Trauma-Informed Self-Holding Practice

Hello,

My name is Kayla and welcome to this short self-holding practice.

This practice is an opportunity to be able to lean into the sense of your own touch,

Perhaps as a form of support.

If you're seated like me,

It might be that you find a space where you have a little bit of movement around you,

Not too much,

And that you won't be disturbed.

This practice uses the touch of your hand and the pressure of your hand as a way of sensing into the different parts of your body and your whole body.

You're welcome to go at your own pace and to stop or start the practice at any time for any reason and know that the pace or the movement that you do might be different to my own.

So really be your own guide here and follow your own instincts as we move throughout the practice.

When you're ready to begin,

It might be by reaching up your right hand to touch your left shoulder,

Giving the shoulder a squeeze with the palm and with the fingertips,

Noticing that sense of pressure on your shoulder.

And it might be that you move throughout the shoulder or that you stay in the one point,

Noticing this sense of your own touch.

If it's helpful to work with a mantra,

You might like to use the mantra,

I am here,

And this sense of being in your left shoulder.

When you're ready to move,

You might move your hands down the upper arm,

Wrapping your hands around the forearm and the back of the arm as you work your way down,

Applying as much or as little pressure as feels supportive,

Knowing that you can use that mantra,

I am here,

As you sense into your left arm.

Moving your hand down to meet your hand and it might be that you use your thumb here to press into all four corners of your palm,

Pressing into the knuckles,

Even wrapping your fingers around each of your fingers and giving it a squeeze.

Again,

That mantra is available of I am here,

This sense of being here in your left hand and in each of the fingers on your left hand.

When you're ready to move on,

It might be by placing your left hand on your right shoulder,

Giving it a squeeze.

And it might be that you move up to the shoulder to where it meets the neck or a little bit forward,

Noticing the sense of your touch and what feels supportive here as this form of self massage.

Following your intuition here to eventually move down your arm,

Knowing that you might be going at a different pace to my voice,

Pressing or squeezing or touching with as much or as little pressure as feels good for you.

Perhaps getting to your right hand,

Using it as an opportunity to press into your palm and then each of the fingers,

Maybe by wrapping your fingers around each of the fingers on your right hand,

Maybe using that mantra,

I am here,

As a sense of connecting with your right hand.

When you're ready to move on,

It might be that you place your hands on your chest and cat pour your hands down the front of your body,

Making your fingers and your hands as wide as feels good for you as you press into the body and the torso,

Maybe allowing the hands to wrap around the side body,

Touching the back as well,

Before pouring down the lower back towards the glutes,

Walking the hands around the sides of the body towards the tops of the legs,

Using either the palms or the fingers to massage into your body,

Noticing what feels nice as you move throughout the body here in this practice.

Eventually,

If you're ready to move down the right leg and you are following along with my guidance,

Might be by having both hands on the top of your right leg,

Pressing or squeezing into the leg,

Noticing how much pressure feels good here,

Maybe even uncurling the legs so that you can spread out and reach as much of the leg as feels comfortable for you today.

You might even press the soft fleshy area behind your knees,

Wrapping your hands around your knees and your kneecaps before moving down the leg and it might be quite soft or you might enjoy a little bit more of a massage here down the calf and the shin before you reach your ankle.

And here you might like to cup the heel,

Give your sole of the foot there in the arch a little bit of love,

Pressing or squeezing with as much or as little pressure as feels good here on your right foot.

Again,

Knowing that you can use that mantra of I am here,

It's a way of connecting with your right foot and your right toes.

When you're ready to move to your left leg,

Placing the hands at the top of the leg and again pressing or squeezing around that leg,

Going at your own pace here,

Noticing what it feels like to connect with your left leg.

You might press that soft fleshy part behind the knee and then the kneecap before moving down to the shin and the calf,

Experimenting with the pressure and how much of your hand you use here.

When you get towards your foot,

It might be that you give your ankle a squeeze here and the heel,

Allowing your fingers to walk on the inside arch there,

Pressing into the sole of your foot,

Perhaps using that mantra of I am here,

That you are here in the sole of your left foot,

Perhaps giving each of your toes a squeeze as you continue to give yourself a massage on this left foot.

When you're ready to move on,

Which may or may not be now,

Placing your hands again on your chest and then walking them up to your neck.

It might be nice to have your fingers toward the back of your neck,

Giving yourself a squeeze and noticing what it feels like to use your fingers or the palm of the hand to massage here into your neck.

It might be that you have some gentle stretches here as you move,

Maybe moving the neck from side to side,

Noticing what it feels like here to support your neck.

Maybe walking your hands up towards your occiput,

That part where the skull meets the neck,

That bumpy ridge there at the back of your head,

Perhaps using your fingers there to give it a little squeeze as you make your way up towards the top of the skull and the crown of the head.

And it might be that you have your fingers wide and you hold your head here,

Or it might be that there's another way that you prefer to do this.

Wrapping your hands around your ears and giving them a squeeze if that feels good for you,

Before allowing your hands to come toward your forehead,

Maybe allowing your fingers to move over the brow,

Even rubbing the temples there.

Allowing your fingers to move over the nose and the cheekbones and the jaw.

And you have a few breaths here where you might like to do this at your own pace,

Or you might like to have your whole hands over your whole face and to lean into that support.

We have a few more moments here left of the practice,

And you might like to stay exactly as you are.

Or if you're looking for a final gesture here of self-holding,

It might be that you give yourself a butterfly tug.

This is where you open up the arms wide,

And then as you come in,

You almost stack your elbows on top of one another and allow your arms to gently wrap around,

Holding your shoulders,

And then you sink into that support.

And it can be quite nice to be still here,

Or if you're ready for a little bit more movement,

It could be that you do this a few times,

Opening up,

And then wrapping your arms around you in a butterfly hug.

Doing this just a few more times here as a way of self-holding,

Noticing the support of your touch.

In these final moments,

You might like to expand your awareness to the whole of your body,

Bringing the whole of your body into your attention and your open awareness.

Again,

If it's useful,

Bringing that mantra to mind of I am here.

I am here in this body,

In this moment in time.

You're welcome to linger here a little longer,

Or if you're looking for a way to bring your attention out of the practice,

It might be that you use your hands for a little bit of rubbing,

Maybe on your legs or over your chest,

Bringing your attention into the physical landscape of your body and the supporting space around you.