It’s Not Magic, It’s Safety: How the Nervous System Shapes Healing
by Sharon Gordon, C-IAYT | Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness, Exeter NH
Over the past few months, several people have commented on the “vibe” at the studio and how the space feels calm, grounded, and healing the moment they arrive. I’ve heard words like peaceful, sacred, even magical. And while I’m deeply grateful every time someone says it, what they’re really feeling isn’t magic at all, it’s safety.
That sense of safety didn’t happen by accident. It’s something I began creating long before I ever had a yoga studio.
I didn’t grow up in a home that felt calm or emotionally safe. My parents were loving in their own ways, but they were also deeply hurt people who didn’t have the tools to offer what they never received themselves. So I learned early how to regulate my own nervous system by building small, sanctuary-like spaces wherever I could.
As a teenager, I’d light candles in my bedroom or take late-night drives with the heat on in my car, listening to Delilah on the radio - anyone remember her? That soothing voice and gentle music made me feel grounded in a way nothing else did.
Looking back, I can see that those small rituals were the beginnings of nervous system repair. Imperfect, but instinctive. I was learning to create safety where there wasn’t any.
Those moments became my first lessons in nervous-system regulation, though I didn’t have those words yet. What I understand now, through both yoga therapy and Polyvagal-informed practice, is that healing always begins with safety.
When the nervous system senses danger, even subtle, emotional, or environmental cues, it shifts into protection. When it feels safe, it can finally release, restore, and heal. That truth lives at the center of everything we do at Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness.
I built Sanctuary for others but also for myself. Teaching this work continues to be part of my own healing.
Every time I see a student modify a pose to meet their body’s needs or reach for a blanket to support themselves, I’m reminded of what real healing looks like. It’s not about performing the perfect posture. It’s about listening inward, honoring yourself, and allowing your body to feel safe enough to soften.
True yoga isn’t about performance; it’s about creating a relationship with the body that feels trustworthy. When the body feels safe, the mind follows. From there, movement, breath, and stillness become medicine, not tasks to complete but doorways into healing.
About Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness
Located in Exeter, New Hampshire, Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness offers healing-focused yoga, Ayurveda, and yoga therapy for nervous system regulation, stress relief, and sustainable well-being. Every class is designed to help students reconnect with their bodies, balance effort with ease, and cultivate resilience from the inside out.
