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

More exercise doesn't always mean less stress — especially for moms.

In this episode, I talk with power yoga teacher and group fitness instructor Renee about how high-intensity movement affects the nervous system, how motherhood changes your body's needs, and when rest might matter more than your workout.

We talk about:
- How to balance high-intensity movement with nervous system recovery
- What intense fitness actually does to the nervous system (and when it helps vs. hurts)
- How a mom's nervous system differs from someone without kids
- Whether power yoga can dysregulate you if you're already in fight/flight mode
- Signs that your nervous system is too activated for an intense practice
- How to transition from high-intensity movement into a regulated, calm state
- The conversation moms need to hear about rest vs. exercise
- The role of breathwork in power yoga from a nervous system perspective
- How becoming a mom changed Renee's relationship with her nervous system

This conversation is for moms, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone who wonders if they're pushing their body too hard.

CONNECT WITH RENEE:
https://www.harrfitt.com/

Instagram @harrfitt

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

Previous 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:)

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...

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

This 11-minute bedtime practice is designed to help you genuinely unwind — not just go through the motions of stretching, but give your nervous system a real pathway into rest. We move through seated hip openers and a deep glute release, wide-leg and butterfly forward folds, then transition to the floor for figure-four twists and a full spinal release. You'll finish in stillness, ready to drift off.

Grab a pillow or blanket before you start — this one is designed to be done right in your bed.

What you'll experience: Shoulder rolls and neck release → seated cross-legged hip openers → wide-leg and butterfly forward folds → supine figure-four and spinal twists → final resting posture for sleep

If tension in your hips and lower back is keeping your nervous system activated at night, this somatic movement practice gently signals safety to your body so sleep can follow naturally.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome + Getting Ready for Bed
01:00 Gentle Neck & Shoulder Release
02:10 Seated Hip & Glute Stretch (Left)
03:45 Seated Hip & Glute Stretch (Right)
05:20 Wide-Leg Forward Fold
06:25 Butterfly Pose + Gentle Fold
07:20 Seated Forward Fold
08:10 Full Body Stretch + Lying Down
09:10 Supine Twists & Windshield Wipers
10:10 Final Resting Pose for 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...

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

This 14-minute yoga nidra practice is an invitation to slow down your nervous system, soften the mind, and create the inner conditions where rest and clarity can arise naturally.

Yoga nidra — sometimes called yogic sleep — guides your body into a state between waking and sleep where deep nervous system regulation happens without effort. Unlike movement practices, this one asks nothing of you. Just lie down, close your eyes, and let the practice do the work.

In this session you'll be guided through a body scan to release held tension, a simple intention or sankalpa to anchor the nervous system, breath awareness to shift from alert to receptive, and a gentle inquiry into intuition and inner vision — what becomes clear when you stop pushing for answers.

What you'll experience: Body scan and grounding → sankalpa (intention setting) → breath awareness for nervous system downregulation → rest and inner clarity practice → gentle return or drift into sleep

If your mind stays busy even when your body is tired, yoga nidra gives your nervous system a different pathway — one that doesn't require effort, control, or getting it right.

Grab blankets and pillows. There is nothing to do here but rest.

00:00 Welcome & Arriving Into Rest
01:30 Settling the Body Into Safety
04:10 Full Body Relaxation & Grounding
07:10 Belly, Hips & Nervous System Safety
09:40 Setting a Gentle Intention
12:10 Resting With the Natural Breath
14:40 Creating Space Around Thoughts
16:40 Intuition, Dreams & Inner Clarity
18:40 Integration, Sleep or Gentle Return

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 11-minute yoga nidra practice is designed for one thing: helping your nervous system fully let go.

Yoga nidra — sometimes called yogic sleep — guides your awareness through the body in a systematic way that bypasses the thinking mind and speaks directly to your nervous system. You don't have to try to relax. The practice does it for you.

In this session you'll be guided through a full body scan from head to feet, breath awareness to invite natural nervous system downregulation, a peaceful nature visualization to deepen the sense of safety, and a slow, gentle return — or permission to drift into sleep completely.

What you'll experience: Full body scan → breath awareness and release → nature visualization for deep relaxation → gentle return or drift into sleep

This is a particularly good practice if anxiety or mental chatter is keeping you awake. Yoga nidra gives your nervous system a concrete pathway out of sympathetic activation and into the parasympathetic rest state — without asking your busy mind to do anything at all.

Blankets and pillows recommended. Eyes closed. Nothing to do.

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:)

If you're doing everything right and still can't sleep, your nervous system may be stuck in sympathetic activation — the fight-or-flight state — without you realizing it. In this short 3-minute episode, we cover the four most common reasons your body can't transition into rest, and exactly what to do about each one.

The four culprits: overhead lighting after 6pm that mimics daylight and suppresses melatonin, eating too close to bedtime so your body is digesting instead of resting, screen use that floods your nervous system with blue light and stimulation, and the cumulative effect of all three — a nervous system that simply never got the signal that the day is over.

The good news: each one has a simple, concrete fix. Long slow deep breathing to activate the parasympathetic state, shifting your heavier meal to lunchtime, dimming to floor lamps in the evening, and creating a screen-free window of 30 minutes to two hours before bed.

Small environmental shifts send big signals of safety to your nervous system — and safety is what sleep actually requires.

What you'll learn: Why light, food, screens, and nervous system state are connected → simple same-day changes to support your body's transition into rest

Perfect for: anyone who lies awake wondering why they can't wind down, even when they're exhausted.

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...