From Numb To Grounded: A Gentle Nervous System Reset

Hello and welcome.

Before we begin,

I want to name something that is quite important.

If you have been feeling numb or foggy or disconnected or if you're feeling like you're just going through the motions,

Nothing is wrong with you.

There is a lot going on right now in the world and from a nervous system perspective,

It would make a lot of sense that you felt this way.

We live in a world that feels scary,

Constantly overwhelming,

And what happens is that the nervous system looks for ways to deal with that and stay safe.

And you are probably familiar with fight or flight and those are your nervous system responses and they're really designed for short bursts of danger to run away or to fight.

But when there's nowhere to run and nothing really concrete to fight,

The nervous system will often shift into a freeze response.

So it will kind of shut down and sometimes that's called a dorsal vagal response.

And that can feel like numbness or low energy or disconnection or it can also show up as feeling like you want to be numbing.

So you might be scrolling,

You might be looking for comfort foods or binge on your favorite TV show or even just trying to distract yourself with,

You know,

Drinking and things like that.

And these are not just bad habits or they're actually protective strategies.

Yes,

They'll turn into bad habits,

They are your nervous system trying to keep you safe.

So today's practice is not about forcing yourself to feel better or to push through.

It is about trying to gently signal safety to your body so that your nervous system can begin to get out of that state and back into balance.

And you always have a choice in this,

Right?

If anything feels like too much and what we're doing today,

You can pause and adjust.

You can decide this is not the right time for you to listen to this.

But if you feel like this could be a supportive practice,

Please find a position that you feel comfortable in,

Seated or lying down.

You might even do standing and if you tend to fall asleep lying down,

Perhaps keep sitting up.

If it feels safe to do so,

Allow your eyes to close.

It just helps us to go inward.

And take a moment to notice where your body is supported.

Maybe the chair underneath you,

Maybe the floor under your feet,

All the surfaces that are holding you up.

Just notice the support.

Know that there's nothing you need to do.

Nothing need to change.

Just rest in the awareness that you are being held.

You are being supported.

Now gently bring your attention to your breathing.

There's no need to deepen your breathing or control it in any way.

Simply notice how you're breathing.

You might direct your attention to where you feel the breath most easily.

Perhaps it is the tip of your nose,

Maybe the throat,

Maybe the chest or the belly.

Just notice where in your body you feel your breath and allow it to just move in its own rhythm.

If your mind wanders,

That is perfectly normal.

Each return is just a small opportunity to signal safety.

Now gently expand your awareness to all of your body.

Notice any areas that might feel this heaviness or numbness.

Remember there's no need to fix it.

Just acknowledge that.

Just scan your body and notice if you can feel it anywhere specifically,

Maybe in your belly.

One of my favorite Sanskrit mantras,

It's Soham and it is translated as I am that,

Meaning you are here,

You are present,

You are one connected to universal consciousness.

This is something you'd be interested in experimenting with.

I'd love for you to say so when you inhale and hum as you exhale.

You can do this quietly or out loud and I'll guide you through it a few times.

So as you inhale,

Gently say or think so.

And as you exhale,

Gently think or say hum.

Again,

Inhale so and exhale hum.

Again,

Inhale so and exhale hum.

Inhale so,

Exhale hum.

So,

Hum.

So,

Hum.

Just keep going at your own pace a few more times.

Maybe your thoughts have wandered.

Maybe your mind is chattering now and perhaps it didn't expect a Sanskrit mantra.

It doesn't know how to feel about that.

If that's the case,

Just notice.

Just allow that to be.

Just see if saying this gentle mantra shifted anything in you.

There's no need to attach a story to it.

You don't have to believe in anything specifically to feel the benefits of this.

Just notice the calming effects,

The grounding that this simple mantra can bring.

So,

Hum.

I am that.

So,

Hum.

If it feels supportive,

You can place a hand on your chest,

Maybe the other on your belly and feel the warmth of your hands.

This kind of touch can also help your nervous system register safety.

And as you breathe,

Imagine the exhale as a softening.

Not something that you have to make happen,

Just a permission to soften and melt.

If you've noticed numbness present in your body,

See if you can lean into curiosity rather than judgment.

Just understand where it is.

See if you can give it some qualities.

Is it dense?

Is it flat?

Is it distant?

Leaning into this kind of curiosity is actually very regulating.

It can give you some insight into what is happening.

Now gently,

Without opening your eyes,

Start to notice any sounds around you,

Near or far.

Maybe there's a humming of a fan or some cars outside.

Let the sounds remind you and your system that you are here now in this moment and you are okay in this moment.

Now see if you can think of something positive.

Just something you're grateful for and see if thinking of that can create a little bit of positive emotion in your body.

You're not forcing anything.

We're not searching for joy,

Just anchoring ourselves in being okay.

Continue to breathe and notice that having a bit of noticing your breathing can have this calming effect,

Especially if you breathe in and out a bit more slowly than usual.

It's quite interesting that breathing is the only vital function we also have some voluntary control over.

Now begin to notice your body as a whole,

How you're feeling in the space you're in and see if you are feeling any difference,

See if anything has shifted in you.

We're not looking for dramatic shifts.

It's just about building trust with your nervous system,

One small moment of listening like this at a time.

So when you're ready and gently open your eyes,

Come back to the room that you're in and if you feel so inclined,

I'll give you a couple of journal prompts that could really help you reflect on this more deeply and integrate what we've done here together.

You don't need to answer these perfectly,

Just see what flows out of you.

So if you like,

You can pause the recording after each of the four prompts before going on or you can even just listen to them and see what comes up.

The first one is,

Where do I notice numbness or shutdown in my life right now?

Where do I notice numbness or shutdown in my life right now?

Second one is,

What do I think my nervous system is trying to protect me from?

What do I think my nervous system is trying to protect me from?

And the third,

What helps me feel even slightly more grounded or safe?

What helps me feel even slightly more grounded or safe?

What would it look like to offer myself less pressure,

More permission?

What would it look like to offer myself less pressure and more permission?

And I just want to normalize that numbness is not the absence of care.

It is often a sign that your system has been working really,

Really hard in a world that is overwhelming.

So thank your system for doing its job and thank yourself for showing up to this practice because you are working on telling your system that you are in fact safe,

That you are taking care of it,

That you are working with it,

Not against it.

And only from that place can you actually act if there really is a threat.

Know that you can return to this anytime,

Anytime you need a gentle way back to yourself.

Trust that the wisdom is already in you.

You just need to give it some space to hear and have it come to the surface.

Good work and bye for now.