Welcome to this somatic practice on working with numbness in the body.
There are many reasons for the experience of numbness.
It can occur after injury,
Surgery,
Or nerve damage.
This numbness can be permanent or take a long while to resolve.
For others,
This experience of body numbness can occur in the aftermath of trauma.
When experiences are too overwhelming,
Our body protects us by shutting off sensation and evacuating the premises of our bodies,
Leaving us feeling empty and vacant.
Also,
Our more civilized culture glorifies mental capacity and productivity,
And many of us get in the habit of simply ignoring or dismissing the needs of our bodies.
Coming back home to our bodies is a process.
It won't happen overnight.
We need to gradually return so that we're not overwhelmed.
A useful analogy is that of a house with many rooms.
When we leave our bodies,
It's like we close off all the rooms except for one,
And we end up living in a cramped space full of our stuff.
Opening the door to a closed-off area can feel unsettling.
We don't remember what's in the room and may be hesitant to turn on the light,
But we also deeply long to be reconnected with our body,
To belong to ourselves.
As we practice together,
Remember to pace or titrate your experience.
This is not the time to push hard or go past your capacity to feel your body in this moment.
Over time,
You will build the bandwidth to spend more time in your beautiful,
Amazing body.
Let's begin.
Position your body with some comfort.
Listen to it and see if you can make yourself a tiny bit more cozy.
Now,
Notice if you can sense an area in your body that feels neutral to pleasant.
This can be a small area or a larger one.
Where is it in your body?
Is it your nose,
Your kneecaps,
Or maybe your toes?
If you're not sure,
Direct your attention to one of these areas and just be curious what you feel.
Give yourself some time to allow your body to speak to you in its language,
The language of sensation.
Do you notice warmth,
Calmness,
Smoothness,
Less pain,
Or any other sensation?
Learning to listen to our body takes time,
So please be patient with yourself.
It can feel like you're learning a foreign language.
Now,
Let's shift our attention to a part of your body where you experience numbness.
There will be two practices for this.
The first for when your whole body feels numb,
And the second one for specific numb areas.
If you struggle to feel your body,
Be gentle with yourself.
It's actually a very common experience for most people.
I like to begin the homecoming process with gentle touch on the outside boundary of our bodies.
If you can use your hands,
Take your left hand and gently touch or squeeze your right hand,
Forearm,
And upper arm,
Saying to yourself,
This is my hand,
My arm,
It belongs to me,
Or any similar phrases.
Switch hands and gently touch and squeeze your left hand,
Forearm,
And upper arm.
This is my left hand and my left arm.
It belongs to me.
If you're unable to do the touching part,
Just imagine touching your arms.
It will still be powerful.
If you wish,
You can gently touch or squeeze your right leg.
You can use one or both hands for this,
Or imagine touching your leg.
You can say words like,
These are my legs,
They belong to me,
And have carried me in my life.
If this practice is difficult,
Or if you feel like you're noticing too much of your body,
That's great awareness.
You can pause the recording,
Listen without doing the practice,
Or come back to this at a later time.
As you continue to pace yourself,
You'll be able to grow the capacity to begin exploring other areas,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Ribs,
Low back,
And face.
Remember that less is more,
And gradually work up to noticing larger body areas.
You can incorporate this practice in small ways.
Upon awakening in the morning,
You can touch your face or other body area and say,
Good morning.
I see you and feel you.
You will be gently affirming your intention to live in a more embodied way.
This practice of noticing our body tissues,
Density,
And boundaries is very powerful.
It's a way that we can locate ourselves in space,
And can be very helpful with dissociation,
If done in a slow and paced way.
If you have some unprocessed trauma,
This somatic practice may be challenging or overwhelming.
If you notice this and please seek out a therapist to work on your trauma history.
We often need the presence of another to witness what we have experienced,
So that it can be metabolized.
Our second practice today is focusing attention on a localized body area that has numbness.
Perhaps you feel numb around a scar,
Old injury,
Or an area that had medical intervention.
For now,
Just locate where this numbness is in your body.
Next,
Move your attention outside the edges of the numbness about an inch or two.
What does your tissue in this not numb area feel like?
Do you sense some pulsing,
Or more energy,
Or softness?
Now slowly move your attention from the surrounding area closer in to the area of numbness.
Can you notice the shifting sensations as you approach or go into the numb area?
You can do this with just your attention,
Or if you wish,
You could add gentle light touch.
Now move your attention back out away from the numb area.
Is there a different color or sense of energy as you move back into the area that has feeling?
Perhaps there's more aliveness or spring in the tissues.
Now gently shift your attention back into the numb area.
How is it feeling?
Is it muted,
Or dense,
Or empty?
Remember to pace yourself.
Take a break if needed,
And try not to go into the storyline of this part of your body.
At your own very slow pace,
Move your attention back and forth from the numb area to the surrounding area several more times.
What are you noticing happening?
Does the edge or boundary between these two areas become more diffuse or blurred?
Does your breath change as you pendulate your attention between these areas?
Does the numb area feel the same or different?
Remember there's no one right way to do this,
And no goal in the practice.
We are just exploring the landscape of the interior of our bodies with curiosity and kindness.
As you practice these skills over time,
You will begin to notice more communication with your body.
Listen to the messages that you're hungry,
Tired,
Or need to use the restroom.
Quench your thirst when your body asks for fluids.
You will gradually begin to inhabit your body more and more every day,
And your body will be thrilled that you want to be in relationship with it.
Thank yourself and your body for being willing to communicate today,
No matter how the practice went.
This is a courageous practice,
And the more you practice,
The easier you will know the language of your body.
Take care and be well.
