Hello Friends,

The coccyx and the anus walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, “Whoa, you two look tense—sympathetic activation, huh?”

The coccyx replies, “Yeah, we’ve been tucked all day, bracing against politics, religion, relationships, and finances.”

The anus sighs, “Don’t forget pelvic floor stress. I’ve been pointing forward so long I forgot what rest feels like.”

The bartender nods knowingly and says, “Well, if you’d just relax and point back and down, you’d both be parasympathetic by happy hour.”

The nervous system chimes in from the corner: “Exactly. Whether you fight or digest depends on where you’re pointing.”

The coccyx and the anus. My favorite topic. Or says my husband. Both are useful indicators of what’s happening in the autonomic nervous system. Your stealthy informants:

• When the coccyx tucks forward the body is in a sympathetic state. That’s the “fight or flight” branch: bracing, tightening, preparing to manage or defend.

• When the coccyx releases fully behind the legs—and the anus points down opposite the head—the parasympathetic system is active. That’s the “rest and digest” branch: ease, recovery, safety.

Is it anuses or ani? Doesn’t matter—either way, we’re talking about your anus, not Uranus… and let’s be honest, it always gets the last word. But humor aside, asking “Where is your anus pointing?” is a practical way to check in with your nervous system.

What makes this fascinating is how these physical cues mirror thought patterns. Sympathetic reflexes—the tucked coccyx, the not-pointing-down anus—often show up when we’re wrestling with questions of control. Politics, religion, relationships, finances, etc.… these are areas where the nervous system asks: Do I have control here? Am I losing it? Is my environment relating to me the way I want it to?

The coccyx’s relationship to your legs basically makes you no different than your dog—tail tucked when you’re nervous, tail released when you’re relaxed. The only difference is your dog doesn’t overthink politics, religion, or finances.

When the coccyx and anus shift back and down, the body tells a different story: "I don’t need to brace against the world right now. I don't need control. I am safe either way.”

Butt here's the clencher (get it? gotta love a dad joke...): if you tuck your tail on purpose, and for some that means attempting to point the tail down in order to achieve a "neutral" pelvis because somewhere you learned that's what you are supposed to do, but you have unknowingly actually tucked your tail (yes, I'm talking to you fellow ballet teachers), you then also trigger a sympathetic response system wide.

So together, the coccyx and anus act like a compass and barometer. They give us feedback about how the nervous system is responding to daily life. By noticing their position, we can track patterns and connect them to the stories we’re telling ourselves about our ideas regarding control or lack thereof, safety, and trust.

Onwards, Amy

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Content is this email is for entertainment and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or a replacement for therapy. This is, unapologetically, Amy’s soapbox. If something here struck a nerve, chances are you helped spark it—so own your part. The musings won’t last forever, but while they do, consider them an invitation to reflect, laugh, or squirm a little.