Podcast Summary: The Neurodivergent Experience
Episode: Mindful Mondays With Ashley Bentley: The Ladder Within | Understanding Your Nervous System
Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Ashley Bentley (special Mindful Mondays series)
Regular Hosts: Jordan James and Simon Scott
Overview
This Mindful Mondays episode, hosted by Ashley Bentley, launches a new monthly focus on the nervous system—specifically, how it functions in neurodivergent individuals (Autism, ADHD, and beyond). Bentley blends science, personal narrative, and mindfulness to demystify the nervous system, using the "polyvagal ladder" as a compassionate framework for understanding and working with our internal states. The episode mixes education, empowerment, and a guided practice, aiming to equip neurodivergent listeners with both insight and practical tools for nervous system regulation.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Nervous System—A Core Human Experience
- Ashley Bentley introduces the theme: This episode marks the beginning of a month-long exploration of neuroscience and the neurodivergent nervous system, relating it directly to everyday life and the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals.
- The nervous system as a bridge: Bentley shares her own journey, highlighting how gaining an understanding of her nervous system facilitated her recovery from severe burnout and chronic conditions, saying,
"The glue that helped to put me back together, both physically and emotionally, was learning about the nervous system and how to work with it rather than against it." (05:13)
2. Misconceptions and Sensory Sensitivity in Neurodivergence
- Heightened perception: Neurodivergent brains and bodies are described as “wired for deeper sensitivity,” leading to vivid, sometimes overwhelming experiences of daily life.
- A double-edged sword:
"We are constantly filtering, interpreting, and responding to a higher volume of sensory, emotional, and environmental data...This makes us exquisitely perceptive and creative and intuitive. But it also means our nervous systems can move into activation or overwhelm much more quickly." (09:48)
3. The Polyvagal Ladder: A Model for Understanding States
- Introduction to the ladder: The polyvagal ladder, developed by Dr. Deb Dana, offers a gentler, more nuanced way to view nervous system states compared to “fight or flight” binaries.
- Three color-coded zones:
- Green (Top): Rest and digest—safety, connection, creativity, presence.
- Yellow (Middle): Sympathetic—activation, fight or flight, energy for action; can be beneficial but unsustainable if prolonged.
- Red (Bottom): Shutdown/freeze—collapsed energy, numbness, the body’s conservation mode during overwhelm.
- Fluidity of states:
"We all move up and down this ladder every day. It's dynamic. And the key is learning where you are and what helps you climb back up towards safety." (16:54)
- Neurodivergence and the ladder: Neurodivergent people often reside nearer to the “yellow zone,” prone to overwhelm and burnout, but also capable of transmuting sensitivity into wisdom through awareness.
4. Practical Self-Regulation Tools & Compassionate Awareness
- The power of naming and compassionate witnessing:
- Bentley encourages listeners to "name" their current state (“Ah, yellow” or “Ah, red”) with kindness, which in itself can bring a measure of regulation.
- Quoting:
"Awareness is regulation. Labeling thoughts and feelings is a common meditation technique...a brilliant technique to calming your nervous system." (23:59)
- Microdosing meaning:
- Noticing small moments of felt safety (e.g., "your morning tea or your dog's sigh") contributes to re-patterning the nervous system toward calm and regulation.
5. Nervous System Training and Mindfulness
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Training a resilient nervous system: Regular compassionate attention, simple mindfulness techniques, and somatic practices foster a sense of safety and self-trust.
"Your nervous system is not your enemy. It's your ally, constantly trying to protect you. By learning its language, you can guide it home." (28:49)
- Tuning into sensation: The nervous system communicates through the language of bodily sensation (tightness, warmth, breath, etc.), and learning to listen nonjudgmentally is key.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On sensitivity as a gift:
"That sensitivity, it's also your superpower. Because when you learn to listen to your body, to read the signals, to move between these states with care, that sensitivity becomes wisdom." (17:45)
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On the neurodivergent experience in a sensory-rich world:
"To a neurotypical person, a busy cafe might feel lively. But to a neurodivergent nervous system, it can feel like standing in the middle of a thunderstorm of sights and sounds and sensations." (11:51)
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On self-compassion and awareness:
"When you notice your nervous system shifting, the heart racing, the shoulders tightening, the fog settling in, that noticing itself is presence... Rather than judging yourself, try this: Place your hand on your heart and quietly say, ah yellow or ah, red." (22:08)
Important Timestamps & Segment Guide
- 02:08 – [Episode Begins] Introduction to Nervous System Month; Bentley’s personal story and how the nervous system became her “special interest.”
- 09:35 – The neurodivergent nervous system: Sensory processing, overwhelm, and creative potential.
- 13:59 – The polyvagal ladder framework explained with color zones (green, yellow, red); practical examples.
- 16:54 – Navigating the ladder in neurodivergent life; burnout and burnout recovery.
- 20:39 – Importance of noticing and naming internal states; Buddhism and presence.
- 26:11 – Microdosing moments of safety and meaning; practical weekly self-regulation challenge.
- 28:01 – Mindfulness, nervous system training, and developing a language of self-compassion.
- 30:24 – Guided Polyvagal Ladder Meditation: Somatic imagery, calming breath, and embodied compassion.
- 34:39 – Closing thoughts, preview of next week’s episode ("How to Befriend the Body"), and resources for nervous system healing via Bentley’s Insight Timer channel.
Flow & Tone
Bentley maintains a warm, empathetic, and empowering tone throughout, blending clear scientific explanation with poetic language, gentle humor, and practical wisdom. The episode is rich with sensory imagery and mindful encouragement, inviting listeners to approach themselves with curiosity, openness, and deep self-respect.
Next Episode Preview
Next week: "How to Befriend the Body"—learning the language of safety and self-soothing, with more accessible regulation tools. Find further meditations and nervous system resources by searching for Ashley Bentley on Insight Timer.
Key Takeaway:
Learning to understand, name, and befriend our nervous system—especially as neurodivergent individuals—is both a practical and loving act. By regularly noticing our bodily states (the “ladder within”), practicing gentle awareness, and savoring micro-moments of safety, we create internal conditions for healing, connection, and thriving.
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