How Sisterhood Heals the Nervous System

Have you ever walked into a room full of women and felt… tense? Do you ever notice that sometimes it feels easier to work with men than with women?

That subtle current of comparison, the quiet checklist in your head: She’s more confident. She’s thinner. She’s doing better than me. You smile anyway, because that’s what we’ve learned to do.. to look composed, capable, unbothered... to avoid showing too much feeling or vulnerability.

But underneath the surface, your nervous system is already in overdrive. We’ve been trained to compete, not to connect.

There was a time when women gathered and followed the cycles of nature. They supported one another in daily life, cared for children together, and shared the invisible work of holding communities intact. Their menstrual cycles often synced with one another and with the rhythm of the moon.

They honoured their feminine power, living in harmony with their cyclical nature. They didn’t have the scientific language we use today, they simply trusted their intuition, their feelings, their bodies. That connection regulated their systems, soothed their minds, and gave them strength. They also had something many of us have lost: real, practical help.

Today, most of us live in a world built on performance and perfection.We’re encouraged to be independent, unstoppable, endlessly productive.So we try harder and harder, and still feel it’s never enough.

We compare ourselves quietly to other women who seem to be doing it better. But the truth is, no one wins when we’re all performing.We just burn out in isolation.

And inevitably, comparison turns into envy, hat quiet voice whispering, I want that too. It’s not jealousy, really; it’s a reminder of our own unmet desires.

The real problem isn’t that we compare, it’s that we don’t talk about it.

We hide it, and in doing so, we lose the chance to transform comparison into connection.

Imagine if, instead of competing, we got curious:What if her success could inspire mine?What if her strength could remind me of my own?

That’s where sisterhood begins, when we stop pretending and start being real.

When women come together and truly connect… in circles, retreats, or even in simple shared moments, something ancient awakens.

Sisterhood isn’t just about friendship; it’s about nourishing the nervous system. It’s a return to the collective rhythm our ancestors once knew, one where no woman had to carry it all alone.

We drop the masks.We remember what it feels like to be seen without judgment.We co-regulate.

And this isn’t just emotional or symbolic, it’s biological.

Our nervous systems are designed for connection. When we feel safe, seen, and supported, our vagus nerve, the body’s main pathway of calm, becomes active.Our breath slows. Our heart rate steadies. Cortisol, the stress hormone, drops.

When we gather, we mirror each other’s emotions. Our brains release oxytocin, the hormone of bonding and trust. We share stories, laughter, and tears. And in that exchange, our bodies whisper: I’m safe.

In a world that teaches women to compete, sisterhood is a quiet rebellion.It’s choosing empathy over envy, compassion over comparison, presence over perfection.

That’s why, after a few days with other women, you might feel lighter, more grounded, or more creative… your body has remembered what safety feels like.

You don’t need a full retreat to experience this. You can begin small, by creating or joining spaces that honour authenticity and connection.

• Have tea with a friend and speak honestly, without performance.

• Gather women for a new-moon ritual or a seasonal reflection.

• Join a circle, community, or program that celebrates shared growth.

Each time you connect authentically, you’re not just nourishing your heart, you’re regulating your nervous system.

Sisterhood is not new.It’s a remembering, of how we once lived, and how our bodies still long to live.

It’s the medicine of presence, of laughter, of being held. And when we return to that, even for a moment, we heal not just ourselves, but each other.

Sometimes it is hard, to trust and be held... especially when it comes to stranger, because it is also about loosing control.

Can you feel the magic and the power already? Have you experienced already?