The Practice with Sandra Vanatko

05/09/2026

Something I find myself coming back to again and again — both in my own practice and in the work I do with others — is this: we spend so much energy trying to ignore what we feel or just just calm what we feel, and so little time getting curious about what's actually happening underneath.

Your nervous system isn't broken. It isn't working against you. It's communicating — and it's been patiently waiting for you to slow down enough to listen.

Swipe through for a little glimpse of what it might be trying to tell you. See if any of these land in your direct experience — not as concepts, but as something you can actually feel. ♡ I have noticed these patterns for myself so wanted to share with you.

If this kind of work resonates with you, there's so much more of it waiting inside The Practice — over 300 sessions designed to help you come home to your body, at whatever pace feels right.

🔗 Check out memberships at sandravanatko.com. It's only $39 a month or save two months $399 yearly.

05/07/2026

If Monday's live felt like a glimpse of what's possible in community — I want you to know that this is what The Practice is like every month.

Guided movement, breathwork, somatic tools, and meditation, real connection.

Come practice with us.

https://www.sandravanatko.com/the-practice-landing-page-v2/

05/06/2026

Here's a tiny somatic nugget I love sharing — and one worth pausing on for just a moment.

The next time you feel tension rising, instead of pushing through it, try this: pause, soften your jaw, and let your tongue drop from the roof of your mouth. Then exhale slowly. Stay with this for 1–3 minutes and simply notice what shifts.

You might be wondering — don't we sometimes bring the tongue to the roof of the mouth in practice? We do. That's an activation and focus cue, drawing energy upward and inward. Here, we're doing the opposite. Letting the tongue drop releases the jaw, softens the face, and sends a quiet signal to the nervous system that it's safe to settle. It's one of the fastest ways I know to interrupt a stress response — and it lives right there in your own body, available any time.

Give this a try and see how it lands in your direct experience.

05/04/2026

Ever notice how you breathe? It's more powerful than you think! Let's dive into the impact of proper breathing.

Tag someone who needs to hear this!

Most of us overlook our breathing, yet it plays a crucial role in how we feel daily. Did you know that 90% of people have incorrect breathing habits that keep them in a stressed state?

Take a moment right now. Are you breathing into your low belly or just your chest? Let's change that.

By taking just a few minutes a day to focus on deep, proper breaths, you can shift from merely surviving to truly thriving.

Join me in this practice and notice the changes in your body and mind.

Want to go deeper? Check out my mini course in the link:

https://www.sandravanatko.com/breathwork-for-anxiety-2/

Namaste.

05/04/2026

There is still time to join us in Cayman next weekend May 15th-May 18th! We just had someone sign up a couple days ago and supported them in finding accommodations in Cayman. Reach out if you want to come and join us.

05/04/2026

Y'all — tonight we go live together! Join me at 6:30 PM CT for a short guided meditation, and then let's just... be in conversation.

No agenda, no performance — just community, connection, and a little practice together. I'd love to see you there.

Drop a ♡ below if you're coming!

05/02/2026

Join me inside The Practice this Monday evening at 6:30pm central for a short guided meditation together and then time for questions, reflections, and community.

Join us for $39 monthly or $399 a year. Cancel anytime.

https://www.sandravanatko.com/the-practice-landing-page-v2/

05/01/2026

The theme for May inside The Practice is nervous system wisdom — and I wrote something this week about it in the newsletter but wanted a space to expand on that so I wrote a blog on it.

Whether you're brand new to this work or you've been practicing with me for years, I think there's something in it for you. The link is below to give it a read when you have time, and then come find it alive in everything we're doing together this month — the new practices in the portal, and our two live sessions. This is The Practice.

By Sandra Vanatko We talk a lot about regulating the nervous system. Settling it. Finding calm. Coming back to baseline after the day has pulled us in twelve directions at once. And that work is real — it’s necessary, and it’s beautiful, and I would never ask you to set it aside. But lately, s...

05/01/2026

Something has been sitting with me lately and I put it in this morning's newsletter — because I think it might land for some of you too.

The idea that the nervous system doesn't always want to calm down.
Sometimes it needs something else entirely.

I wrote about what that means — and what to do instead of reaching for calm the next time you feel that charge, that restlessness, that sense of something underneath the surface that won't quite settle.

There's also a little somatic practice woven in that you can try today. Something small and genuinely useful.

If you're not on my newsletter list and you'd like to be — drop your email in the comments or send me a DM. I would love to add you.

And if you're already a member of The Practice — new content is live in the portal today. Five new practices including something I'm particularly excited about — an energy and activation practice for the moments when what you need isn't more calm, but more courage and capacity to take action.

Happy May, friends. I'm glad you're here.