Hello,
Friend.
Are you ready to try something new?
Today we're going to do something called physiological regulation.
You're going to learn to shift your body first so gratitude can follow naturally,
And gratitude is going to allow you to relax.
The reason that we do this is stress is a little bit like a storm loop.
There's activation followed by tension,
Followed by depletion,
Followed by a false recovery,
And then activated again.
If we don't consciously close that loop,
The body forgets what peace feels like.
So today we're going to interrupt that cycle.
We're going to notice the signal,
Whether that's a tightening of your jaw or shoulders.
We're going to name the signal as it's stress or fear.
We're going to nurture the signal by breathing,
Moving,
Or sighing.
All of those things will complete the cycle,
And then we're going to be grateful,
And we're going to nurture our minds by allowing our body to register that safety,
Which allows the mind to recognize the goodness around us.
Let's get started.
Sit tall or lie down.
Let your eyes close or gaze softly downwards.
Take a breath and exhale through the mouth with a sigh,
As if you are allowing tension to slide right off your shoulders.
Now,
Whisper to yourself,
I can stop racing.
Inhale now through your nose for a count of 4,
3,
2,
1,
And hold for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Take a sigh.
Let's repeat this.
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Hold gently for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale through the mouth for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Again,
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Hold for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Repeat with yourself for one more cycle.
Did you notice how your body begins to melt,
As if space is opening up inside you?
This pattern engages your parasympathetic system,
The one that is responsible for rest and repair.
Now let's include our body in this cycle.
Bring attention to your shoulders and breathe into them for 4,
3,
2,
1,
And hold as you imagine as small little gray clouds gather there for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
And as you exhale,
The clouds disperse and your shoulders relax,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Move your focus to your jaw,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Wherever you're holding tension.
Notice the sensations there without judgment.
Let's breathe that cycle again.
4,
3,
2,
1,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Is any of the tension that you noticed before a little softer?
If so,
This is your body remembering peace.
Now that we have a sense of ease,
Even if it's just a tiny little smidgen of it,
Place a hand over your heart.
Ask the question,
What is supporting me right now in this moment?
Perhaps a chair,
Your breath,
Or this pause.
Let your appreciation for that support form softly like the sun rising on a spring day.
Repeat to yourself,
My body is learning safety.
Safety makes space for gratitude.
Each time you complete a stress cycle,
You restore emotional bandwidth,
And we just did that.
Your heart rate slows,
Your digestion restarts,
And the prefrontal cortex reengages,
Which allows perspective,
Empathy,
And thankfulness to surface.
This isn't indulgent.
It's neurobiological resilience.
Let's take a few cycles more of the 4,
7,
8 breath.
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Hold for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
I'm going to let you go through that pattern a couple more times before we start to come back into the space.
Do you feel the calm after the storm?
This is your body's quiet thank you.
Say to yourself,
Peace is my new baseline.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes gently and come back into the space around you.
You've been practicing and teaching your body that it's safe to feel grateful.
Stress doesn't make you weak.
It just means that your nervous system has been doing its job far too well for far too long.
Gratitude gives your body permission to rest.
