Welcome to this practice on shifting out of dissociation and into presence and grounding.
Dissociation is a state that our nervous system automatically activates whenever it feels overwhelmed,
Whenever things get too much or too intense.
Our body decides to leave it,
To leave this present moment and what is happening.
It is important to know that dissociation can have different levels.
It doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you because you dissociate.
Not at all.
This is simply your protective mechanisms kicking in.
It is very crucial to realize in which degree you are dissociating and whether this is necessary in that moment.
And if you are tuning in right now,
Probably chances are that you realize it's not really helping you.
You don't want to leave this moment,
You want to be in it.
Now dissociation is the state of freeze.
In order to get out of freeze,
We need to bring in gentle and light movement back into the body.
We need to gently mobilize the body again,
Gently shifting out of freeze.
If this is available to you right now,
I invite you to stand up tall on both your feet.
If you are sitting,
Gently press down your feet into the floor below you.
Whether you are sitting or standing up,
Feel how your whole lower body becomes more heavy as you start to realize how gravity is pulling you down.
Allow yourself to bring a gentle pressure in your feet and your whole lower body,
Pressing it down even more into the ground below you.
Take a comfortable breath in and out in your own pace.
Keep breathing comfortably in a rhythm that feels good and soothing to you.
Now I invite you to bring both your hands in front of you and make fists with your hands.
Start to gently tap on your legs with your fists.
Do this in a way that feels good for you.
Perhaps you need a more slower rhythm and a more gentle pressure or perhaps you want to go all in and have a more hard,
Firm pressure or a faster rhythm.
Start to tap your legs from your thighs,
Your knees,
All the way down into your lower legs,
Your shin,
Your calves.
Gently moving up and down your legs.
Don't forget the side line of your legs.
Take a deep breath in and notice how it feels like to tap on your body.
Now move this tapping onto your arms.
Start to tap from your shoulder,
Your upper arm,
Your elbow,
Your lower arm and gently continuing this pace moving up and down your arms.
Relax your belly.
Take a deep,
Comfortable breath in and sigh it out with an audible sigh.
Now become aware of any shifts in how you feel.
Do you feel more present,
More alive?
Freeze is a state our body goes in when it wants to preserve our energy.
It is a state we can get depressed in,
Lethargic.
When we feel like we want to give up,
It is a complete system shutdown.
It is like it's pulling the emergency brake.
So be gentle with yourself when you realize you are in freeze as well as when you are shifting out of freeze.
It is normal that emotions might come up as you're moving from numb to feeling.
We are entering the fight or flight state.
So if you feel anxious now or angry,
Know this is normal.
Freeze is like the guardian of fight or flight.
It protects you from feeling things that are too intense.
And when we shift out of freeze,
We have to go through fight or flight.
So take a moment,
Take a breath and feel what is coming up for you right now.
I have another audio for if you are feeling you are in fight or if you are feeling you are in flight right now.
So feel free to continue your cycle from freeze,
Fight or flight back into safety and connection.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
My name is Anais and it's been an honor to guide you.