Rock Steady

1. Unwanted Sensations Are Normal Neural Messages

Tinnitus sounds or dizziness sensations are truly there inside of you. They are neural messages created by your brain and body, for you.

Sensory conflicts. Vertigo and tinnitus are not signs of going crazy, but rather, they are neural messages created by your brain and body. These sensations arise from neural firing patterns that don't match your current environment, creating a sensory conflict. It's important to understand that these are real, internal experiences, not imagined or fabricated.

• These sensations are not your fault, you don't deserve them, and you are not going crazy.
• They are neural messages created by your brain and body, for you.
• They can change daily, and you do not need to feel stuck.

Body communication. Your body is constantly communicating with you through sensations, and these messages become louder when ignored. Pain, discomfort, and unwanted sounds are your body's way of signaling that something needs attention. Instead of suppressing these feelings, try to understand what your body is trying to tell you.

• All feelings are normal, and they carry a message of wisdom.
• Your inner world is unique to you, and it holds all of your memories, thoughts, and ideas.
• Getting to know the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of yourself is important for healing.

Self-study. The process of healing involves self-study, or Svādhyāya, which is a personal inquiry that brings you closer to your inner truth. This involves observing your body, emotions, and thoughts without judgment. It's about cultivating self-compassion and understanding the neural patterns that create your unique experience.

• Self-study is a personal inquiry that brings us closer to our inner truth.
• Anyone is capable of self-study, and there are many simple and accessible ways to look within.
• One of the most powerful self-study practices is the body scan.

2. Neuroplasticity: Your Brain's Capacity to Heal

You can change your neural pathways using the functional neurons you have.

Brain's adaptability. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to experience or injury. This means that your brain is not fixed, and you have the power to change your neural pathways. You can use healthy neurons to override damaged pathways and create new neural settings that feel normal again.

• Neurons communicate by sending chemical messages from one to the next.
• Neural pathways are created through repetition, exposure, and emotional context.
• Your focus determines which neurons are firing.

Mind-body connection. Your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions change the shape of your brain and create your perceptions of the world. The more you believe that you can relax in your body, the more you are going to feel relaxed. The more you believe life is unjust, the more you are likely to feel angry.

• Emotions play an important role in mapping the world as we see it, feel it, and hear it.
• Chronic stress inhibits neuroplasticity.
• You can retrain your neural maps and create new perceptions inside your body and brain by focusing on the sensations that you want to feel.

Empowerment through neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is not something that others can do for you; it is a process of self-knowing and self-healing. You are the one who cultivates any desired changes within yourself. You choose how you practice and what resources you use to support yourself.

• Medication cannot change neurons for you.
• Only you can change your neural maps.
• You can use the healthy neurons within your brain and body to override any damaged pathways and to create new neural settings that feel normal again.

3. Focus on Desired Feelings, Not Symptom Removal

The starting point is an openness to learn. Ask yourself: Am I willing to believe that my body can heal?

Shifting focus. Instead of focusing on getting rid of unwanted sensations, shift your attention to cultivating desired feelings. This is because wherever you focus generates neural firing in that part of your brain. If you are thinking about your dizziness, then the areas of your brain responsible for dizziness become stimulated.

• The biggest barrier to healing is disbelief that you can actually do it yourself.
• Many people struggle to redefine their new normal and get stuck on “trying to get rid of symptoms.”
• Healing can begin only after clarifying what feeling normal means to you.

Redefining normal. Clarify what "normal" feels like to you. It's not about the absence of symptoms, but rather about cultivating a state of peace, calm, or confidence. Once you know what you want to feel, you can begin to find tools that help you practice feeling that way daily.

• It is not about getting rid of symptoms, but rather about redefining your new normal sensations.
• Building your new normal neural pathways will then become your daily practice.
• You build those pathways by practicing feeling them in whatever way you choose.

Daily practice. Create a daily practice that helps you stimulate the neural pathways for your desired feelings. This could include body scans, breath awareness, emotional processing, or any activity that makes you feel good. The more you feel it, the more you fire it, the more you hardwire it.

• You create your neural settings by using repetition, exposure, and emotional context.
• The more you believe that you can relax in your body, the more you are going to feel relaxed.
• The more you practice being kind to yourself and your inner world, the faster you can heal.

4. Medical Clearance is Key, Not a Perfect Diagnosis

You are the expert in you.

Medical investigation. Medical doctors are trained to investigate medical disease and recommend treatments. It is not their role to teach you the recovery process required to rewire symptoms. They are skillfully trained to identify any disease, illness, or condition that may be causing symptoms.

• Doctors cannot reset your neural pathways for you.
• Doctors are performing a difficult job, and they’re doing it very well.
• They are providing all the solutions and treatments that they can.

Medical clearance. The most important part of Stage 1 is getting medical clearance. You need to check that your vital signs are safely operational. The first question needs to be, Am I okay? Do I need medical intervention? After medical clearance you can be reassured by your doctors and get an idea of your possible diagnosis.

• The tests that your doctors order will help you learn about your diagnosis and get medical reassurance.
• The tests are not designed to heal you.
• Following investigations, diagnosis, and medical clearance, you will be ready to learn about your own recovery process.

Beyond diagnosis. Following investigations, diagnosis, and medical clearance, you will be ready to learn about your own recovery process. This includes learning how to use neuroplasticity to reset your abnormal neural sensations so that you can feel normal again. You are the expert in what you feel and what you need.

• You are the one who can change your neural patterns.
• The medical doctors and health professionals can be considered your investigation assistants.
• They can assist you in gathering important knowledge about your body.

5. Tinnitus and Vertigo: Understanding the Inner Experience

Your truth is that you feel it within you, and this feeling comes from a neural pathway inside of your brain and body.

Tinnitus explained. Tinnitus refers to sound sensations that are heard inside of your body—ringing, buzzing, popping, roaring, squeaking—that are not coming from the external environment. These sounds are generated by neural pathways anywhere along the inner ears, midbrain, or the auditory cortex areas of our brain.

• Tinnitus sounds are noises that only we can hear because they are coming from our own body.
• Tinnitus is not always a sign of disease or abnormality.
• The most “damaging” part of tinnitus is the emotional impact or debilitating effect it can have if someone becomes afraid of it.

Vertigo explained. Vertigo is any sensation of movement or disorientation when you are still. It can manifest as disequilibrium, dizziness, nausea, unsteadiness, or feeling “not quite right” (NQR). It is related to how the brain interprets neural messages coming from the inner ears.

• Vertigo is a sensation of movement when you are still.
• It can manifest as disequilibrium, dizziness, nausea, unsteadiness, or feeling “not quite right” (NQR).
• Both vertigo and tinnitus are related to how the brain interprets neural messages coming from the inner ears.

Normalizing the experience. Both tinnitus and vertigo are common experiences, and it's important to normalize them rather than view them as medical disorders. Your body is capable of creating internal noise and movement sensations, and this is perfectly healthy.

• Healthy ears make noise.
• Healthy brains hear all forms of sound and noise, both internal and external.
• Healthy people can hear their own tinnitus.

6. The Roller Coaster of Healing: Embrace the Ups and Downs

You can change your neural maps and create new perceptions inside your body and brain by focusing on the sensations that you want to feel in your body.

Non-linear process. Healing is not a linear process, and you will experience ups and downs along the way. There will be times when you feel great and other times when you feel NQR. This is normal, and it's important to be patient and kind to yourself.

• The process of building neural pathways is individual.
• Don’t compare yourself to others as you heal.
• Be honest with yourself and keep focused on what you want to feel.

Integration and reboot. Neural change and rewiring neural networks takes a period of integration and reboot. This can look like a day in bed, a week of fatigue, or a month of fogginess. Sometimes we need to go through an integration period that feels NQR so that we can reset and renew our underlying neural patterns.

• During the integrative neuroplasticity process, we implement changes, we allow time for our system to update, and then we have a little reboot.
• This can feel like a truck has hit you.
• You need to be patient and invest time into it.

Resilience and self-compassion. The key to riding the roller coaster is to develop resilience and self-compassion. This means learning how to self-soothe, manage anxiety, and trust your body's ability to heal. It's about being prepared for any sensation that you feel in your body, heart, or mind.

• You need to be able to feel through it and see it clearly so that you can resolve it and return the ball.
• You need your mindset to remain equally curious, present, and reassuring.
• You need that voice inside of you to declare, I’ve got this.

7. Your New Normal: A Life Beyond Symptoms

You can use the healthy neurons within your brain and body to override any damaged pathways and to create new neural settings that feel normal again.

Beyond symptom focus. Your new normal is not about getting rid of symptoms, but rather about living a life that is rich, meaningful, and fulfilling despite any sensations you may experience. It's about shifting your focus from what you don't want to what you do want.

• You don’t need to get rid of symptoms, because you can instead override them.
• You want your brain to put the dizziness and tinnitus signals at the bottom of the priority list.
• You do not want your symptoms to be perceived as threatening or important.

Embracing change. Your new normal is a dynamic state that evolves as you change and grow. It's about being open to new experiences, new perspectives, and new ways of being. It's about accepting yourself just as you are, with all of your imperfections and quirks.

• Humans keep changing in order to stay healthy.
• Our neural maps are like our software settings. They need frequent updates to keep us in touch with reality.
• You are not the person you were five years ago or even yesterday.

Living with purpose. Your new normal is about living a life that is aligned with your values, your passions, and your purpose. It's about doing things that light you up and bring you joy. It's about connecting with others, contributing to the world, and making a difference.

• You can choose what you feel ready to experience.
• You can open up to more of your wholeness and allow yourself to just be.
• This is the ultimate practice of self-love, self-acceptance, and self-compassion.

Last updated: January 18, 2025