Feeling calm? Have a question? Send me a text:)

Can your nervous system state determine how your labor unfolds?

In this episode, I sit down with midwife Rachel to talk about the nervous system during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum — and why feeling safe is the most important factor in labor.

We talk about:
- How the nervous system impacts labor and birth outcomes
- What happens when a birthing person feels unsafe during labor
- The role of oxytocin and the parasympathetic nervous system in birth
- How birth partners can help regulate the nervous system during labor
- The difference between hospital birth and home birth from a nervous system perspective
- How birth trauma affects the nervous system postpartum
- Nervous system regulation techniques for pregnancy and the perinatal period
- How polyvagal theory applies to pregnancy and postpartum

This conversation is for anyone who is pregnant, planning to conceive, or supporting someone through birth.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL:
https://www.reconnectedtolife.com/
http://www.birthingway.com/

@reconnectedtolife

RESOURCES:
→ Free 7-Day Nervous System Reset: https://www.thecalmlab.org/lead-collection
→ Substack Newsletter: https://substack.com/@thecalmlabwithkassandra
→ Instagram: @thecalmlabwithkassandra

LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aDkTER8NLlkFfiOKAS5Z2?si=83881a9e2ec34c1c
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-calm-lab-podcast/id1825913005
📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@thecalmlab

Next episode: Fitness, Motherhood & the Nervous System with Renee

Breathe. Move. Learn.

About Kassandra:
Kassandra is a trauma-informed yoga teacher, breathwork guide, and Harvard-certified lifestyle & wellness coach who blends nervous system education with accessible mind–body practices to help people sleep better, ease anxiety, and feel grounded.

Links:

Rewire Your Nervous System in 7 Days (Free Guide)

The 14-Day Nervous System Reset

The Calm Lab

YouTube

My Apple Music Playlist

Substack

Instagram

LinkedIn

The Calm Lab by Namasté Your Life, LLC recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourse...

Feeling calm? Have a question? Send me a text:)

Welcome to The Calm Lab podcast.

In this first episode, I'm explaining why I'm shifting my focus from sleep yoga to nervous system education — and why understanding your nervous system changes everything.

I share:
- The problem I kept seeing in my students (and why sleep techniques alone weren't enough)
- The moment everything clicked for me
- Why you can't force your body to relax when it thinks it's in danger
- What to expect from this podcast

I also talk about the teachers and authors who shaped this shift — Stephen Porges, Deb Dana, Bessel van der Kolk, Pete Walker, Gabor Maté, Eckhart Tolle, and my personal teacher Lynn Fraser.

If you're tired of surface-level wellness advice and ready to understand how your body actually works — this is for you.

RESOURCES:
→ Free 7-Day Nervous System Reset: https://www.thecalmlab.org/lead-collection
→ Substack Newsletter: thecalmlab.substack.com
→ Instagram: @thecalmlabwithkassandra

LISTEN ON:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aDkTER8NLlkFfiOKAS5Z2?si=83881a9e2ec34c1c
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-calm-lab-podcast/id1825913005

Next episode: Nervous System & Birth with Midwife Rachel

Breathe. Move. Learn.

About Kassandra:
Kassandra is a trauma-informed yoga teacher, breathwork guide, and Harvard-certified lifestyle & wellness coach who blends nervous system education with accessible mind–body practices to help people sleep better, ease anxiety, and feel grounded.

Links:

Rewire Your Nervous System in 7 Days (Free Guide)

The 14-Day Nervous System Reset

The Calm Lab

YouTube

My Apple Music Playlist

Substack

Instagram

LinkedIn

The Calm Lab by Namasté Your Life, LLC recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourse...

Feeling calm? Have a question? Send me a text:)

This short 9-minute bedtime practice is designed to help your body transition from the busyness of the day into sleep. We begin seated with gentle neck rolls and spinal decompression — releasing the tension that builds from sitting, stress, or an anxious nervous system. Then we move to the floor for hip openers and lower back release, finishing in guided stillness so your nervous system can fully settle.

No experience needed. No effort required. Just arrive.

What you'll experience: Seated neck release → gentle spinal warm-up → supine hip openers → lower back release → guided rest for sleep

If your nervous system feels stuck in overdrive at night, this somatic movement practice gives your body a gentle, polyvagal-informed pathway into rest.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 — Arrival & Settling
Gentle reassurance and grounding

0:45 — Seated Neck Release & Twists
Slow movement to release tension

2:15 — Seated Forward Fold (Side 1)
Soft folding and breath awareness

3:05 — Seated Forward Fold (Side 2)
Switching sides with ease

3:55 — Wide-Leg Seated Fold
Gentle opening and grounding

4:50 — Transition to the Floor
Coming down onto your back

5:15 — Supine Movement & Gentle Circles
Releasing through hips and legs

5:50 — Reclined Hip Opener & Twists
Figure four and slow spinal twists

7:15 — Knees to Chest & Final Release
Letting go through the whole body

8:10 — Rest & Sleep Invitation
Stillness and drifting toward sleep

About Kassandra:
Kassandra is a trauma-informed yoga teacher, breathwork guide, and Harvard-certified lifestyle & wellness coach who blends nervous system education with accessible mind–body practices to help people sleep better, ease anxiety, and feel grounded.

Links:

Rewire Your Nervous System in 7 Days (Free Guide)

The 14-Day Nervous System Reset

The Calm Lab

YouTube

My Apple Music Playlist

Substack

Instagram

LinkedIn

The Calm Lab by Namasté Your Life, LLC recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourse...