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My hands gripped the edges of the table as I took another breath and focused on relaxing the area beneath my left scapula. The needle bit into my skin, searing a path down my back as I exhaled slowly, keeping perfectly still while tension rippled through my body.

Then ...Release.

A magnificent flood of warmth spread across my system. The moment the needle lifted, my body melted. Relief washed through me like an internal tide, eclipsing the distress signals that had overwhelmed me just seconds before.

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Ask any tattooer how to deal with the pain and they’ll inevitably respond:
​“Focus on your breath. Try to relax.”

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But when relaxation is unavailable—when your breath is galloping like a wild horse and your body is braced in panic—that advice feels impossibly far away.

It’s been an interesting journey. Over the past five months, I’ve spent hours under the needle retouching old tattoos and laying down a massive new dragon that spirals across my back. It started with touch-ups on my arms—where I discovered that watching the progress helped me stay present. Seeing color illuminate the dulled images of my past gave me the same satisfaction as checking a dreaded task off of the to-do list.

But the real turning point came during one of the early sessions with Chago, my tattooer and the owner of Wholehearted Tattoo. I was struggling—my breathing ragged, my shoulders subtly convulsing beneath the machine—and he paused, gently asked:
​“Can you try to stay still? I’m having trouble drawing a clean line.”

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And just like that, I had a project.

No longer just enduring pain—I had a way to respond. A job to do. I wasn’t simply reacting to sensation. I had an anchor. And that changed everything.

From that point forward, the sessions became more than endurance—they became exploration. I began humming to “pre-game” the vibration before the needle even touched down. I matched the frequency of my voice to music playing in the background, syncing my system to the rhythm of the work. And I noticed something astonishing: not only did humming help in the moment, it also left me calmer and more centered the day after the tattooing ended.

I began wondering:
Are there different types of pain? Different flavors of endorphins?
Could I experiment with something like endorphin stacking—lifting weights before a tattoo, or doing somatic movement right after?

It became a full-body laboratory in how we perceive discomfort, and how we can reshape that perception through breath, vibration, and proprioception.

🎥 I turned this entire learning process into a 6-part video series:
👉 Tattooing & the Nervous System​

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Each episode is short and focused (5–7 minutes), covering:

• Pain receptors + how nociception works

• What happens when you can’t relax

• Vibration as a nervous system language

• Humming, proprioception, and vagus nerve regulation

🐉 And a deep-dive interview with Brian Hutflies, a coach and tattooer whose take on embodiment is deeply aligned with the movement world.

We first started talking after I’d done a heavy workout to test my theory about “endorphin stacking.” I was still riding the wave when we connected, and I was delighted to discover someone equally passionate about the mind-body relationship—and about adorning bodies with intentional art.

And if you're local to Monterey and thinking about getting a tattoo, I can't recommend Wholehearted Tattoo highly enough. I've been in a lot of tattoo parlors over the years—and this one is truly special. They're intentional, trauma-informed, and deeply invested in creating an environment that’s respectful, collaborative, and inclusive. Every artist there brings both technical precision and genuine care to the work.

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🧠 Want to Try It Yourself? Here Are 4 Tools for Vagal Tone

Vagal tone isn’t just about “rest and digest”—it’s your body’s ability to switch between sympathetic and parasympathetic modes. A flexible vagus nerve means better recovery, steadier mood, and more physical resilience.

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Here’s your mini Nervous System toolkit:

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1. Gargling (the right way)

• Fill a glass with 2–4 oz of water

• Take a sip, tip your head back, and gargle for 10–30 seconds

• Spit, repeat until the glass is empty
This stimulates the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve—located right where it exits the brainstem—waking up your system’s capacity to self-soothe and switch states.

2. Humming or chanting on a long exhale​
Internal vibration (especially around the larynx and throat) engages vagal tone while pacing the breath. Match it to a song, mantra, or just let a hum rise naturally. You'll feel the shift.

3. Breath pacing: inhale 4, exhale 6​
This exhale-dominant pattern directly tells your nervous system, “You’re safe.” Just a few minutes a day can retrain your baseline.

4. Cold water face plunges or shower rinses​
Brief cold exposure—especially to the face and neck—triggers the dive reflex, a deep parasympathetic reset used to shift out of panic or post-effort agitation.

These aren’t magic tricks. They’re access points—ways to tune your own signal.

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💫 Want to Go Deeper?

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🌀 The Source Awakens – Free Masterclass in Proprioceptive Training
🗓 Saturday, June 14 | 11 AM–1 PM PT (Replay available for 7 days)

This live online class is the gateway into my J.E.D.I. Spine Tricks Trilogy—a 3-day immersive training in proprioceptive cueing, breath-led movement, and nervous system recalibration for movement professionals, educators, and curious embodied humans.

You don’t have to commit to the full training to benefit. This session stands on its own as a reset and a resource.

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🌐 Explore the full J.E.D.I. workshop here​

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Thanks for reading.

Whether you’ve been tattooed or not, you’ve met moments like this:
Where sensation surges, the body braces, and you’re left choosing—react or respond?

That choice, over time, becomes a skill.
And the skill becomes a kind of power—not to override pain, but to meet it with clarity.

These practices—breath, vibration, awareness—they aren’t about escaping discomfort.
They’re about expanding your capacity to stay with it, to reshape it, and sometimes… even to welcome it.

I hope this series gives you something you can use—in your own body, or in your work with others.

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Here’s to nervous system fluency, proprioceptive depth, and the wisdom that lives in sensation.

With all the Aummmm's

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​Domini Anne

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P.S.The Source Awakens goes live Saturday, June 14 at 11 AM PT.
If you’re feeling the call, sign up here—it’s free, and the replay is available for 7 days.

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