Welcome to this practice,
Window of Tolerance.
I invite you to picture your nervous system as three concentric circles,
Like ripples in a pond.
The center circle is your window of tolerance,
The green zone.
It's calm,
Focus,
Emotional balance,
Present moment ease.
The outer ring above that is hyperarousal.
This is the fight-flight,
Racing heart,
Tension,
Urgency,
Like fiery sparks flying outward.
And the ring below is hypoarousal.
It's where you freeze or shut down,
Numbness,
Fog,
Disconnection,
Like sinking into dark water.
This practice helps you locate your ring,
Regulate back to center,
And gently expand that green circle for lasting resilience.
I invite you to find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
Whatever is most comfortable.
Feeling the support beneath you,
Whether that's your feet on the floor or connecting to the floor with your back.
Again,
Whatever is most comfortable for you.
I invite you to put your hands on your belly or chest,
Or one on each.
Eyes may be closed or soften their gaze.
Remember,
This is your time,
And while I'll be giving you suggestions if something doesn't feel right,
Skip it.
It's okay,
This is for you.
As you're in this comfortable position,
Notice gently,
Without judgment,
Your breath.
There's no need to change it.
You're simply being here,
Arriving in your own space,
And tuning in.
Observing.
No need to change.
Observing your breath.
Is it fast and shallow?
It's okay,
That's just a sign of hyperarousal.
Is it slow and weak?
Perhaps it's hyperarousal.
Is it steady and even?
That's within your window,
Calm.
Remember,
You're observing.
There's no need to change anything.
Now I invite you to observe your body.
Does it feel tight or grippy or tense?
Anywhere.
Observing.
Noticing how your body is.
That's hyper,
If you feel any grippier tenseness.
Or perhaps you feel a little bit slumped or heavy or disconnected.
Hypo.
Or relaxed and grounded,
Meaning you're in your window of tolerance.
Observing.
You're not changing.
Just connecting with your body as much as you can.
Are thoughts racing or urgent,
Meaning you're in a hyper state?
Or is it blank or foggy or distant,
Meaning hypostate?
Or are you clear and spacious?
Perhaps you're in your window of tolerance,
Your calm place.
Again,
You're not making any judgment.
Observing.
Noticing.
Perhaps naming things to yourself.
I'm noticing some hypersigns or hyposigns.
Or perhaps I'm in my tolerance window right now.
Just let the acknowledgement be enough.
No fixing.
Just kind awareness.
Observation.
If you noticed any hypersigns,
I invite you to The touch.
We're going to soothe the nervous system.
I invite you to cross your arms over your chest.
Letting each hand rest lightly on the opposite shoulder.
And I invite you to begin tapping slowly and alternately.
Right hand taps left shoulder.
Left hand taps right shoulder.
Switching back and forth like a gentle hug from yourself.
Just keeping the rhythm steady and soft.
Left hand taps right shoulder.
Breathe naturally as you go.
And if it feels overwhelming,
Pause.
You don't need to continue.
When ready,
I invite you to bring your hands to rest comfortably.
Maybe one on your belly and one on your heart.
Or both on your belly.
Whatever feels most comfortable.
And I invite you to inhale smoothly through your nose for a count of four.
Fully through your mouth for a count of eight.
Like blowing through a straw.
Let's try it together.
Breathing in through your nose.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Pausing.
Two.
Three.
Four.
And then exhale through your mouth.
Two.
Three.
Eight.
Feel your belly or chest soften on the exhale.
I'm going to repeat for three slow rounds.
Doing it at your own pace.
And you can play with the numbers.
The idea is to have your exhale be longer than your inhale.
Let us begin.
Remember you're doing it at your own pace.
Inhaling.
Pausing.
Exhaling.
Pausing.
And then returning back to inhaling.
Exhales longer than your inhales.
Picture a pond or lake in front of you.
Clear water gently rippling from a stone dropped in.
With each exhale watch the ripple spread out.
Slow down.
And gradually fade into smooth glassy stillness.
Mind and body to mirror that calm surface.
Safe and undisturbed.
Stay with this image as long as it feels good.
You may even want to return to your own rhythm.
And then just leaning into that image.
In a hypo state,
I invite you to wake up the body.
If you're seated,
Bring both feet flat to the floor.
Gently press your feet down into the ground for three to five seconds.
And then slowly release.
Notice any tiny increase in energy or contact with the floor.
You're going to repeat this five or six times.
You can do small pelvic tilts.
On an inhale,
Gently roll your hips slightly forward.
Letting your low back arch a bit.
And then on the exhale,
Roll the hips slightly back.
Allowing you to soften into the chair or surface.
Move slowly like you're rocking in a very tiny wave.
For about six to eight rounds.
And stop any time it feels like it's too much.
Again,
If you're seated,
You can also do pelvic tilts.
Your feet on the floor.
Moving hips out.
And then allowing your back to touch the chair.
As if you're fogging up a mirror.
Let your jaw soften.
And you're going to repeat this three times.
Inhaling through your nose.
And then on the exhale,
Letting out a big audible sigh through your mouth.
Now I invite you to add shoulders.
As you breathe in,
Gently lift your shoulders up towards your ears.
And as you breathe out,
Let them drop down and back.
Releasing any heaviness.
You're going to do this for five slow rounds.
Noticing any spark of warmth or alertness returning.
You may or may not do this with your pelvis tilts.
It's quite all right to just do the shoulder rolls.
Adding aliveness and energy.
Imagine a gentle warm sun resting inside your core.
Maybe in your chest or stomach.
With each inhale,
See that sun grow a little brighter.
Warmth slowly melt into any frost or numbness in your arms.
To release the free state.
You're not forcing anything to change.
You're simply inviting a bit more warmth.
Color and presence into your body.
At a pace that feels safe for you.
Seeing that light,
That sun,
Growing brighter.
Feel it's warmth slowly melting.
Melting away any frost or numbness in your arms.
Hands.
Legs.
Remember you're not forcing anything to change.
You're inviting the warmth into your body.
Widening of brain or making those circles bigger.
Be creative.
Whatever feels comfortable.
See your window as glowing glass or these circles as glowing glass.
These windows of tolerance.
The circles or some people picture it as a window.
Relate.
Able to handle busyness.
Bottom down for deeper grounding.
Meeting the fatigue.
The tree.
Expanding that calm center.
So that you can handle frenetic energy.
Busyness of the day.
First with a soft inhale.
Just notice how your body feels now.
Able to hold more.
In your center of calm.
Your window of tolerance growing.
Stretch your hands and arms overhead if that feels good.
Or roll your shoulders up.
If your eyes have been closed,
Fluttering them open slowly.
Just letting that light re-enter at it's own pace.
Remember that you can return to this practice anytime.
Using breath work and visualizing that center.
The window of tolerance growing and expanding.
And knowing that you can shift from one circle or window to another.
Returning to your center.
Thank you.
