personal and universal. Just as culture is passed down and evolves, so too is there a cumulative wisdom available within us.
The first step in healing, then, is to step out of survival mode, expand our awareness, and observe what’s happening with greater clarity. From there, we create space for that deeper knowing to emerge.
I saw this unfold with Karen this past week. During her session, she became aware of multiple points of tension, all vibrating at a similar frequency. These points traced a path down one side of her spine into her right leg. It was as if she could suddenly “connect the dots”—and in fact, that’s exactly what her brain was doing.
Her nervous system had shifted out of survival mode. Instead of perceiving isolated points of discomfort, she began to recognize the relationship between them. The pattern revealed itself.
Healing tends to happen in waves or stages. With each stage comes access to more energy and more information. Survival mode restricts both—it has to, because its role is to protect. But growth and healing require expansion: more energy, more awareness, more connection.
If we want to have more capacity — to experience more without becoming overwhelmed, we need to grow, nurture and develop that capacity.
And that begins with observation.
One way to grow, nurture and develop our capacity is through NSO sessions at the Happy Spine. Another way would be to join us for the Align Adventure on May 2nd. I hope to see you there!