Regulating Your Nervous System: A Somatic Reset

Dysregulation leaves the body feeling wired, stuck, or disconnected. This practice guides you through gentle shaking release, vagal toning breath, and body pendulation to teach your body safety and restore regulation.

Anita offers a compassionate, body-first approach with simple movements and reassuring phrases. Perfect for overwhelm, chronic stress, or when your body feels "offline." Return anytime you need a reset.

Background music provided by: “Midnattssol” by Strom (Epidemic Sound)

Transcript

Welcome. If you're here today, Your body may feel wired, Stuck, Or disconnected, Like it's carrying stress it can't release. Nervous system dysregulation is your body's wise response to overwhelm, Not a flaw. This practice helps teach your nervous system safety through gentle movement, Breath, And body awareness. I invite you to find a comfortable seated or lying down position where your spine has support. Settling in, Allowing your shoulders to drop away from your ears, Relaxing your jaw, And if it feels okay, Softly close your eyes, Or soften the gaze, Settling in and observing how your body feels. We're now going to do a shaking release. Let's begin with your arms. Allow them to hang loosely at your sides. Now, Invite a gentle shaking, Like you're shaking water off your hands after washing them. Start small, Your fingers shaking, Moving gently, Just shaking, Noticing what feels good about this movement, No need to force it. Allow your body to choose the rhythm, Breathing deeply as you shake. Now, Bring that same shake into your legs, Lift your feet slightly off the ground, Or keep them planted if seated, And shake from ankles to hips, Breathing deeply, Allowing your body to choose the rhythm, The shaking, The releasing. Now, Allow everything to settle, Returning to your normal breath if you haven't already, And feeling your body returning to stillness, Bearing less tension. Now I invite you to place one hand on your heart, One on your belly, Feel the warmth of your hands. We're going to breathe in a way that signals safety to your nervous system. We will inhale gently through your nose for four counts, Pause for four, And then exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of six or eight. No strain, Just a slightly longer exhale than your inhale. Now, Let us begin. Inhale, Two, Three, Four, Pause, Two, Three, Four, Exhale, Two, Three, Six, Seven, Eight. When you do this on your own, Remember just having the exhales longer than your inhales, Whatever number count works for you, And pausing in between the inhales and the exhales. Let us begin at your own natural rhythm. With each exhale, Imagine tension leaving your body, Like smoke dissolving in air. Your nervous system is learning, This is a safe place to rest. As you practice having your exhales a little bit longer than your inhales, Pausing in between. And this is called vagal toning breath, Signaling safety to your nervous system. We'll now move awareness between areas of comfort and tension. This helps your nervous system practice shifting states safely. I invite you to find a spot in your body that feels neutral or pleasant. Right now, Maybe your hands, Feet, Or the back of your throat, Any spot really, Any spot that is neutral or pleasant. Stay there for 10 seconds, Feel its texture, Whatever spot, Spot that is neutral or pleasant. Now I invite you to notice an area with more tension. It could be your jaw, Shoulders, Or belly, Don't change it, Just observe. Observe curiously, How does it feel? Does it feel tight, Fuzzy, Heavy? No observations, No judgments. I now invite you to return to your pleasant area. You know, Linger here a little bit longer than before. Feel its texture, Temperature. And now I invite you to go back to that area with more tension. Whether it's your jaw, Shoulders, Belly, Any spot that's holding the tension. Again, You're not changing it. Observe, Observe with curiosity. Is it tight, Fuzzy, Heavy? How is it feeling? And now back to your pleasant area. Lingering here again. Not changing. Noticing its ease. Now back to that area with more tension. Whatever that area was, Jaw, Shoulder, Belly. Don't change it, Just observing with curiosity. How is it feeling? Is there tightness? Is there heaviness? Is there a fuzzy sensation? Observe. Back to your pleasant area. Noticing how it feels. Observing with curiosity. No judgment. Not changing it. Noticing the ease. And now back to that area with more tension. Belly, Any area that you have said has more tension. Going back to that same area. No need to change it. Again, You're observing with curiosity. Is there a fuzzy feeling? With these repeated cycles, You're teaching your body it can move through sensations without getting stuck. Making observations. Observations without judgment. And now I invite you to wrap your arms around yourself in a gentle hug. Rock or sway side to side. That feels comfortable. Whatever feels instinctively comforting. And then whisper the following words to yourself. My body knows how to find safety. I am here with you. You are not alone. This moment is manageable. We are breathing together. My body knows how to find safety. I am here with you. This moment is manageable. We are breathing together. Letting those words wash over you. Notice your breath. Has it softened? Does your body feel more settled in gravity? Again, Observing without judgment. Noticing how you feel. I can return to this calm whenever I need. My nervous system is learning safety one breath at a time. Again, Repeating silently or out loud. I can return to this calm whenever I need. My nervous system is learning safety one breath at a time. I can return to this calm whenever I need. My nervous system is learning safety one breath at a time. When ready, I invite you to open your eyes if you need to. They're closed. Gently opening them. And arriving gently into your surrounding. Taking a moment. And then noticing how you feel. Carrying this feeling with you.