Welcome,
This is Taryn,
And I'm so glad that you're here.
This is a Whilespring Willow practice designed specifically for those moments when the world feels too loud,
Too bright,
Too much.
What you're experiencing right now is not a lack of willpower,
It's a high-gain nervous system.
Like a microphone with the volume turned all the way up,
Your filters are wide open,
And the environment is flooding in.
I want you to hear this clearly,
You are not being dramatic,
Your system is simply doing its job of noticing everything,
And right now,
It is exhausted from the effort.
In this practice,
We're not going to try to change your external world,
We aren't going We're going to change your internal volume.
We're going to use a somatic manual override in order to build a sensory sheath,
A clear,
Firm boundary between the static of the room and the sanctuary of your own skin.
Before we build the shield,
We must prepare the sensors.
Closing the eyes now,
If that's comfortable for you.
We're going to practice panoramic vision in the dark,
Our physiological dimmer switch.
Allow the space around the eyes to expand.
Without moving the head,
Sense the space to your far right.
Then now,
Left.
Right.
Left.
When our focus is narrow,
We signal high alert to the brain.
When we widen it,
We signal safety.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Sense the micromuscles around the eyes begin to let go,
Soften.
Feel the jaw on edge,
Just a fraction.
If you are tipping the lights on the outside world,
Take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the volume of the room dropping in half.
Again,
Inhale.
And as you exhale,
Feel the static moving farther,
Farther away.
One more time.
In.
And release.
The need to notice.
As you settle into this wide ankle stillness,
We arrive at your intent for this practice.
Your sensory boundary.
To protect your nervous system,
We're going to use a short,
Mechanical phrase.
I am shielded.
We'll repeat this together in the mind.
Simply feel the words acting as the somatic filter for your skin.
Repeat it now,
Silently.
I am.
Again.
And one more time.
Feel the words lock into place at the very surface of the body.
The noise is out there.
The peace is inside.
You are shielded.
I will hold the practice for you from here.
Now,
We begin the rotation of consciousness throughout the physical body,
Mapping the edges of your sanctuary within.
As I name each part of the body,
Sense the exact point where the skin meets the world.
Beginning with the right side.
Sense the right shoulder.
The touch of fabric against the skin.
The upper arm.
The temperature of the air.
The right elbow.
The wrist.
The palm of the right hand.
Counting the boundary into the fingers from 5 to 1.
5.
The thumb.
4.
Index finger.
3.
Middle finger.
2.
Ring finger.
1.
Little finger.
The whole right hand.
The whole right hand.
Encased in its own,
Quiet space.
Moving down to the right hip.
The contact of the hip with the surface beneath you.
The right thigh.
The knee.
The ankle.
The sole of the right foot.
The final 5 toes on the right foot.
5.
2.
The entire right side of the body.
The whole right side of the body.
Shielded.
Sense the left shoulder.
The weight of any clothing.
The upper arm.
The elbow.
The wrist.
The palm of the left hand.
Counting the boundary of the fingers.
5.
4.
3.
2.
The whole left hand.
Still.
Protected.
Move to the left hip.
The thigh.
The leg.
The ankle.
The sole of the left foot.
And all 5 toes as a boundary.
5.
2.
The entire left side of the body.
Sense the back of the head.
The shoulder blades.
The spine.
The sit bones.
The heels of the feet.
Now,
Sense the front of the body.
The face.
The throat.
The core.
Sense the entire shell of your skin.
The entire shell of the skin.
Every inch of your surface is a filter.
The world is on the outside.
You are on the inside.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the breath.
The natural breath.
Don't try to change it.
Simply notice how the air feels.
As it passes the filter of your nostrils.
Cool as you breathe in.
Warm as you breathe out.
Imagine that every exhale is a layer of soft insulation.
With every breath out,
The room becomes a little softer.
The sounds become a little more muffled.
The lights become a little dimmer.
Breathing in,
Sensing the sanctuary.
Breathing out,
Sickening the shield.
If the sound from the room reaches you,
Imagine it hitting the surface of your skin.
You are deep beneath the surface of the noise.
Shielded.
Now,
Move between two states in order to strengthen your shield.
First,
The flooding.
Sense the environment as it was before we began.
Recall the feeling of the lights being too sharp.
The sounds being too invasive.
The world weighing you down.
Experience the sensation of being wide open and ecstatic.
Notice the tension in the brow.
The humming in the ears.
Now,
Let that go completely.
The filter.
Shift your awareness back to the boundary of your skin.
Feel the muffling effect on your presence.
Imagine that you've just stepped beneath the surface.
The sounds of the world are now just soft.
Meaningless.
You're submerged.
Protected.
Buffered.
Filtered.
Now,
Move back to the flooding for just a moment.
Feel the sharp static.
And now return to the filter.
Feel the deep.
Quiet.
Submersion.
You alone.
You are the filter.
You decide what gets through.
The world is loud.
But your sanctuary is deep.
Rest here,
Now.
Rest here,
Now.
There is nothing to notice.
There is nothing to process.
Your nervous system is all fine.
Resting.
Resting.
In the muffled silence.
The air is soft.
The space is safe.
You are shielded.
Gently.
Ever so gently.
Begin to bring your awareness back to the room around you.
The space around your body.
Notice that even as you hear the sounds around you,
They no longer flood your system.
They land softly against your shield and slide away.
Recall your intent one more time.
I am shielded.
Feel that boundary still active at the surface of your skin.
You are returning to the world.
But bringing your sanctuary with you.
When you are ready,
Take a deep,
Slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel your connection to the earth.
Wiggle the toes.
Touch your thumb to each finger.
The volume of the world may be the same.
But now,
The dimmer is in your hands.
You are the center.
You are the shield.
This moment is a return to your authentic flow.
