During her residency at The Upper House, we caught up with Anastasia Williams to talk about how to regulate the nervous system, being in tune with our breath, and how to move past the feeling of ‘not being enough’
Holistic healing is something that has been ever-present in Anastasia Williams’ life. When she would feel unwell as a child, Williams' aunt made her tinctures using herbs she grew in the garden. At 18, Williams did a Reiki course and, at 19, she began practicing yoga.
“From there, [I developed] a passion for self-understanding and empowerment, healing and living from a nourished and inspired place within ourselves,” says Williams. “Life is a rich and beautiful tapestry of experiences, let us be open to it and to our personal and innate magnificence.”
But even the most disciplined wellness experts and enthusiasts are not immune to life’s challenges. Several years ago, Williams woke up to an excruciating ice-cold sensation shooting through her back, which made it difficult—if not impossible—to move. She saw a doctor, who told her all the lab tests had come back normal. Returning to the holistic route, Williams eventually discovered that the issue lay in her nervous system—which was burnt out, overstimulated and had simply had enough.
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She devoted time not just to healing herself, but also learning about how the body holds stress and trauma, and how to regulate the nervous system to facilitate deep healing. This led her to become a practitioner of Harmonyum healing, a gentle hands-on technique designed to recalibrate the nervous system. She has since held workshops and programmes around the world, including in New York, Bali, Sydney and Hong Kong, where she’s currently in residence at The Upper House leading yoga sessions, breathing workshops, talks on topics that range from intention setting to releasing fear, as well as one-on-one Harmonyum healing sessions.
Having had an eventful few years that often left me stuck in freeze mode, I decided to see Williams to experience Harmonyum Healing. After some deep breathing exercises, within seconds of Williams moving her hands over my back I fell into a semi-conscious state of deep relaxation, which felt like a trance-like savasana. After “waking up” an hour later, the only words I could muster were “I don’t know where I just went” and immediately noticed that my breath was effortlessly strong and steady. My mind was clear and—for the first time in a long time—quiet.
It's certainly not a one-time fix-all, but it was a meaningful reset and an important reminder of the power we hold in our minds and bodies.
To understand more, Tatler spoke with Williams about the power of breath, simple ways to regulate the nervous system and signs of burnout to look out for.
