Release Eye Tension & Calm Your Nervous System: 4 Minute Vagus Nerve Practice
Our eyes play a powerful role in the nervous system. When we’re in fight-or-flight, our gaze narrows and strains forward — scanning for danger, preparing to escape. Over time, that tension pattern can linger in the body long after the threat is gone.
In this short somatic practice from my online course Safe in Your Skin: A Somatic Course for Overwhelmed Bodies, I guide you through:
• Softening your gaze to orient to safety
• Looking toward exits and horizons to restore choice
• Gentle eye movements to engage the vagus nerve
• Noticing without trying to “fix” anything
This practice supports the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) and can help regulate heart rate, breathing, and overall tension. If you live with anxiety, chronic stress, or an overwhelmed nervous system, this is a simple place to begin.
No achieving. No performing. Just being with your body.
The Affirmiry
Sunday, March 22nd, 1-4pm, @ Balance Yoga
Centered in community care for women & femme folks, this event provides a safe space to heal our nervous systems, rest, and be taken care of. Join me and a team of spiritual and healthcare practitioners for an afternoon of massage, reiki, guided movement, and space to rest & connect in a safe environment.
“This is a sanctuary created for women to soften, to breathe, and to be held in an atmosphere of pure devotion. It is a time of receiving, rest, and restoration, a sacred pause where you do not have to give, fix, or perform. You are simply invited to be.” - Kirstin Hansen
***$15 donation, but no one will be denied for inability to pay. Email klh@kirstinhanson.com and your space will be held. In the spirit of sacred reciprocity, please bring an offering in the form of clothing/food donations, art, a thank you note, or anything that feels meaningful to you.
Safe in Your Skin: A Somatic Course for Overwhelmed Bodies
Saturdays April 18th, 25th, & May 2nd
1:30-3pm
@ The LITL Studio
$30/class or $80 for all 3 ($10 off)
Join me for a three-week series exploring the deep connection between your nervous system, trauma, and physical health.
Your body is speaking to you in the only language it knows—through tension, through pain, through shutdown, through that constant hum of vigilance that won't let you rest. It's trying to tell you something important: it remembers when the world wasn't safe, and it's still trying to protect you. This course is for those living with chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune conditions, or a nervous system that never quite settles — you are not broken, and you are not alone.
Each week, we'll explore both the why behind somatics and practice embodied tools together, so you can begin listening to what your body has been trying to tell you.
Week 1 covers a holistic definition of trauma and the window of tolerance.
Week 2 explores completing the stress response and the impact of trauma on the body.
Week 3 focuses on co-regulation and the power of healing within community.
This is not about fixing yourself — it's about learning to be with your body, all its pain and all its wisdom, with compassion instead of shame.
Drop in for any session or attend all three; each class stands on its own and all are welcome.