REGULATE
A nervous system intro course for hypermobile humans
Feel safer in your body, reduce flares, and finally build a solid foundation for movement.
Yes I'm ready!
If you’re hypermobile, your nervous system is working a whole lot harder than you may think.
I’ve worked with so many hypermobile humans who struggle to tolerate physical therapy and even very beginner exercises. Very often this is explained away as being “stressed” or “anxious” but the reality is so much more complex than that.
Chances are you’ve been told:
- “Your system is too sensitive.”
- “Try some breathwork.”
- “Try a mediation app.”
…or my personal favorite → “You just need to reduce your stress”
But when you’re hypermobile, especially with hEDS or HSD, dysautonomia, MCAS, pain flares, and a body that reacts to everything, “just relax” isn’t a real option. This isn’t a mindset problem. It’s a physiology problem.
Hypermobile humans have real differences in how the nervous system and immune system work, and it goes far beyond regular stress.
When your connective tissue is not as sturdy, your nervous system stays on high alert because it’s constantly trying to make up for that lack of structural support. And then there’s proprioception, which is your built-in sense of where your joints are in space. That is often reduced too, which means your body isn’t always giving you clear or accurate feedback.
It’s a lot.
And it’s exactly why we need a different approach.
Hypermobility-related changes in the nervous system and immune system are why you may:
- Flare after “gentle” exercise
- Crash halfway through the day
- Feel tight everywhere despite stretching
- Have random pain spikes
- Fatigue quickly
- Feel dizzy or lightheaded
- Feel overstimulated by lights, noise, or even social interaction
- React to heat, cold, foods, perfumes…
- Struggle to activate the right muscles no matter how hard you try
And this is exactly why I created Regulate.
Hypermobile joints are harder to control, which means your muscles have to work overtime to stabilize them. Most people assume that flexibility equals ease, but for many of us that constant sense of tightness is actually our body bracing because it doesn’t feel secure.
When you look a little deeper, that tightness and guarding isn’t just a muscle issue. It’s your nervous system doing its best to protect you. Muscles and fascia don’t decide to tense up on their own. They follow instructions from a nervous system that is trying to create safety.
Which is great, thank you, nervous system… but it can also get a bit overprotective. This added layer of “protection” often shows up as tension, pain, fatigue, and even increased reactivity in both the immune and autonomic nervous systems.
What is Regulate?
Regulate is a DIY nervous system course designed specifically for hypermobile humans
- Diagnosed or suspected hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (hEDS/HSD)
- Dysautonomia
- Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
- Myalgic Encephalomylitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
- Repeated “PT made me worse” experiences
- Difficulty tolerating exercise (even “beginner” level)
Regulate is the missing first step most people need in order to be successful with a movement practice, including everyday activities.
Regulate teaches you simple, effective neuro drills and everyday strategies that help you create a more stable baseline so that:
✔ Your body feels safer
✔ Your muscles activate more reliably
✔ Your pain flares happen less often
✔ You stop crashing by 3 PM
✔ You can finally tolerate starting a movement practice
✔ Progress to a higher level of exercise if you’ve felt “stuck” with low-intensity movements
What you’ll be able to do after Regulate 🦓
✔ Reduce the number of unexpected pain flares
You’ll build a nervous system that doesn’t set off alarms with low-intensity movements.
✔ Decrease the protective muscle guarding and tension
Your body will stop bracing as its default mode.
✔ Improve energy and reduce daily fatigue
No more crashing halfway through the day.
✔ Know exactly which neuro drills YOUR body responds to
No guessing. No random exercises.
You’ll have a personalized toolkit.
✔ Understand the “why” behind your symptoms
Finally, make sense of your reactions, flares, and triggers.
✔ Build a solid foundation to get you ready for a movement, PT or fitness
When your nervous system is less reactive, everything works better.
What’s Included
Each module has multiple short, clear, 2–7 minute videos — perfect for neurodivergent brains that struggle with long lectures.
MODULE 1 — Intro
What nervous system regulation actually means (no woo, no vagueness) and why it’s important
MODULE 2 — Breathing
More than deep breaths. No long, tedious breathwork sessions that leave your busy brain wandering.
We’ll focus on gentle but proper use of your respiratory and core muscles, without triggering more symptoms or anxiety
MODULE 3 — Body-Based Neuro Drills
Simple drills that speak your body’s language. Learn drills to help with tension in the hip flexors, hamstrings, and neck muscles. Learn important but simple sensory drills in order to achieve better muscle activation and less guarding/tension.
MODULE 4 — Cranial Nerve Drills
Evidence-based and simple drills for the eyes, tongue, face, vagus-nerve techniques — all tailored to hypermobility. Focus on the highest impact drills that give you the biggest bang for your buck and as a bonus, most also double as stabilization drills
MODULE 5 — Proprioception
Tools to reconnect your brain to your joints (especially helpful if you sublux or feel “disconnected” from your limbs).
MODULE 6 — Movement + Meditations: Guided Practices
Short guided sessions to practice your drills, integrate them, and give you repeatable routines.
PDF Toolkit (included)
1. Regulate Course Handbook
How to build your personalized neuro program + assessment & reassessment checklist.
2. Symptom Guide: What Drill to Use for XYZ
If you feel dizzy?
Head pressure?
Muscle tension?
Fatigue?
This quick-glance guide tells you exactly which drills to pick.
3. TENS for Vagus Nerve Stimulation Guide
Clear, evidence-based instructions for safely using TENS (transcutaneous nerve stimulation) for Vagus nerve stimulation at the ear (tVNS( with hypermobility, including links to products that are appropriate.
4. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) Quick-Start Management Guide
Practical strategies for stabilizing reactivity while you work through the course.
⭐ Bonus: Lifetime Access to the Hypermobility Resource Hub
A curated, updated library of my favorite EDS/HSD-related:
- Products (braces, supports, compress, pain management tools, pillows, shoes etc)
- Books
- Providers
- Research Articles
- Podcasts
- Social media accounts
Everything I recommend is in one place for all of my 1:1 clients and program members. I’m updating this all the time ;)
Why Regulate Works (even if sensory work or breathwork hasn’t worked for you before)
You’ve probably tried:
- Meditation
- Generic breathwork
- Long somatic practices
- Random drills you learned online
And they made you feel dizzy, anxious, overstimulated, or worse.
That's because the nervous system in hypermobile humans is unique.
Hypermobility is so often associated with neurodivergence, dysautonomia, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
To navigate this complex physiologly, we need short, precise drills that help your nervous system feel safe
Not long routines that overload your system or give cues that aren’t friendly to hypermobile joints
FAQ
How much time will it take to get through this program?
Do I have lifetime access?
I believe I’m hypermobile, but I don’t have an official diagnosis. Will this still be helpful?
What if I sign up and I don’t find any of this to be helpful for me?
Do you take FSA/HSA?
Hi! I’m Dr. Melissa Koehl, PT
I'm a Physical Therapist and Pilates instructor living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). I own Chimera Health, a virtual and mobile Physical Therapy practice in Chicago, IL, where I specialize in helping my fellow hypermobile humans feel stronger, safer, and more supported in their bodies.
Along with pain and injuries, I’ve personally navigated dysautonomia, MCAS, and GI dysfunction, so I deeply understand the frustration, confusion, and exhaustion that often come with hypermobility and chronic illness.
I’ve spent the past 24 years working with persistent pain and trauma, and have completed advanced mentorship training in functional neurology, visceral work, and nervous system approaches for complex musculoskeletal conditions. These are the foundations of what you’ll learn inside Regulate.
I also developed the ChimeraFit method to address hypermobility-related pain and instability by blending the best of strength training, Pilates, and Yoga. This method, together with the nervous system tools in Regulate, works beautifully to support hypermobile bodies, and I’m incredibly passionate about sharing it.
Add on Regulate 7-Day Reset
(Priced at $19)
Let me give you detailed, DAILY guidance so you are not doing this alone!
If you’re hypermobile, there’s high overlap with those of us who are ADHD, autistic, overwhelmed, or just really tired of having to “figure it out” on your own.
That’s why I created this to make it as EASY as possible!
The Regulate 7-Day Reset is a gentle, structured support week that walks you through a simple daily nervous system routine so you can actually start using what you learn in Regulate, instead of letting it sit in a folder.
For 7 days, you receive a short daily email that includes:
- A simple reminder that today’s routine is ready
- A link to an exclusive to you follow-along 2-3 min Regulation Reset video
- Clear instructions for the optional “spotlight” drill of the day
- A quick check-in prompt so you can notice what is changing
The 7 Day Reset videos are exclusive bonus content and are not part of the standard Regulate curriculum.
They’re designed as a gentle, structured “getting started” week. They’re a short follow-along routine to help you actually begin using the tools you’ll learn inside the main program.
I know you have the know-how to figure it all out on your own. But let me guide you in these short, predictable, repeatable mini-routines that help get you started.
