Classes, Labs & Workshops

A Message from Our Founder, Ida O’Donnell, LCSW, on the Vision of Our Support Labs

I’d like to take a moment to share a little more about our Support Labs, and why they can be a helpful experience for so many people.

Most of us move through life with our nervous systems working overtime. Whether it’s daily stress, a major life change, illness, trauma, or the responsibility of caring for others, our sensory systems are constantly responding to stress, without us even realizing it.

Support Labs are a place to intentionally and regularly practice caring for your nervous system.

When our nervous system is regulated, we’re better able to think clearly, feel present, connect with others, and recover from stress. When the nervous system is overstimulated and dysregulated, even small things can feel like too much.

Our Support Labs are grounded in the understanding that the body has a natural capacity to settle, reset, and restore balance. This strengthens our ability to remain resilient, even when facing challenges.

We focus on practices that help tone the vagus nerve, build emotional resilience, and gently bring the nervous system back into balance.

What Is the Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve helps control heart rate, breathing, and digestion. It connects the body and the brain. When the vagus nerve is supported and toned, it can be easier to feel calm, manage stress, sleep better, and feel more connected.

Each Support Lab is one hour long and designed to feel approachable, similar to signing up for a yoga class, but with a broader, more inclusive structure. Participants can join in person or virtually.

Each Session Includes:

• Simple somatic practices, such as gentle movement, breath, and sensation awareness to help the body settle and regulate.
• A small amount of accessible education, so you understand why the practices are helpful.
• Creative expression as a way to process and integrate experiences without pressure or focus on perfection.
• Time for connection and reflection, because regulation also happens in relationship.

Everything is invitational. You can participate at your own pace, in your own way.

This work is also meaningful to me personally. After experiencing a traumatic brain injury, nervous system regulation became essential for my own healing and daily functioning. I experienced firsthand how helpful regulating the nervous system can be.

That experience helped shape the creation of our Support Labs, but the focus here isn’t my story. It’s about creating something that supports many different bodies, nervous systems, and life experiences.

With the help of the Art of Awareness providers, we created Support Labs for Nervous System Regulation.

Our Support Labs are for anyone. You don’t need prior experience. You just need a body, and the willingness to show up. The labs are a place to reconnect with your body and sensory systems while building skills that you can carry with you into your daily life.

Nervous system regulation is something we can practice together.

We’d love to support you on a nervous system regulation journey.

To sign up for one of our labs, scroll to the top of this page and click the “Book Now” button.

Thanks for taking the time to be here. Wherever you are in your journey, you’re welcome here.