Welcome,
Love.
I am so glad you're here,
Whether you're walking through the world with your earbuds in or curled up with a cup of coffee on the couch.
Know this,
There is nothing you need to do right now except be.
This episode is a soft invitation,
Perhaps a gentle exhale.
We'll be exploring the nervous system,
That beautiful,
Brilliant web that keeps us alive and connected.
We'll talk a little bit about how it works and then we'll move into a slow guided somatic practice.
So along the way,
We'll sprinkle in some love and some permission to go at your own pace.
Your nervous system is always listening,
Always scanning for cues of safety or threat,
And it has the three main branches that we're going to touch on today.
The sympathetic,
Parasympathetic,
And the dorsal vagal.
None of these are bad states and we move from one to another because of our adaptive nature,
Our body's intelligent way of trying to protect us.
The sympathetic system gears us up for action,
Fight or flight,
Whereas the parasympathetic is the one which helps us rest and digest and heal.
And we have our dorsal vagal response,
And this is where it can lead us to the numbness and shutdown when things are overwhelming.
And again,
Moving from one to the other is so automatic we don't even know it happens.
The problem is when we get stuck,
Our body will still be in that fight mode long after the threat has passed.
Or when we disconnect,
It's because our system just does not feel safe enough to be present.
This is where somatic practice comes in.
Somatic,
If that's the first time you're hearing it,
Just means of the body.
And there are ways to work with your system,
Gently,
From the inside out,
Breath,
Movement,
Sensation,
All ways that our body is speaking to us and we can speak back to it.
So today we're going to speak that language together.
So let's take a few moments to land.
If you're walking out in the world,
Maybe this means that you are paying a little bit more attention to each foot on the ground or bird that's singing around you.
If you're seated,
I invite you to find a posture that feels supported.
Let your body know it doesn't have to hold anything right now.
And we're going to begin by noticing our breath.
We're not changing it,
Deepening it.
We're just noticing.
Where does it automatically go in your body?
Is it shallow?
Tight?
This isn't a place for judgment but observation,
A place to start,
A foundation of which we can grow into.
Now bring your awareness to the parts of your body in contact with the ground.
Your feet,
Your back,
Your hands.
And I want you to just notice that gravity,
This unseen force,
Is holding you.
What would it look like to let yourself lean into that support?
Maybe it's softening of the shoulders or letting your belly just be instead of squeezing tight.
You might place a hand over your heart or over your belly,
Maybe even wrap your arms around yourself as a gentle hug saying,
I feel you.
So let's take three slow breaths together.
We'll breathe in through our nose and out through the mouth.
If it helps,
Counting to four when you breathe in and counting to five as you breathe out brings a little bit of intention to each breath.
So again,
We'll breathe in for four,
Three,
Two,
And out for five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
One more.
In for four.
Really feeling your breath go exactly where it wants to and maybe we sigh out,
Letting a little noise join the party as we breathe out.
Beautiful.
We're going to shift to our body,
Gently noticing if there's any part of you that's a little extra tight.
Maybe it's your shoulders or your lower back.
Again,
This is not to be fixed,
Judged,
But just witnessed.
In fact,
Maybe there's just a numbness,
Can't feel anything.
I started in this place and it's all perfect.
In our next breath,
You might imagine sending breath to that place of tension or if it's numbness,
Maybe it's just feeling the breath in your body.
Simply acknowledging,
Saying,
I see you,
I'm here.
You don't need to go deeper than what feels safe.
What's great about this practice is it is about choice and you are always in charge.
I invite you to visualize a warm light at the base of your spine and with each deep breath in,
You can feel that warm light coming up your back,
Across your shoulders.
Let that light fill your body.
I invite you to rest here for just a few moments,
Allowing yourself to visualize the light filling and leaving.
When you're ready,
Begin to bring your awareness back to the space around you.
Maybe that's wiggling your toes,
Stretching your fingers,
Whatever feels right,
Gently and slowly coming back.
Slowness in our society is a radical act in a world that glorifies urgency.
Hustle,
Grind,
A million things on our to-do list and yet when you slow down,
You tell your system you are safe.
You have time and you are so worthy of care.
It takes true courage to soften and such strength to be gentle.
So if your mind was busy today or if you're starting your day with a million things on your to-do list,
It's all part of our journey.
It's all welcome,
It's all valid and today you took a couple of moments to show up for yourself and that matters.
So I'd like to take just one final moment to thank our bodies,
Not for being perfect,
But for being with us.
Thank you,
Body.
If it feels good,
I invite you to journal a few words after this practice or leave a comment on what came up for you.
However your system would like to integrate,
Let this be a place where you can be yourself for no one other than yourself.
Your body is so wise and your nervous system is not your enemy and self-love doesn't have to be some far-off destination,
But it can be something you return to day after day,
Moment after moment.
So thank you for being with me today.
Until next time,
Go gently.
