Sensitivity isn’t a problem; it’s a guide

Honoring the Earth Nature in Nervous System Work

All of us are built differently.

Some of us…

move slower.
We feel deeper.
We notice more.
And we carry an inner world that’s layered, nuanced, and often overwhelming.

Sometimes this sensitivity has been misunderstood by parents, by teachers, by therapists, even by ourselves. We’ve been told we need to be tougher, faster, louder… but something in us resists that.

This email is for those of us who are learning not to push past that sensitivity, but to work with it. To listen to it. To honor it as the exact design that Hashem gave us.

Let’s begin with using the Four Elements of fire, water, air, and earth as metaphors…

If Earth Gets Overwhelmed…

If we think about the physical nature of Earth and compare it with the other elements of fire, water, and air we can see something important. When you add too much of any other element to Earth, it can damage it.

Too much fire burns the Earth.
Too much water turns it into sludge.
Too much air blows it away, unrooted.

This is also true for people who have Earth as their dominant type.

What Does It Mean to Have an Earth Nature?

Earth types are extremely sensitive, deeply intense, and profoundly nuanced. This sensitivity often means that our systems can’t be rushed, pushed, or overridden. Things need to move slowly, gently, and in a grounded way or else we risk burning out, becoming overwhelmed, or disconnecting from ourselves entirely.

Yes, all of us need balance, but Earth types, in particular, need extra sensitivity and respect for their unique pacing.

A Personal Story

I once worked with a practitioner who wanted me to yell, to express loudly, to emote. But that felt like too much for my system. As an Earth, I prefer to stay rooted in my nature and to begin by feeling grounded, and then allow sound, breath, or movement to emerge naturally from the inside out.

When expressions arise organically from being with sensation, they feel nourishing. But when those things are forced like fiery sound, watery emotion, or airy breath they can overwhelm or even damage the groundedness I need in order to feel safe and open.

Working with Sensitive Nervous Systems

This metaphor of the Earth isn’t only for people who resonate with being “earthy.” It points to something broader: the need to work with the nervous system and adjusting our methods and pacing accordingly. This is especially important for anyone with a more sensitive system, which nowadays, includes so many of us.

For example, when a client says, “I feel like I’m walking through sludge,” I understand that as a sign their system is overloaded, maybe there’s been too much emotional flooding. Or when someone says, “I feel like I’m flailing,” it tells me they’ve become unrooted.

Tuning into these descriptions helps us track what’s happening in the body and support the system toward safety, regulation, and Menuchas Hanefesh.

Sensitivity Is Not a Problem

Those of us who are extra sensitive have often been told we’re too much, too intense, or too emotional. But our sensitivity is not a problem; it’s a gift. And when we learn to honor it, rather than override it, it becomes a source of clarity, presence, and power.

Hashem created us with this nature not to hide it, or fix it, but to work with it.

Not All Modalities Work for All Nervous Systems

This is why certain methodologies work well for some people and not others.

Take breathwork, for example. For someone with a different nervous system profile, breathwork as a standalone modality might be grounding and helpful. But for someone with a sensitive, Earth-like system, breathwork alone can be overwhelming and perhaps even damaging. (For all you breathwork facilitators and participants, I know I’m oversimplifying it due to limited space.)

People with sensitive nervous systems cannot be pushed through their experiences. What they need is to build capacity: the ability to be with the sensations and emotions they’re already experiencing. This happens not by overriding, but by staying with. Slowly. Gently. Attuned.

Who This Work Is For

The women who end up training with me and joining my programs are already very sensitive, very attuned, very smart, and very nuanced.

That’s because we tend to attract clients who mirror our own experiences.

So I’m calling in the women who feel deeply, the ones who know they can’t override their systems anymore, and who want to learn how to work with the body in a way that is grounded, respectful, and deeply transformative.

The next facilitator training begins in two weeks on July 28.
To join, you’ll need to fill out an application and have a short call with me so we can make sure it’s the right fit.