Welcome to this nervous system safety meditation.
We live in a world that brings us so much overstimulation.
We need to be constantly hurrying,
Rushing,
Worrying,
Constantly chasing the next thing.
And to our nervous systems this can feel very overwhelming.
Especially if you're a person who has experienced some trauma in their lives.
Or if you are a highly sensitive person,
Then your nervous system might be sensitive to modern-day life.
And you might need a little bit more time to recover from certain events.
Or you might need a little bit more time to pour back into yourself.
Because it's not always about letting things go.
It's about bringing in what was missing.
So before we start I invite you to reflect on this question.
What do I want to bring in that was missing?
And perhaps you noticed that what you're truly missing is moments of calm.
Slowing down.
More rest.
A hug.
Connection with somebody.
Connection with yourself.
Spending time in nature.
These are all beautiful resources that we can use.
And that's a beautiful thing.
That's the beautiful news.
You can give yourself those things.
But first you need to know what your resources are.
And this track has just become your resource as well.
So let's get started with today's practice.
Today is all about down-regulating the nervous system.
Bringing the nervous system back into a state of safety.
So I invite you to get into a comfortable position if you haven't done so already.
You can lay down but you can also sit up.
I invite you to become 10% even more comfortable now.
As if you're setting yourself up to fall asleep eventually.
You are truly allowing all your muscles to settle in and wind down.
As you have gotten in your comfortable position,
Gently allow your eyelids close and take a comfortable breath.
Perhaps this is the first time today that you are aware of your breath.
Keep taking comfortable breaths and simply notice how it feels to breathe in this moment.
Notice a cold air entering in through your nostrils.
Notice a warm air exiting out through your nose or mouth.
There is no need to hurry.
There is no need to take big or deep breaths.
Take comfortable breaths in whichever way they feel good and nourishing to your system right now.
Now I invite you to drift your attention towards the whole back line of your body.
As you're sitting or laying down,
Notice where your body ends and where the surface below you begins.
Notice all the contact points.
Perhaps your ankles,
Your calves,
Your buttocks.
Maybe your lower back is making contact with the surface below you.
Maybe you're leaning against a chair.
You feel your middle back or upper back.
How does the surface below you feel?
Can you notice if it's a hard surface or a soft?
Beautiful.
Now drift your focus back to your breath and begin to deepen your breath.
And again in a way that feels comfortable for you and your own pace.
Now important to know about your breath is,
It's literally the energy that keeps you alive.
So we'll now focus on extending our exhales.
This is the fastest way to release stress,
Release anxiety and to enter into a state of deep relaxation.
We'll do the four eight breathing technique.
We'll inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of eight.
Because we are releasing twice as much as air as you breathe in,
We are releasing twice as much as energy as we breathe in.
So it's a scientifically proven,
Highly effective technique to invite in calm.
And let's begin.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And now allow your breath to gently float and notice how you feel in this moment.
We'll end our practice today with some PMR,
Progressive muscle relaxation.
As you're comfortably sitting or laying down now,
We're going to take a deep breath in and squeeze the muscles in our body.
So take a comfortable deep breath in,
Hold your breath and then start to squeeze,
Start to curl up your toes,
Squeeze your ankles,
Make fists with your hands,
Squeeze all the muscles in your arms,
Your torso,
Your chest,
Your neck,
Your shoulders and your face.
Hold for just three more seconds and squeeze even harder and then release,
Let go of the tension and exhale with a big sigh out.
Beautiful.
With your next comfortable deep breath,
Imagine you're breathing in through the soles of your feet.
You're inviting in nourishing,
Cleansing and renewing energy through the soles of your feet,
Up into your whole body and as you exhale,
You're again exhaling out through the soles of your feet,
Releasing any energy that's keeping you stuck,
That's weighing you down,
That you want to let go of.
You might notice that you feel the need to yawn or take some deep breaths,
That's your nervous system down-regulating,
Entering back into a state of safety.
Place your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder and give yourself a big,
Tight hug.
You've got this.
You've got yourself.
Know that you can always return back home.
You are your own home.
Thank you for practicing with me and I'll see you soon.
