In this meditation we'll be exploring the self-compassion practice of supportive self-touch.
It's such a helpful practice for connecting with the mammal caregiving system that's within each and every one of us,
Releasing oxytocin,
Those feel-good hormones when we do so,
And reducing cortisol,
The stress hormone,
During times of stress.
So go ahead and settle into a comfortable position here.
Begin to notice what it's like to relax into this shape that you formed.
Relax into the support underneath you.
And when you're ready,
You can start by just placing one hand on the heart center,
One hand on the chest where you can feel your heart,
And just notice what that's like to feel the warmth and the gentle pressure of the hand there.
Already you might feel this extension of kindness to yourself through your hand.
And then placing the other hand on top,
Both hands on the heart center at the center of your being.
Feel into that sensation,
The support that's here.
And then when you're ready,
Taking that bottom hand into a loose fist and then the top hand gently cupping over it.
There might be a little bit of a sense of charge or energy in that fist hand and then a sense of gentleness in the top hand.
Just like the yin and the yang of self-compassion.
So feeling that yang energy in the fist,
The yin gentle energy,
And the hand gently cupping on top.
Just notice what that's like.
From here,
Taking the bottom hand down to the belly now.
So there's one hand on the heart,
One hand on the belly.
And notice what that's like to just breathe into both of these spaces and maybe feel into the connection between the two.
From here,
Moving the hand such that you're going to give yourself what we call a ventral vagal hug.
So this would be the right hand under the left armpit and then the left hand on top of the right upper arm.
So there's actually a little bit of closeness,
The right hand to the heartbeat.
And there's a little more compression this way.
Otherwise,
If you'd like a simpler version,
You can just place both hands on both arms,
Like giving yourself a hug on the arms.
Either way,
Just feeling into that gentle compression and what that's like to hold yourself in a gentle hug here.
The ventral vagal hug is connecting with the ventral vagal response in the nervous system,
One of relaxation,
Connection,
Openness.
Taking another moment here.
And then placing one hand to the cheek of your face and letting the other hand rest in your lap.
Noticing what that's like to hold your face with one hand here,
Feeling the contact of your hand with your face.
And now taking the other hand to the other cheek.
So holding both cheeks with both hands,
Simply cupping your face in your hands.
Notice the sensations.
And the last shape that I'll guide you through,
Taking one hand to your forehead now and the other hand to the back of your neck.
So both hands are up here,
Both elbows are a little bit raised,
And you can feel how there's movement going in opposite directions here.
The hand on the forehead kind of coming in.
The hand on the back of the neck also pressing inward in the opposite direction.
So there's a gentle,
Gentle compression here that you can feel between the two forms of touch.
Notice what that's like.
Maybe you're continuing to notice how everything's slowing down notch by notch here in the nervous system.
And now taking these last few moments here to take whatever of these shapes or maybe a different one that you feel like will be really supportive to you right now,
And just play for a moment so that you can really register what form of self touch feels beneficial to you that you really want to receive right now.
So try that out and be with it for a moment here.
And as you're ready,
Starting to release your hands now.
Shake or wiggle it out.
Just notice how you're feeling in this moment,
Just as you are.
And know that these self touch practices are here for you anytime you need them.
Hope this is a benefit to you.
Enjoy and take care.
