Hi and welcome to this short somatic practice.
I am Charlotte and over these next few minutes we'll be using gentle and soothing touch to invite your nervous system back into a state of safety and connection.
For more presence,
Calm and emotional balance.
All you need is nothing except yourself.
Let's begin by finding a posture that feels supportive and nourishing for you right now.
Take a moment to really get comfortable.
Allowing your body to soften and let go of as much tension as possible.
Letting the ground support you.
Maybe leaning your back against a wall,
Placing a cushion behind your head or softly rolling your shoulders back and down.
Letting your gaze soften or gently closing your eyes.
Bringing your awareness right to your breath.
Taking this next inhale through your nose all the way down into your belly.
And when you think you've inhaled fully,
Take one more sip of air.
Hold for a moment and exhale through the mouth.
Two more times like this.
Inhale fully,
Once more,
Hold and let it go.
One last time,
Inhale,
One more sip,
Hold and release.
Notice how your body feels in this moment.
What is alive for you right now?
Any sensations,
Thoughts or emotions,
All of it is welcome and there is nothing you need to change,
Fix or push away.
While it is human to move away from discomfort or challenging emotions,
I invite you to stay with yourself for these next few minutes and really explore with curiosity and an open heart what is true and present for you without any judgment.
Begin to bring your palms together slowly until they touch,
Feeling into the points of contact.
Beginning to softly rub your hands against each other,
Maybe noticing a sense of warmth right away or a tingling where your fingertips meet the sensitive skin of your palms.
Pay attention to the pressure you are using and the speed at which you move your hands.
Can you slow it down even more and really tune into the sensations,
All the fine feelings at your fingertips,
The subtle textures and temperature?
And if it feels right for you,
You can say to yourself out loud or quietly,
I am here.
In this moment I get to hold myself gently.
With each breath I slow down a little more.
Let the movement become bigger from here,
Beginning to move your palms along your arms up and down.
Maybe starting at your forearms and moving up towards your shoulders or even to your chest.
Let it be intuitive,
Finding your own rhythm as if you were gently soothing someone you care about or a small child,
Maybe even a younger version of yourself,
Offering them comfort and care,
Noticing the subtle energy between your hands and your skin and the way your body receives these signals.
It is safe to slow down.
It is okay to release tension.
To breathe a little deeper.
To let yourself soften.
If your thoughts begin to wander,
Gently bring your awareness back to the feeling of your hands.
How does your skin receive this contact?
Is there an openness or armoring?
Maybe your breath shifts naturally.
Maybe there is a yawn or a sigh.
Let the movement slowly fade and rest your hands somewhere on your body.
Maybe on your belly or over your heart.
Anywhere that feels natural.
And notice how your body feels right now.
A simple message to yourself.
I am here for you.
I am listening.
I feel you.
To close this practice,
Take one last deep breath in through the nose and all the way out through the mouth.
If your eyes were closed,
Gently begin to open them.
Take a look around to arrive back in the room.
This practice is not reserved for special moments.
You can come back to it anywhere.
On the train,
Between meetings,
Or even waiting at a traffic light.
A brief moment of touch.
A conscious breath.
A reminder of your ability to create a sense of safety from within.
Wishing you beautiful rest of your day.
Until next time.
