Your Story, Your Safety
Writing Memoir in Harmony with your Vagus Nerve
A new program created by memoir mentor Marnie Summerfield Smith & neuro physiotherapist Clare Triggs.
Online workshop: Thursday, July 3rd. 7-8.30pm BST. £30
(£25 for members of Marnie’s Memoir Mission)
You're not lazy. You're not lacking discipline. And that feeling of overwhelm when you sit down to write your story? That's not weakness – that's your nervous system trying to protect you.
If you've ever found yourself staring at a blank page, unable to access memories you know are there, or feeling inexplicably wired, or perhaps exhausted or shut down when approaching the difficult chapters of your life, your body is communicating something vital: it doesn't feel safe to revisit the past.
The vagus nerve – the longest cranial nerve in your body – runs from your brainstem through your face, heart, lungs, and gut. It's reading the world, letting you and your body know, how safe you are. The vagus nerve is wired to help you survive, but here's the thing: this ancient survival system doesn't have a watch and it can't tell the time! When you begin writing about traumatic experiences, your nervous system can't distinguish between past and present danger, triggering protective responses that shut down your capacity for creativity and memory access.
You might recognise these states: the hypervigilance of fight-or-flight that leaves you too agitated to focus, or the collapse into freeze – our oldest defence mechanism, essentially "playing dead"—where writing becomes impossible.
There's also the fawn response, where you find yourself writing what you think others want to hear rather than what you need to say.
These aren't character flaws and they shouldn't be something with which to beat yourself up. They are sophisticated survival strategies your body has developed to keep you safe.
But there's another state available to you: the ventral vagal state. This is your social engagement system, where you feel genuinely safe and connected – not just to others, but to yourself. In this state, you can access both your memories and your creativity because your prefrontal cortex is online, allowing you to observe and process past experiences without being overwhelmed by them.
The revolutionary understanding we'll explore in this workshop is that trauma and our stories live in the body. Through neuroplasticity, we can actually strengthen our vagus nerve's capacity to handle difficult material, building resilience that serves both our writing and our overall wellbeing.
What You'll Learn in this Workshop:
Immediate regulation techniques to help your nervous system recognise safety in the present moment, allowing you to write without triggering protective responses. You'll discover how to communicate to your body that revisiting the past on the page is different from reliving it.
Long-term healing practices that build vagal tone – your nervous system's capacity to stay regulated under stress. A well-toned vagus nerve acts like a strong container, allowing you to explore difficult memories without
re-traumatisation.
Body-based approaches to memoir writing that honour your nervous system's wisdom whilst gently expanding your capacity to tell your story. Your body thinks it's helping when it stops you from writing; we'll show you how to work with these protective impulses rather than against them.
Join memoir mentor Marnie Summerfield Smith (17 years of helping people like you to write their stories) and neuro physiotherapist Clare Triggs (specialist in vagus nerve regulation) for this groundbreaking workshop on July 3rd.
Together, we'll transform how you approach your memoir. With safety, compassion, and the understanding that healing and storytelling can happen simultaneously.
Your story matters. Your nervous system wants to help you tell it safely.
Let us show you how.
Marnie says:
During my 17 years as a memoir mentor, I've watched many motivated and potentially brilliant memoirists sit down to tell their stories only to find themselves inexplicably stuck, blaming themselves for “laziness” or “lack of discipline”. But I know better now. I've come to understand that my lovely writers aren't lazy, their systems aren't ready and need TLC!
For the past 18 months, I've been working with Clare on my own vagal tone and self-regulation, and I can honestly say she's one of the most deeply empathic, gentle, and intuitive professionals I've encountered. Her work has made a huge difference in my life and my research into the Vagus Nerve, with Clare's guidance, has transformed how I see writers. I'm passionate about sharing this understanding because I've seen too many brilliant writers give up on their stories when what they actually need isn't more discipline, but more safety. And that's exactly what this work with Clare can provide.
Read more about how Marnie works with memoirists here.
Marnie's Instagram.
Claire says:
As a physiotherapist with decades of experience in many areas of my field, I have been fascinated by how people heal and recover from seemingly minor to sometimes major life changing injuries and trauma.
I have often marvelled at the body’s ability to heal with even the simplest of tools and input and the way the mind plays a role in opening up this capacity for change and a new story.
When I started learning more about the nervous system and its profound capacity for reorganising itself, in relation to trauma and our life stories, a new lens opened up for me.
I started to work on my own nervous system with the understanding of the vagus nerve and felt my body/mind system shift and soften and grow capacity.
I am really excited to share this knowledge with you all and be a part of the journeys you are all on in navigating your stories and showing you how much your body is there to help you along the way.
Join us at 7pm UNTIL 8.30pm BST on Thursday, July 3rd. The cost is £30 (£25 for members of Marnie's Memoir Mission) and you'll have access to the workshop for 28 days afterwards.
Once you're booked in, you'll receive Marnie's newsletter which will bring details of more Your Story, Your Safety - Writing Memoir in Harmony with your Vagus Nerve events, including in-person day and weekend retreats in 2026.
For further information contact Marnie’s assistant Emily Davies via [email protected]
More about Clare Triggs
Clare Triggs is a specialised neuro physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience. She has worked in many settings gaining experience and understanding of complex trauma and chronic conditions.
Her approach of bringing together the psychological and social aspects of recovery and rehabilitation led her to dive deeper in to the nervous system and how our bodies reintegrate after stressful or traumatic events in our lives.
The body (Soma) is a vital resource and relatively misunderstood in our modern culture but as a movement, specialist Clare has seen the changes happening every day in the way people gain their agency back and master their nervous system to thrive again.
Our stories play out in our bodies just as much as our minds and can drive our narratives in healthy or unhealthy ways. Working at the level of our nervous system and learning to embody all of our experiences can help the mind make sense of the world again and give us a clearer path to move forward.
Clare enjoys educating people on the workings of the nervous system through understanding the vagus nerve and its relation to the stories we tell ourselves and others and how we feel in our mind/body systems.
Clare Triggs' Instagram is here.
And please enjoy this video of Clare (in the striped high neck jumper): Pilot Study – Embodiment and the Vagus Nerve at Kent MS Therapy Centre
Important Disclaimer
This workshop is designed as an educational experience combining memoir writing guidance with nervous system awareness. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic
treatment.
This workshop is not suitable if you are:
- Currently experiencing acute trauma or in crisis
- Receiving treatment for severe mental health conditions without professional clearance to participate
- Unable to self-regulate or manage distressing emotions independently
- Seeking therapeutic treatment for trauma (this is an educational workshop, not therapy)
Please note:
- Whilst Marnie and Clare bring extensive experience and deep empathy to their work, neither is providing medical or psychological treatment
- Participants are responsible for their own self-care and emotional safety during and after the workshop
- If you experience distress during the session, please prioritise your wellbeing and step away if needed
- We recommend having your own support systems in place before attending
If you're unsure whether this workshop is appropriate for you, please consult with your doctor or therapist first.
By booking this workshop, you acknowledge that you understand these limitations and take responsibility for your own participation and wellbeing.
