Welcome dear soul,
I'm Frankie and I'd like to welcome you to this meditation which is part of the Nervous System Regulation series.
Today offers a deeper embodied practice,
Drawn from biodynamic breathwork and felt sense awareness.
This is a gentle,
Non-forceful approach that invites you to breathe,
Feel and listen inwardly allowing the nervous system to regulate through presence rather than release.
For today,
I recommend lying down,
Finding a position where your body feels supported,
Maybe a pillow or a bolster under your legs,
With nothing you need to do,
Nothing you need to hold,
Nothing to control or perform.
Let your eyes close softly,
Or lower your gaze,
Before we work with the breath,
Take a moment to arrive,
Noticing the surface beneath you,
The weight of your body,
The way gravity is already holding you,
That's right,
Mother Earth herself holding you.
Nothing to change,
Nothing to improve.
This practice is not about pushing breath or emotion,
It's about listening,
So take a gentle breath in through the nose and release it through the mouth,
Again breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Keep with this gentle breathing rhythm,
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
If it feels good for you,
Perhaps on the exhale you sigh out a little,
Breathing in through the nose and gently sighing out through the mouth.
In biodynamic breath work,
The breath is not used to force release,
It is used to create enough safety,
Safety for the body to show what it is ready to let go of.
Keep with these breaths,
And as you do,
Bring your attention into the body and begin to sense,
Not analyze,
Not label,
Just sensing sensations.
Notice where sensation is most present right now,
It might be obvious or very subtle,
Perhaps warmth,
Pressure,
Movement,
Stillness,
There is no correct place to focus,
Wherever you notice sensation,
That is the right place for today.
Rest your awareness there,
Like a soft hand,
Breathing in and out of your body.
The breath like waves coming in and out,
Feeling into all and any sensations,
This is felt sense,
The body's quiet language,
It does not speak in the stories of the mind,
It speaks in sensation,
As a sensation arrives,
Stay with this sensation,
Without trying to change it,
Breathe with it,
If it shifts,
You notice,
If it stays,
The same,
You notice.
Nothing more is required,
Now gently invite the breath to move a little more fully,
Only to the point that feels comfortable,
Perhaps if you are comfortable,
Breathing deeper in through the nose,
And out through the mouth,
Increasing the breath.
Let the breaths be connected,
But not exaggerated,
The breath follows sensation,
Not the other way around,
If sensations now increase,
You stay present,
If it decreases,
You stay present.
Silently,
Inwardly say,
I am listening,
That's right,
As you are breathing,
You are listening,
You are noticing if the body wants to make small movements now,
A shift,
Perhaps a sigh,
Or a deep exhale,
Allow it,
As long as it feels organic and unforced,
Let the nervous system discharge in subtle ways,
Big releases are not required,
If emotions rise,
Let them,
Now bring your awareness to the centre of the body,
The chest and belly,
These are key regulation centres,
Notice how the breath moves here,
Notice if there is any holding,
Guarding or openness,
Whatever is present,
It is welcome,
Stay with this sensation for a few breaths.
If emotions arise,
You do not need to name it,
In this practice,
Emotions are simply sensations with energy,
If you are feeling overwhelmed,
Perhaps press your thumb and your index finger together,
You can stay grounded,
You can stay resourced,
Notice the support beneath you again,
The ground,
The steadiness,
This keeps your nervous system orientated to safety,
Now gently widen your awareness to include your whole body,
Sensations may appear in multiple places,
You do not need to track them all,
Let awareness be as spacious as a field,
Breathing,
Sensing,
Allowing,
If at any moment the experience feels too intense,
You can soften or let go of the breath altogether,
Or return your awareness to the ground beneath you,
Mother earth holding you.
Regulation always comes first,
There is no benefit in overwhelm,
Silently inwardly say to yourself,
I can feel without flooding,
That's right,
You can feel without flooding,
Stay here,
Nothing to do,
Nothing to reach,
The body knows how to complete,
What is ready to complete,
Just breathing,
Noticing what is present,
And stay for a moment with each sensation as they arise,
Remember if emotions arise,
You don't need to name them,
Emotion in this practice is simply sensation with energy,
And you stay grounded,
You stay resourced,
Noticing the support of mother earth beneath you,
Grounded and steady,
As we begin to transition,
Allow the breath to return fully to its natural rhythm,
No shaping,
No guiding,
Just breathing,
Feel into your body,
And notice how the body feels now,
Compared to when you began,
Not better or worse,
Just different,
Subtle changes matter,
Before we close,
One final inward acknowledgement,
Repeat,
My body holds wisdom,
And I can listen,
Let that land somatically,
Your body holds wisdom,
And you can listen,
I will leave you for a minute now,
To let the work integrate,
Just breathe,
Feel,
Receive,
And heal,
Begin to bring your awareness back now,
Orientate yourself to the room around you,
The sound of the music,
Air on your skin,
The surface beneath you,
Holding you,
Bring in some small movements into the fingers,
And into the toes,
Wiggle them,
And only when it feels right,
Open your eyes softly,
Take your time,
This kind of work continues to integrate long after the practice,
And you can do this time and time again,
Feeling and breathing gently into your body,
Sensing,
Releasing,
Healing,
Blessings to you dear soul,
Namaste.
