Hello everyone.
My name is Peggy Koukassian and I'm a somatic practitioner with a focus on nervous system regulation.
I'm so excited to talk today with you and move through some somatic practices that help you stretch and better become aware of your own personal window of tolerance.
I'm here to guide you back into your safe body by helping you reconnect with your own sensations,
Your own energy,
And the intelligence of what your body carries.
So today as we explore the window of tolerance,
This is the space where your nervous system can stay present,
Calm,
And responsive.
It's a state of capacity where we get to recognize how much we're able to give and engage with life without feeling overwhelmed,
Anxious,
Or shut down.
So a lot of where we can look at that window of tolerance that is available to us is in the awareness of how much we are able to give and take in.
So much of this is a conditioning of what we have practiced day to day,
Year to year.
And so much of this is in our blind spots.
So when we are in deeper relationships and connections,
It starts to bring more awareness to us when we feel overwhelmed,
Anxious,
Or even shut down.
So our body becomes that temple and also that compass to provide information for us to know when we are feeling tension or agitation in the body.
So our body can go into different states when the way that it's starting to speak within that window of tolerance.
We can go into more of a hyperarousal.
And again,
What we're coming back to is figuring out what that calm,
Rest,
And digest baseline feels like for our body.
And we are bringing that deep awareness into whether we're feeling more hyperarousal or hypoarousal.
So most of the time I've noticed with working with clients privately is they usually are either in the hyper category or the hypo.
It's really rare that they bounce back and forth.
So the hyperarousal is definitely the one that is a little bit more anxious with thoughts that are just moving a lot quicker,
And the breath is a little bit more shallow,
And there's tension and maybe even agitation in the body.
When we talk about the hypoarousal,
To me in my practice,
I've seen it show up more in a depressive state where the body is a lot more numb in the way that it feels.
Not a lot of highs,
Not a lot of lows,
Maybe even heaviness in the posture,
And then a disconnection,
Not only with others,
But really deeply within the body and the self.
So here is a great starting point where we can recognize where we fall under.
And even myself as a healing somatic practitioner,
I've had to work with the part of my own arousal response so I could step back into a more regulated state.
And so when we are in environments that trigger us and our nervous system is feeling very sensitive,
We can give ourselves that own recognition of what we're feeling and what we're experiencing so we don't go into that automated response.
So today we're going to work with the nervous system,
And what we're going to talk about is the capacity of how you can engage in the moment when certain energy sources start to either feel limiting to you,
Which means you've kind of lost access to engaging,
Or it feels constrained.
And the most important piece right here is for us to recognize how the body is communicating.
So when we start to bring the thoughts of our mind and our body's sensations together,
I call that deep wisdom.
And this is that personalized information that your body is giving you.
So we can look at these sensations as indicators of what is happening within,
And what we want to do is not look at this as a problem to fix,
Versus these are signals to understand,
Honor,
And the goal most of all is to learn from it.
And so that first awareness is recognizing whether that expansion to your capacity is available to you,
And the awareness is that first felt sense of that availability.
So what we're doing is we're reclaiming your presence into the moment,
Into the situation that you're in,
Right?
And so we're bringing you back into your body,
And we're having you learn how to communicate from that place that feels shut down or overly activated.
So I like to call this practice an auric frequency expansion,
And we're going to create an auric energy that's going to move alongside of your physical body,
And you're going to work on expanding and stretching some of that energy around you.
And in this process,
We're going to go into a very relaxed state,
And the goal here is to let the body feel so safe that the mind will start to trace the thoughts around what is coming up for you personally in your life,
In your journey,
Around your own window of tolerance.
So I want you to invite in non-judgmental thinking,
A space to deeply dive into and just be with so you can let what wants to come to surface finally come through.
And in that space of calm,
The body starts to speak.
And so we're going to start here with a couple different positions where you feel most comfortable.
We're going to go into some body scanning,
And then we're going to go into expanding this auric energy that is moving outside of our body so we can start to feel what it feels like to hold more than what we're used to.
And if you have any questions on where you are specifically in your journey,
You're welcome to reply or send me a private message so I can help guide you a little further on where you're at.
So much of this work is very specific to what is coming up for you.
So in this gentle practice,
We're going to start with either a seated position,
Or you can lie down,
Whatever is more comfortable for you.
And you can start to just invite in some long,
Deep,
Comforting inhales through your nose,
Maybe some long,
Deep sighs through the mouth.
I always like to invite in some sound when I'm really letting the body go or just letting it all decompress.
And while we continue to hold that safe space,
So the body starts to understand that this is that safe moment,
And I can start to bring what is happening within further out,
Mostly into a deeper understanding.
So as you get cozy and comfortable wherever you feel supported,
I want you to close your eyes if that feels safe for you.
And hopefully you're in a quiet,
Contained,
Private space.
And we're going to start by rooting the body.
And we're going to start at the lowest part,
Which is right at the base of your feet.
So start to bring your attention to your feet,
Noticing the points of contact.
Maybe it's below your foot,
Maybe it's underneath,
Wherever you are.
Just go ahead and take that focus and continue inhaling long through the nose and exhaling with a release and a sigh out the mouth.
And drawing the attention right around the points of your feet.
And starting to imagine some deep roots gently growing from the soles of your feet.
Into the earth anchoring you.
Just recognizing where the feet and the soil and the earth start to intertwine.
And I like to give that imagination of the roots being something we can deeply connect to,
As we can also connect to Mother Nature through this process.
So as you start to kind of root through,
I want you to feel that energy of that anchoring moving into the legs,
Slowly melting into the pelvic floor.
And just keep noticing how the body feels.
If there's any tension,
If there's any anxiousness,
Just noticing if it's more hypo or hyper.
And as you continue to just validate exactly where you are,
And maybe even internally just recognizing,
I feel heavy.
Or I'm just starting to connect to myself,
So this feels very new.
So as you continue to inhale,
Imagine drawing that same energy from the earth up,
Those roots up through your legs into the pelvic floor.
And again with that deep exhale,
Release that tension,
Release that stagnant energy.
Bring it back,
Planting it into the soil,
Planting it into the ground.
And if that feels safe,
Just let yourself shift or sway,
Maybe side to side,
As you continue to stimulate the bilateral energy of your body,
The right and the left brain.
Subtle shifts,
Subtle movements of the pelvic floor,
Maybe just rolling the hips side to side,
And letting this process be very fluid.
And moving through again,
Whatever resistance that comes up,
Giving yourself this time to surrender,
To rest into this process.
Because we know if we give something our full hundred percent attention,
Hopefully we'll get on to the other side a little bit more knowledgeable,
A little bit more clear.
And just continue to notice where the movements lead you to.
Remember that even these subtle movements are communication information about your current capacity.
So if you feel yourself not engaging at all with any of what I'm guiding you through,
I would say that it's showing you through your body that that hyper arousal around the numbing is very dominant in your body.
So let's go ahead and nurture and lovingly connect to that part of yourself that had to numb to survive.
And let it just continue to just bring awareness to what is without any force or push,
And just keep breathing into the body.
And just go ahead and move your attention into your belly and your chest.
And go ahead and now take your hands and place one hand over the belly.
And then I like to take the left hand over the heart.
And as you're breathing in,
You're breathing into the heart and the belly,
Giving your body more expansiveness.
Imagine this in itself being an expansion of your tolerance.
So what do you want to invite more into your body?
If you're here to work on that window of tolerance that you are operating from,
How do we engage in a way we are trusting that we can be in this moment?
So continue to bring more of that presence slowly,
Gently,
One breath at a time,
Inviting in warmth and calm to different areas of the body.
And then continue to just start to feel that auric energy around you,
Maybe an inch around framing your body.
Start to feel this energy starting to create shape around your shoulders,
Around your neck,
Down your arms,
Down your legs,
Down your side body,
All the way down your feet.
And just starting to invite in maybe a shape or a color or a temperature.
And again,
Now we're going to start to move that exhale into more of a softening,
Flowing and integrating energy.
And what we want to represent as this energetic field around your body,
I want you to see how far you can stretch it outside of yourself.
And what I mean is from your physical form,
With your breath and your presence,
See if you can stretch that maybe one inch away from your body,
Maybe two inches,
Maybe three.
And just engaging with the self and that capacity of that aura.
Integrating that movement with breath and with every exhale,
Softening,
Flowing,
Making a lot of space for exactly where you're at.
Honoring you're exactly here for this very moment to be able to recognize that all this is available to you.
So as your nervous system is widening into its window of tolerance,
A more balanced state where you can engage and respond safely,
Most importantly within yourself.
So here we're going to invite in as you're working with this auric energy in this field,
We're going to invite in recognizing signals your body's giving you,
Not only during this practice,
We're now planting it into your roots,
Honoring the wisdom about your own unique capacity.
I'm so incredibly proud of you for showing up for yourself,
Taking up space,
And walking in more truth.
Take a few more deep breaths.
Imagine inhaling that clarity,
That energy,
That deep safety that you can take up space,
However it looks.
Continuing to release what doesn't serve any longer,
So the body can be in that more felt experience.
And as we are integrating and energizing and attuning your auric field fully here,
You can come back to this practice once a day for the next week and see how you feel after a seven-day practice with this.
See how your body responds when you start to stretch and claim.
I would also invite a reclaiming.
You're reclaiming this part of yourself that gets to exist now.
So we're going to come out,
Which is so hard to do sometimes when we're in such a relaxed state.
You're going to slowly just wiggle your fingers a little bit,
Your toes,
Roll your shoulders,
Maybe even stretch gently,
Bring your hands above your head,
Bring yourself in one long line,
Stretch from top to bottom,
And just take in that last deep,
Expressive breath.
And then with that exhale,
Just sigh it all out.
I hope you continue to carry this sense of groundedness,
Presence,
And attuned capacity wherever you go,
And knowing that your own presence and your own attunement to yourself is what's going to guide you and move you through life.
I'm sending you all the love and blessings on your healing journey,
And I'm here if you need me for more support.
Namaste.
