Welcome.
I'm really glad you're here.
This practice is for those moments when news lands close to home,
When someone you love is hurting,
When your own life maybe shifts unexpectedly,
When the ground feels less steady beneath you.
It can come as a surprise,
And that can be one thing to deal with in particular,
The surprise of things.
Remembering maybe what happened as you were learning about this news.
And as you think about it now,
Where are there sensations in your body that give you some information about that news?
Do you feel some tightness,
Some constriction somewhere between your head down to your pelvis,
Really focusing on your jaw,
Your throat,
Your chest,
Your solar plexus,
And your abdomen?
Sometimes there might be numbness,
And numbness can feel like it does have a sensation,
By the way.
It's not just an emptiness,
But it can be that too.
It can feel like a hole,
Or some pressure,
Or a darkness even.
It may be more of an emotional state than an actual sensation.
It could even be associated with a sense of wanting to hide,
Or some collapse.
But notice if there's a particular place where it might be showing up for you in your body.
And the invitation is to be with whatever's here.
If it's constriction,
Maybe placing a gentle hand on the place that's If it's numbness,
The same.
Can you identify where it might be,
Or where the edges of it are?
And maybe place two hands around the area where you sense that it is,
And just sit and notice here with me in the quiet.
And I'm still here,
But play with pressure and even intention that your hands can offer it.
This presence may feel new or different for you.
Just notice what that's like to be present with what's here.
And maybe even notice if there's any defending that the body wants to do,
Like any anger.
Where does that show up?
Any sadness?
Where can you feel that sadness being here?
And go back and forth between these two emotions if they're here,
And where you initially felt the constriction and or the numbness.
Moving hands appropriately for where you can sense sensation is here,
And just noticing.
It's constricted here when I think of the news,
When my body really sinks into it,
And it feels angry or sad or even afraid.
Where is that tightness?
And can I be with that as well?
And again,
I'll just sit here with you for a few moments while you just notice what's here.
I'm still here.
Keep playing with placement of your hands and pressure and intention.
And is anything shifting or changing?
There's nothing wrong if it's not,
Just noticing.
And now what I'd like you to do is to move your head around the room or the space that you're in,
Even if it's outdoors,
And let your eyes take in something that feels supportive.
And notice the details of that support.
How can you tell it feels supportive?
Is there openness somewhere in your body as you see this thing or notice this image?
You can even imagine something is here.
And again,
Notice where there might be some opening or some softening.
Where is it?
What is the quality of it?
Can you also put a hand or place a hand here?
Letting that be here.
You can try offering your body some more support.
Is there a different position that you could be in for a moment that might feel restful or kind?
Notice if there's any opening that comes from changing that position.
And remembering the initial situation that came up,
The news that you got that was surprising,
And the constriction that's with it.
Put a hand back on that place.
Be with it again,
Noticing if there's anything that's different or changed or not.
And remembering any emotion that might be here,
Anger,
Fear,
Sadness,
Disappointment,
Helplessness even.
I know I keep adding more emotions to the list.
There's no right or wrong emotions.
But putting a hand where you can sense those.
Where do you feel tightness with any of those that are here?
And then noticing support,
Where softness might be,
Where openness is,
Even if it's tiny.
And putting a hand in that place.
Letting that be here too.
And then going back to the original rupture,
The sense that something was off with the news,
And all of the things that came forward.
Has anything changed or shifted?
What's different now?
And back to the places of support,
Where there's openness,
Where you can see the thing that brings you support or relief,
Or the image or the imagination of the image,
And where softness is,
And feeling that.
And from this place,
Can you ask it?
Ask this place what it needs,
What it needs right now,
What it needs today,
What it might have needed when you first got the news.
Just notice that.
Notice if there's any settling with that new information.
Notice your breath,
Your overall energy.
Has anything changed?
Can you sense more of yourself here?
Being with what is,
And not changing it,
Not bypassing it,
Not dismissing it,
But being present is what actually makes the difference in our bodies.
Being nonjudgmental,
Being kind,
Knowing that what our bodies are doing are not necessarily who we are,
And that your body's acting out of kindness.
Even if it's stuck in some stress responses,
But that's what we were working with today,
Is those stress responses.
We're about to close.
I just want to invite you to look again around you,
Moving your head,
And your neck,
And your eyes,
Wiggling your toes,
Letting yourself be here fully,
Finding something that maybe is different,
That offers some support.
And where do you feel that support?
Notice your breath,
Notice your energy,
Notice your presence.
That is a gift that you're giving yourself.
Thank you for being with me today.
