GRACE AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

I am a huge "fan" of the nervous system. It is the communications system of the body and as such is involved in everything. The nervous system is the cornerstone of dance because practice is such an integral element. Practice for dancers, after all, is basically training the nervous system to make the body move in a specific way. Of course we train our muscles and joints and mental focus as well but the basis of learning how to dance takes place in the nervous system.

Brief description of the nervous system:

The nervous system consists of the brain, connected to the spinal cord, connected to the network of nerves that run throughout the body, also known as the peripheral nervous system. The spine consists of the spinal cord + the spinal column, 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum plus the coccyx. Cartilage, in the form of disks, is in between the vertebrae. Root nerves emanate from between each 2 vertebrae, one to the right and one to the left. Each root nerve controls a specific destination in the body. For example, your little finger is operated by the C8 root nerve. That is the root nerve between the last neck vertebrae and the first rib cage vertebrae. Charts called "dermatomes" are extremely helpful in understanding the nervous system and how to connect what you feel to where it may be originating from. "Anatomy of the Spine" is a thorough description of the spine as well as how to interpret dermatomes.

The path of the nervous system:

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Think of the nervous system as an upside down tree, with the trunk the spinal cord and the primary limbs the root nerves and so on. Actions and impulses travel from the brain to the periphery or from the periphery to the brain. There are actually separate paths these 2 directions use in the body, but for now, we are thinking of movement from the top of the underside of the trunk down and outward toward the branches. The top of the tree trunk underside is the joint between the skull and the neck. It connects the first vertebrae of the spine to the medulla oblongata, which is the lower third of the brain stem, the area that connects the brain to the spinal cord. What is interesting about this fact is that the medulla oblongata regulates your heart rate and breathing rhythm. GRACE focuses significantly on releasing the stress and tension of the spine beginning with this top joint of the spine. No wonder that release can stimulate relaxation in a deep and meaningful manner.

Nervous system effectiveness is influenced by our behavior and experience. Our tree limbs become damaged or distorted, creating blockages to health.

Many health advocates and healers feel that we are often our own worst enemy, creating obstacles to our own health and well being. These experiences create energy blocks. One path to health is to focus on dissolving them so that energy flows freely. Here are several examples of how blocks originate:
  • ​Past trauma: Suppose you broke your collarbone when you were 10 riding your bicycle. The nervous system reroutes activity around the area traumatized. Energy is blocked from the injured area. Think of this as creating a detour. Most of us do not totally dissolve those blockages upon recuperation and the nerve pathways never get back to normal.
  • Fear: Fear creates more obstruction than anything else. It makes your shoulders, neck and breathing tighten up. Basically, fear, beyond immediate motivation, shuts you down. Quite literally. When your breathing tightens, your brain receives less oxygen, crippling it just when you need it.
  • Stress (ie, tension): Tightness caused by chronic pressure creates impediments to our well being.
  • Pain: The physical response to pain is similar. We tighten up creating obstruction in our body. Often the solution to dissolving it is to simply breathe deeply, clearing those blockages. 

GRACE technique can dissolve these new or ingrained constraints. It sluffs off the detours. It's primary effect is profound relaxation.

After time, our system is compromised because of the many detours created by all the traumatic events and stresses that life presents to us. The GRACE process helps to dissolve present stress and past trauma patterns in the nervous system. It emphasizes the release of the spine from its point of origin (the nape of the neck). The use of visualization to generate a sense of weight is effectively used to allow the nervous system to revert more closely to its fundamental essence. 

None of this kind of process is permanent. It has to be practiced to be effective, but if practiced, you can improve the operation of your nervous system in a significant way.

In effect, GRACE has the capacity to heal your nervous system.

Other GRACE NEWS articles:
GRACE, a new dance form:
​Anatomy of the Spine:
​A Question of Energy:
​Joint Release:
Suspension:
 Detailed description of GRACE.
​ Summary + dermatomes.
​ Biofield science.
 An essential joint process.
 An essential GRACE process.
Published June 15, 2026.