Rewiring the Brain: It’s Not Complex Neuroscience - It’s the Moment That Finally Lands

Rewiring the Brain: It’s Not Complex Neuroscience - It’s the Moment That Finally Lands

For years, I believed I had to analyse my way out of everything. With a Master’s in Chemistry and my eyes set on a PhD, I was conditioned to seek answers through logic. So when brain rewiring was first introduced to me in the early 2000s, I dismissed it - not because I didn’t want help, but because I couldn’t make sense of it. It felt vague, fluffy, unscientific… and I was too deep in trauma, too stuck in my own patterns, to even recognise that I was drowning.

The Inner Conflict

I was even lecturing in corporate settings on stress and nervous system regulation. Outwardly, I was the expert. But inside, I felt like a fraud. I could explain the concepts and deliver polished presentations, but I wasn’t living them. I couldn’t apply the principles to myself.

I was trapped in trauma responses. Overthinking. Overwhelmed. Disconnected from myself.

No amount of science could override what I didn’t yet understand emotionally. And the harder I tried to “figure it out,” the more I spiralled.

The Shift

Eventually, I hit a turning point: I became pregnant.
It was completely unexpected, especially after years of not menstruating and believing children might not be in my future. But that pregnancy changed everything. It gave me a reason to ground myself.

Then, when my son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just one year old, I had no choice but to be present. I had to show up - not for me, but for him. And something within me began to reawaken.

Looking back, I can see that the desire to heal had been there for a long time.
I was desperate to escape the self-destruct cycle. I wanted to rest, to hibernate, but I didn’t feel safe enough to stop moving.

I was getting ready to uproot myself - again - planning to move countries, telling myself a fresh start would finally be the fix. That if I ran far enough, maybe the self-destruction wouldn’t follow.

But instead of escaping, I found safety. I met my son’s father who unknowingly offered emotional protection in a way I’d never experienced. That sense of safety became the foundation I needed to begin healing.

Looking back, I realise how much I craved that. And how pivotal it was to finally feel protected enough to stop running and start healing.

At first, I hibernated not realising this was a distraction, avoidance. But over time, the stillness made space for something deeper. My wounds began to surface and I could no longer ignore them.

It was during that time I came across Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine.
It didn’t solve everything, but it gave me a lightbulb moment. For the first time, I saw my self-destructive patterns for what they really were: trauma responses. PTSD.

That realisation lifted a massive weight off my shoulders. It gave me something I hadn’t felt in years - self-compassion.

Looking back now, I understand: I was trying to out think something that needed to be felt.
Brain rewiring isn’t a complex intellectual task. It’s about connection.
It’s about that one phrase, one metaphor, one moment that lands and everything begins to change.

From Shadows to Light - A Spiritual Note

They say we often sing the songs that mirror our inner world. Looking back, I can see that was true for me. In the thick of my healing, I’d often catch myself humming sad ballads, the lyrics echoing feelings I hadn’t yet spoken aloud - words that resonated in places I didn’t yet know needed healing.

These days, I have to laugh. My daughter introduced me to K-Pop, and I now find myself warbling (badly) along to Golden by KPop Demon Hunters - a far cry from the sorrowful tunes of the past. The lyrics that always land:

“No more hiding | Now I’m shining | Like I was born to be”

It’s like my subconscious power anthem that reminds me how far I’ve come. Healing doesn’t always roar sometimes it sings. And sometimes, it’s in the small, joyful moments - singing badly in the car with your child - that you realise you’re no longer carrying the weight you once were. 💕

Why I’m So Passionate About This Work

Because I didn’t get it for so long. And now that I do, I live differently.

I have tools. I have regulation. I have choice. I know how to reset when things wobble. I have my power anthem.
But most importantly, I know the power of helping others reach that moment - the one where it all makes sense to them.

That’s why I’m so passionate about my work. Because now I know what it feels like to:

  • no longer live in fear of the future

  • dream again

  • set goals

  • live with purpose

  • and understand that healing is never a destination

Growth Is Ongoing

Healing isn’t about becoming perfect. It’s about learning how to return to yourself.

I’m still learning. I’m still growing. But I’ve made a conscious decision to live my best life.
And it starts with the understanding that change is possible and often, simpler than we think.

If This Resonates...

If you feel like you’re stuck in a loop - or have been trying to logic your way out of anxiety, trauma, or overwhelm - I see you.

NEKAWA is a safe space to shift your story, at your pace, in a way that makes sense to you.

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