Neurodiverse Sport X Sensate

New Opportunities For Accessibility in Mindfulness Practise

By Stefan Chmelik.

In March ‘24 I attended the Neurodiverse Sport event in the Norton Rose Fulbright building on London’s South Bank. Founded by British Olympic rower Caragh McMurtry and Mikey Mottram, former Great Britain rower and now elite gravel cyclist, Neurodiverse Sport aims to ‘promote understanding of all forms of neurodiversity at every level of sport.’

"I've always felt a bit different. For a long time I felt very alone." Says Caragh, who found out later in life that she was neurodivergent and aims to make things better for the generation of athletes coming through now.

At the Neurodiverse Sport event, a room full of people were learning more about the upsides and challenges experienced by athletes who encounter the world differently to the norm. This is a wonderful and much needed initiative, and an important start towards increasing understanding and acceptance of people who see and experience the world with different eyes (and all senses in fact), and of the gifts that enable them to thrive.

The subject of neurodiversity itself is of personal interest as my own family shares in the neurodivergent experience. I personally find certain sounds unsettling, anxiety provoking or physically painful. An excess of energetic ‘noise’ in the vicinity activates my emergency response and I can become jittery if too hot, hungry or tired. I am lucky enough to be able to counteract this sensitivity through walking and being in nature every day. But not everyone can indulge in that. 

How Sensate can help

Sound and physical sensation are powerful methods for soothing the over-stimulated nervous system and have been utilised in many ways and in different cultures for centuries or more. This is the basis for the therapeutic action of the Sensate technology, which combines audible sound (soundscapes) with physical resonance felt through bone conduction (our Pebble) which works to tone the Vagus nerve. This nerve controls the ‘Fight-Flight-Freeze’ response that we all experience when confronted with stress stimuli. By helping to tone the Vagus nerve, Sensate works to take us out of ‘Fight-Flight-Freeze’ and into the ‘Rest and Digest’ state: Stress relief; and further, was developed through direct experience of working with many patients with nervous system dysregulation in my clinic.

People with neurodiversity face unique and multifaceted challenges with stress and mental health; and it is imperative that society's recognition and acceptance of neurodivergence goes hand in hand with inclusive and accessible approaches to mindfulness and mental health practice. 

Kim Barthel, a registered Occupational Therapist, an Advanced Neuro-Developmental Treatment Instructor, Sensory Integration Instructor and best-selling author on trauma healing, commented: “Sensate has been an profoundly impactful tool in the clinic, helping neurodiverse children be more connected to themselves and the people around them. Sensate is a significant tool in helping people manage their neurodiversity and trauma.” 

Sensate is a passive approach to stress relief, which means that users only have to place the pebble on their chest and let it work, there is no prior experience, active participation or focussing required. This makes the Sensate pebble a particularly accessible tool for the Neurodiverse community: 

• Sensate creates an alternative way to experience the benefits of mindfulness without the focus-centric methods of traditional mindfulness practice which can be overwhelming and frustrating especially for those who struggle with sustained focussing 
• The infrasonic resonance felt as gentle vibrations from the pebble can be particularly soothing for those who process sensory stimuli differently 
• Sensate does not have to be used in a particular environment or as a routine in order to work. Even one ten-minute Sensate session in a quiet corner of the office (or anywhere) can help to engage the parasympathetic nervous state (‘rest and digest’). This offers the flexibility that many neurodivergent people need in mindfulness practice

The team at Sensate is proud that the easy, flexible, passive, and inclusive approach that Sensate offers can help make the benefits of mindfulness more accessible, especially to the neurodiverse community that is so close to my heart.

Sensately yours,

Stefan

Stefan Chmelik is co-founder of and inventor of the Sensate stress reduction system, which is based on his over three decades of clinical experience working with anxiety, stress and trauma. His mission is now the company's mission - to positively impact the lives of 100 million people by 2025.

Articles page HERE

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