If you're feeling anxious or even panicky or just nervous right now,
This short nervous system reset is for you.
I want you to first just emphasize the longest,
Slowest exhale you can.
Just try to exhale really slowly until you feel all the way empty.
One good way that you can do this is by blowing the breath through pursed lips as if through a tiny little straw,
Like.
.
.
Go really slow.
You're going to be okay.
Keep breathing with that long,
Slow exhale and don't even worry about your inhale.
Your inhale will come in automatically.
You can try and slow it down a little if possible.
But focus on that long,
Slow exhale.
And as you do so,
Notice if you can feel your hands.
Be aware of your hands and fingers without looking for anything,
If possible without interpreting in any way.
Just feel.
And as you feel your hands and fingers,
Also feel your feet and toes.
Become aware of your feet and your toes,
Your hands and your fingers.
Notice whatever might be touching the floor or the ground right now,
Or touching a chair or a bed,
Whatever you might be sitting on.
Just letting your awareness of your body be a little more grounding,
Coming down into sensing your body.
And even if you notice sensations that go with your nervousness or anxiety,
That's okay.
See if you can just notice your body and be with the experience as it is.
Part of what can make nervousness or anxiety so unpleasant is that we get caught in trying to get away from it,
Which is usually escalating.
And so instead of escalating,
Drop in,
Be as accepting and kind as you can toward yourself.
And let that exhale be long and slow.
As you practice like this with me,
I hope you feel comforted.
I hope there's a little more relaxation and peace,
A sense of being safe.
I hope you feel comforted.
I hope you feel relaxed.
A sense of being safe,
Comfortable in your own skin.
I want you to notice your surroundings.
Just look around you a little bit,
Nice and slow.
And notice what you see and just kind of mentally name the things you see.
I can see a doorway with light coming in on the floor.
I can see my phone and my hands and my fingers holding the phone.
I can see a chair.
I can see a red and orange and green and blue painting.
I see a mirror and a red bench.
And all of these things that I can see are here and now in present time,
Just like whatever you can see around you right now represents being in present time.
Stay with that long,
Slow exhale.
Stay with awareness of your body.
Your hands and feet are usually quite good ways in.
And if it's helpful,
Stay with the awareness of your surroundings,
What you can see and what you can hear as you exhale long and slow,
You're going to be okay.
I recognize that our states of being,
Our brain states,
Our nervous system states,
And thereby our experience of being alive,
Our awareness,
Our energy,
These all are in a state of flux.
They come and go.
Different aspects of experience will arise and intensify and then fade and then go away and something new emerges.
As best you can,
Relax into being where you are and know that whatever may be difficult about it will fade,
It will soften,
You will calm down.
You're going to be okay.
Notice if there's anything that feels good.
Sometimes when we're trying to get away from unpleasant states of being,
We inadvertently also shut down our capacity to notice and to feel and to be nourished by what also feels good.
So notice anything that either feels neutral or pleasant,
Grounding or safe,
Anything that might evoke maybe a little glimmer of compassion or peace,
Gratitude,
Empowerment,
Anything like that,
Even if it's kind of faint or even if it's a little unexpected,
Take in the good.
Stay with that long,
Slow exhale.
And if this short nervous system reset has been helpful for you and you want to do it again,
Go ahead and start again.
I'm wishing you the best.
Thank you so much.
