When the body pulls the emergency brake
What I didn’t know then was that Epstein-Barr had been silently inflaming my vagus nerve — the command center for regulation, rest, digestion, and breath. And when your vagus nerve is inflamed? Everything starts to go off. My anxiety was through the roof.
My breathing had been shallow for months without me even noticing. My body had adapted to dysfunction without raising any alarms — until it couldn’t anymore.
And then came the moment: the ambulance.
My body shut down. I was out of space. And I mean that literally — I felt like I was nowhere. Not in my body, not in my mind. Just floating in static.
The paramedic looked at my heart film and said,
“Ma’am, you’ve got such a pretty heart.”
And I thought — how can that be? I feel like I’m dying.
But he was right. My heart was fine.
It was never about the organ.
It was my nervous system that was failing.
Not fragile — just fried
After that day, the healing began.
I saw my Shiatsu therapist, who has known me for years, and even she was shocked. I wasn’t myself. I was stripped down — energetically raw, vulnerable, exposed. My system had no buffer left. For a deeper explanation about what I was feeling read here.
What followed was a deep healing phase. One where I had to learn to listen to my body in a whole new way. I started experiencing meridian pain, especially along the heart meridian. Which, of course, triggered fear. Because how do you tell the difference between an energetic heart flare-up and a physical one?
You don’t. Not at first.
But slowly I began to understand — it wasn’t about the organ. It was my energy body waking up, trying to reboot.
Anxiety is not always in the mind
That was the biggest revelation.
This wasn’t classic anxiety. It wasn’t fear-based or triggered by thoughts. It was inflammation-based, post-viral, and electrically driven. My nervous system had been carrying far too much static, and when it couldn’t hold anymore, it collapsed.
And what so many people don’t realize is:
You can’t breathe properly when your vagus nerve is inflamed.
You can’t calm down when your nervous system is on fire.
You can’t heal when your body is constantly bracing for something it can’t name.
Coming back to myself
Since then, I’ve been rebuilding. Not all at once. And definitely not with 10 wellness rituals stacked on top of each other. My healing has been quiet. Grounded. One breath, one session, one frequency shift at a time.
And I’ve learned how to recognize the difference between anxiety that’s mental and anxiety that’s bioelectrical. That difference matters. It’s the difference between pushing yourself to “relax,” and actually giving your body what it needs to feel safe again.
I no longer say, I had anxiety.
I say: my nervous system collapsed.
And I learned how to build it back with presence, patience, and the right tools.
The Tools That Helped Me Feel Safe Again
When my nervous system collapsed, I didn’t need more stimulation. I needed rhythm. Reassurance. Something that told my body, “You’re safe now. You’re allowed to land.”
Here’s what helped me rebuild that safety — gently, day by day:
– Check-ins with friends and family.
I asked a few close people to check in with me at regular times. That structure gave my system something predictable to look forward to — a small, steady lifeline of connection.
– Breathing techniques.
Not to force calm, but to create rhythm. Sometimes I’d practice box breathing while walking. Other times, I just focused on lengthening the exhale until my body softened.
– Shiatsu support.
This was major. It helped bring my energy body back online and opened blocked meridians. Shiatsu is one of the only modalities that met me where I was: overstimulated, yet craving touch.
– Lavender essential oil ritual.
I’d rub a drop on my wrists, then gently massage my solar plexus with one wrist — while inhaling the scent from the other. It gave my brain a calming anchor and brought my attention back into my core.
– Hugging myself.
Touch = safety. Sometimes I’d just hold myself for a minute or two. Other times, I’d combine it with slow rocking. It soothed my whole system without needing anyone else to do it for me.
– Singing out loud.
Even just one line of a song. Singing vibrates the vagus nerve and tells the body, “We’re not in danger.” It’s primal medicine.
– Grounding rituals.
Not just earthing (which I love), but also spiritual grounding — intentionally releasing nervous energy into the Earth. This helped me feel held, anchored, and less “up in the air” when things got chaotic. This course by Jeffrey Allen helped me a lot with the spiritual part.
– Diffuser bracelet with lavender.
I made myself a diffuser bracelet — the kind designed to hold essential oils. I’d add a drop of lavender, and when I was out in the world and started to feel overstimulated or ungrounded, I’d simply smell the bracelet. It was a quiet way to anchor myself back into safety without needing to explain anything to anyone.
– AiresTech EMF protection devices.
My nervous system is quantum sensitive, which means I pick up on frequencies that most people don’t even register — like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G. Using my AiresTech protection devices helped me create a subtle field of calm around my body. I don’t always notice the effect right away, but I feel it when I don’t wear them — like my body’s buffer is missing. They’ve become a quiet, steady layer of protection in my healing toolkit.
If you’ve ever felt like your body was too loud for this world, or like your sensitivity didn’t fit inside the structures we’re taught to live by — you’re not alone.
This story is just one part of my broader healing path. On my blog, I share how I’ve been learning to biohack gently, using nervous system-friendly tools and subtle rituals that work with my body — not against it. You can explore more of that journey on my Biohacking page.
And if you’re looking for a deeper guide — something that blends story, energy, and practical tools — I’ve written it.
The Indigo Healing Guide is my first book, and it’s for sensitives, post-viral warriors, and anyone seeking clarity on how to come home to themselves.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
I didn’t.
And now I’m sharing the manual I once needed.
Join the Vibe!
I love seeing how my posts resonate with your personal journey—whether it’s EMF awareness, healing habits, or finding joy in life’s quieter moments. If something I shared inspired you, tag me on Instagram @Tanistates so I can cheer you on and maybe even share your story in return.