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Hello Reader,

I hope your week has offered you small pockets of groundedness. In my work and in my personal life, every conversation I’ve had lately seems to circle back to the same theme: trust.

Musings

Trust is something we all take for granted, but it also fractures easily. We lose trust in our bodies when we fall gravely ill; in our relationships when boundaries are crossed; in our abilities, when we fail; or even in our own senses when in the grips of trauma.

When the nervous system has been primed by stress, trauma, burnout, relational failure, or chronic overwhelm, it becomes harder to believe that life (or people) are safe to approach. The brain updates its expectations based on past patterns; when we’ve lived through unpredictability, shock or trauma, the brain keeps forecasting danger in order to protect itself.

It's important for us to understand that our injuries, self-inflicted or otherwise, our physical and mental pains, also carry a breach of trust somewhere, and that to recover our trust, we must inevitably start with our selves.

That’s why somatic work matters.
When we create micro-moments of sensing, grounding, and variation within a predictable function and system (our body), we reshape the predictions the brain uses to navigate the world. This is what rebuilding trust looks like at a neurobiological level.

Experience this with me right now.

🎁 NeuroSomatic Practice of the Week

🧠 NeuroMinute...

Research by Paul J. Zak shows that the brain releases oxytocin when it detects cues of safety, kindness, or supportive connection, and this chemical directly reduces defensive fear responses while increasing openness, empathy, and felt safety. In other words, trust is not something we “decide” with our minds; it emerges when the body receives signals that say, “You are safe enough to connect here.” High stress, overwhelm, and chronic tension are known inhibitors of oxytocin, which is why navigating burnout, parenting stress, or trauma makes trust—both self-trust and relational trust—feel harder on a biological level.

The beautiful part is that these trust circuits can be retrained. Zak’s research found that small, repeated experiences of safety and connection activate the brain’s oxytocin pathways and create measurable benefits—less stress (74%), less burnout (40%), more energy, and greater emotional well-being. This aligns perfectly with neurosomatic work: gentle movement variation, micro-moments of interoception, supportive touch, and co-regulated presence all act as low-threat novelty that helps the brain update its predictions about safety. Over time, the nervous system learns.

PS: I have faith in you,

Warmly,

Joana

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