'Where We Soften' by Kate Kendall
Returning to the Wild Uncivilizing the Nervous System
What if your nervous system didn't need to be 'controlled'. What if it just needs to be listened to? In this episode I share a deeply personal teaching from a retreat experience I'm co-hosting in Africa that becomes a powerful invitation to return to your body, question what you call "safety," and notice where comfort, familiarity, and people-pleasing have quietly taken the wheel. Sitting alone in a hotel room after choosing rest over social obligation, I unpack the inner tug-of-war between being a team player and honoring what she truly needs. That moment opens into a bigger conversation about how we prepare for intense experiences, why younger versions of us often perform instead of serve, and what changes when we stop asking, "How do I sound?" and start asking, "What wants to come through?"You'll discover: Why "safety" and "familiarity" are not the same thing How the body gets "civilized" into ignoring hunger, fatigue, intuition, and anger What Kate means by "uncivilizing the nervous system" How retreat, travel, and unfamiliar environments reveal hidden patterns The difference between reacting from ego and responding with presence This episode is perfect for yoga practitioners, sensitive high-achievers, people-pleasers, and anyone craving a calmer, more embodied relationship with discomfort, uncertainty, and self-trust. If you've been feeling overbooked, overextended, or overly civilized, this conversation offers a way home.
