You Make Sense is a manual to understanding your human experience, so that you can navigate the world with freedom, ease, and empowerment. Using the latest neur...
Do you ever feel like there’s an invisible wall holding you back from the life you desire? In this episode, Sarah explores why achieving our goals can feel so difficult—even when we’re putting in the effort. The key to unlocking our full potential lies in understanding and befriending our autonomic nervous system, which shapes our entire experience and the ease in which we’re able to take steps forward. By viewing the nervous system as a vehicle, Sarah shares practical strategies for how to guide your nervous system down roads that lead to your deepest desires. Through the power of nervous system regulation, parts work, and safe connection, it’s possible to get unstuck and tangibly move toward a more full, expansive life.Episode Highlight:00:00 Intro01:35 The Vehicle Inside You (Your Nervous System)07:31 The Roads of Your Deepest Desires19:02 What Determines the Size of Your Life23:52 Building Capacity in Your Nervous System26:48: 4 Things That Don’t Actually Work27:46 #1 - “Muscling Through” 30:08 #2 - Setting Unattainable Goals32:43 #3 - Taking Steps in Isolation34:52 #4 - Comparing Our Self to Others36:28 Building a Bridge to Where You Want to Go40:48 Cultivating Safe Community and Connection42:07 Start Honoring Your ‘NO’44:58 “What About Taking the Big, Scary Step?”49:44 “How to Take Tolerable Steps in Dating?”53:27 “Why Is It So Hard to Take Steps Forward?” Join the Expansion Experience:Ready to start expanding into a bigger life? Join Sarah’s 3-day live experience for tangible somatic tools to break through stagnancy and start expanding. First call starts on March 17th with replays available for a limited time.https://bit.ly/yms-sp-eeConnect with Sarah on:Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/Submit a Question:https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast Important Keywords:Autonomic Nervous System - The body's command center for automatic functions like breathing, heart rate, and digestion. It also plays a vital role in how we respond to stress and perceived threats, as well as our ability to feel safe, connected, and regulated.Roads of Safety - The pathways our nervous system recognizes as safe and predictable, often shaped by past experiences. While they provide comfort and stability, they may not always align with our true desires or highest potential.Roads of Familiarity - The patterns and dynamics we've learned to navigate—whether healthy or not. Our nervous system tends to gravitate toward familiar routes because they offer a sense of control, even if they don’t always serve our well-being.Safe Connection - The deep sense of being seen, heard, and understood by others, fostering a feeling of belonging and security. Safe connection is essential for regulating the nervous system and expanding our capacity for growth, healing, and change.
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57:18
Relationships: The Intersection Between Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, and Parts Work
In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the science behind relationships using Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, and Parts Work. She explains how these frameworks complement each other and shape our ability to connect, feel safe inside our relational containers, and navigate emotional intimacy.Sarah highlights the importance of understanding how our nervous system and parts inform the people we choose in our lives, emphasizing that much of what we experience in adult connections is rooted in early life experiences. By combining these three approaches, it’s possible to heal the past in the present, navigate challenges with more ease, and attract the kinds of partners we truly desire.Episode Highlight:00:00 Introduction00:15 Understanding Our Relationships02:00 The Nervous System & Attachment Theory09:02 How Attachments Form16:04 How We Connect In Our Adult Lives21:24 How to Regulate Based On Your Attachment Style22:12 The Nervous System & Parts Work32:58 How “Self-Like Parts” Show Up39:07 Why Moving On Can Be So Challenging 49:29 Avoidant Attachment & Healing Shame53:03 Panic In RelationshipsTake Sarah’s FREE Quiz:Feeling stuck in any area of your life? Take Sarah’s quiz to learn more about the self-protective system inside you that’s often responsible for your stuckness—and how to harness its power to step toward the life you desire.https://bit.ly/yms-sp-quizConnect with Sarah on:Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/Submit a Question:https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast Important Keywords:Polyvagal Theory – A framework explaining how the autonomic nervous system governs safety, connection, and self-protective responses in our relationships and lives.Attachment Theory – A psychological model describing how early childhood experiences shape relational patterns, emotional bonds, and the way we connect with others.Parts Work – A therapeutic approach (e.g., Internal Family Systems) that explores different parts or aspects of the self and their roles in emotional healing.Nervous System Regulation – Techniques and practices that help manage stress responses, promoting emotional balance and internal safety.Avoidant Attachment – A self-protective relational pattern where connection can often feel overwhelming and individuals subconsciously withdraw from intimacy due to past emotional wounds.Anxious Attachment – A self-protective relational pattern where we feel less safe on our own and often sacrifice our own needs in order to maintain connection with another.Disorganized Attachment – A self-protective relational pattern where we tend to feel comfortable in chaos and want others close, but when they come close, we push them away.Shame & Internalization – The process of internalizing negative beliefs about oneself, often rooted in childhood experiences of criticism or neglect.
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56:30
Blended States: The Power of Adding More Play and Stillness to Your Life
What if there was a way to find more lightness and joy in your healing journey along the way? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the profound impact of two transformative states within the autonomic nervous system: play and stillness. These states aren’t just about fun and quiet—they’re the keys to unlocking creativity, emotional regulation, and deeper connections.Sarah shares practical tips to help you embrace these vital states, from finding freedom through dance and movement to building rituals that invite inner peace. Whether you’re using play to resolve conflict in your relationships or creating a nighttime stillness routine for better sleep, this episode offers a roadmap to navigate life with greater ease and aliveness.Episode Highlights00:00 Intro00:17 Play and Stillness02:03 3 States of Dysregulation03:00 Getting to Know Your Blended State of Play11:06 Why Do We Struggle to Experience Play?15:09 Tools to Begin Stepping Toward Play19:20 Getting to Know Your Blended State of Stillness26:40 Why Do We Struggle to Experience Stillness?30:02 Tools to Begin Stepping Toward Stillness38:18 “How Do I Feel More Playful and Free While Dancing?”50:41 “Why Doesn’t Meditation Work For Me?”59:42 “How Can Play Help Improve My Relationship?” Download Sarah’s FREE Workbook: Want free trauma-informed tools? Download Sarah’s free workbook, “How to Gain Control Over How You Feel,” for actionable prompts and exercises to help you start feeling better on a daily basis.https://bit.ly/yms-sp-workbookConnect with Sarah on:Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/Submit a Question:https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) - The autonomic nervous system is a part of the nervous system that operates unconsciously to regulate vital bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. It has two primary branches: the sympathetic (activates fight-or-flight responses) and parasympathetic (promotes our rest-and-digest state along with our dorsal vagal complex), which are integral in supporting us to experience both regulation and dysregulation. Play - Play is a blended state within the autonomic nervous system, made primarily of regulation (ventral vagal complex) with a touch of mobilizing sympathetic energy (sympathetic nervous system). It fosters creativity, learning, and bonding by bringing joy and aliveness into life experiences.Stillness - Stillness is a state predominantly rooted in regulation (ventral vagal complex) with a subtle influence of the dorsal vagal complex. It encourages deep presence, better sleep, intimacy and emotional connection, and rejuvenation, allowing individuals to fully embrace quiet, restorative moments.Ventral Vagal Complex - The ventral vagal complex is part of the parasympathetic nervous system associated with safety and regulation. It governs states of connection, calm, and engagement with others, enabling social bonding and overall well-being.Sympathetic Nervous System - The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for activating the fight-or-flight response, preparing the body to react to real or perceived threats. It increases energy and alertness, mobilizing the body for action when needed.Dorsal Vagal Complex - The dorsal vagal complex is a branch of the parasympathetic nervous system linked to immobilization and shutdown responses. It becomes active in extreme stress or trauma and helps us to leave our bodies, resulting in feelings of disconnection or dissociation.
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1:08:48
The Antidote to Shame and Feelings of Unworthiness
Shame often keeps us from living the full, expansive life we’re desiring. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explains the difference between “healthy” and “unhealthy” shame, and why unresolved trauma can often leave us feeling unworthy or like there is something inherently wrong with us.While shame can affect every area of our lives, from our relationships to our purpose, the good news is that it’s absolutely possible to heal. Sarah will walk you through tangible somatic steps to bring your nervous system back into internal safety and access your healthy aggression or “life force energy,” both of which are imperative to releasing shame and finding freedom in your everyday life.Episode Highlights00:00 Intro00:26 What is Healthy Shame?04:29 What is Unhealthy Shame?11:55 How the Internalization of Shame Occurs13:59 How to Resolve Unhealthy Shame18:43 Accessing Healthy Aggression21:25 Parts Work & Embodying Your Creativity27:10 Processing the Underlying Activation of Panic Attacks33:17 Being Ferociously Protective of Your Own Story37:52 Shame Around Experiencing SetbacksWork with Sarah inside the You Make Sense course:Looking for tools to heal every area of your life? You Make Sense is a 10-week live somatic healing course that will help you to address your relationships, purpose, younger parts, boundaries, thoughts, and more!Join the waitlist by March 4th for limited-time reduced pricing:https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlistConnect with Sarah on:Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/Submit a Question:https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Healthy Shame - Healthy shame teaches individuals about boundaries, consequences, and experiencing health in relationships and life. It begins to occur during early developmental stages and builds resilience to navigate stress and be with affect in our bodies. In the process, we are not made to feel like we are inherently bad or unlovable.Unhealthy Shame - Unhealthy shame is the internalization of what happened to us (or what was said to us) making one feel inherently bad and unworthy. This type of shame is often rooted in traumatic experiences and can result in long-lasting psychological distress.Nervous System Regulation - Nervous system regulation involves managing the body's response to stress and stimuli through various techniques that help maintain or restore a state of balance. It is crucial for emotional resilience and overall mental health.Somatic Experiencing - Somatic Experiencing is a modality developed by Peter Levine that uses the body to release stored trauma and activation. This approach is grounded in science that confirms the body holds past trauma, and that through somatic healing and completing the incomplete experience, we can release the stored traumatic energy and consequently, the past becomes the past rather than the perpetual present.Trauma - Trauma is the overwhelm of activation (energy) experienced in our bodies, in the face of helplessness. If we do not have the conditions necessary for trauma to process through our bodies, it becomes stuck and stored, leaving lasting emotional, physical or psychological imprints. It disrupts the nervous system causing chronic dysregulation, disconnection and/or hypervigilance.Internalization - Internalization is a psychological process where individuals unconsciously integrate the beliefs, values, and norms of others into their own self-view. In the context of shame, it often refers to the absorption of negative beliefs about oneself that are derived from critical or dismissive messaging and treatment by others.
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43:33
How Trauma Can Keep Us From Our Embodied Spirituality
Diving into the often overlooked but deeply interconnected realms of science and spirituality, Sarah guides listeners through a transformative exploration. She underscores how both domains intertwine, particularly in the context of trauma and healing. Many of us desire to embody the core elements of spirituality—connectivity, presence, love, and surrender—but struggle to actually do so.This episode will address the common misconceptions and challenges associated with spirituality, including the impact of trauma on our capacity to experience deep levels of connectivity. She critiques the prevalent shaming in spiritual contexts, advocating for a more empathetic and inclusive approach.Episode Highlights00:00 Intro01:36 What is Spirituality?07:56 Most Trauma is Relational15:58 Processing Your Anger Toward the Universe22:53 Unlocking Connectivity to Your Spirituality31:51 Spiritual Journey and Nervous System Work33:19 Healing is Spiritual Work41:54 “How Does Plant Medicine Relate to the Nervous System?”49:35 “Why Do I Feel Like I Have No Spiritual Connection?”Join Sarah’s Email CommunityLooking for more tools and deeper support? Sarah offers additional teachings through her FREE weekly newsletter. Click below to join the email community.https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterConnect with Sarah on:Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/Submit a Question:https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Trauma Resolution - A process aimed at addressing and healing from traumatic experiences. Trauma resolution involves somatic therapeutic techniques that help individuals process and discharge stored traumatic energy from their bodies, reducing the ongoing impact on their mental and physical health.Nervous System Regulation - Refers to the practices and techniques used to maintain or return the nervous system to a state of balance. Effective regulation helps individuals manage their responses to stress and recover from experiences of chronic dysregulation, such as anxiety, depression, overwhelm, panic, or other trauma-related symptoms.Interconnectivity - A key concept in spirituality that denotes the interconnected nature of all things in the universe, including the self, others, and the environment. It suggests that everything is linked, and leaning into these connections can lead to deeper levels of regulation and support overall wellbeing. Spirituality - Often defined broadly as a sense of connection to something bigger than oneself, which can involve a search for meaning in life. Spirituality is personal and can encompass religious beliefs, personal values, and practices aimed at cultivating inner peace, deeper connectivity, love, and surrender.Somatic Experiencing - A therapeutic modality developed by Dr. Peter Levine aimed at resolving the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms of stored trauma by focusing on the body.
You Make Sense is a manual to understanding your human experience, so that you can navigate the world with freedom, ease, and empowerment. Using the latest neuroscience and trauma research, this podcast will equip you with powerful somatic tools to help you get unstuck and create the life you desire. Sarah Baldwin, SEP, is an expert on trauma resolution, attachment, parts work, and nervous system regulation. But before she was a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and trained in Polyvagal interventions, she first came to this work as someone struggling to find relief. It was through her own healing that led her to become a trained professional, now helping thousands of people across her programs, courses, and classes to do the same.
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