Welcome,
Dear soul,
To Nervous System Regulation,
Breath as a Bridge to Safety.
This meditation is part of the Nervous System Regulation series I've created.
Using slow,
Steady breathing,
Today's practice will help the nervous system shift out of high alert into a sense of safety.
Find a position that allows your body to feel supported,
Seated or lying down,
Where there is nothing to hold,
Nothing to maintain.
Let your eyes close gently,
Or just soften your gaze.
Before changing the breath in any way,
Simply become aware of your breath,
The breath you arrived with,
The breath that has been breathing you all along.
No need to correct it,
No need to deepen it yet.
Just noticing the breath moves in and out,
Also notice where it pauses.
Now gently begin to invite the breath to move in through the nose,
A slow,
Comfortable inhale,
And a slightly longer exhale through the mouth,
That's right,
Slow,
Comfortable inhales through the nose at your own time,
And with each exhale,
Breathing out through your mouth,
Imagine you're fogging a mirror,
Or letting go of something.
Just keep breathing like this,
Slow inhales through the nose,
And exhaling gently through the mouth,
This breathing pattern sends a message to your nervous system,
It says there are no emergencies right now,
Each inhale through the nose,
And the slow exhale through the mouth,
The nervous system receives the message,
Clear and calm,
Breathing in through the nose,
And out through the mouth,
Imagine your breath is like gentle waves,
Rising and falling without any effort,
For there is nothing to push,
There is nothing to force,
Your breath becomes a bridge between alertness and ease,
Between tension and settling,
Between doing and allowing.
Now allow your exhale to soften the whole body in small ways,
Perhaps as you breathe out let the shoulders drop a fraction,
Let the jaw loosen,
Let the tongue rest while you just keep breathing,
Slowly in through the nose,
And out through the mouth,
The belly is free to move,
You may begin to notice that your body knows how to self-regulate when it is given the right conditions,
Silently or inwardly you might offer this thought,
I do not need to stay on alert,
Let that land gently,
I do not need to stay on alert,
No need to believe it,
Feel it,
Just allow the nervous system to hear it,
Breathing in and breathing out,
If thoughts pass through they can float like the clouds,
Nothing needs to be followed,
Nothing needs to be solved,
Your awareness can always return to the simple rhythm of your breath,
The in and the out,
With every exhale your system is recalibrating,
Your heart rate slows,
Muscles soften,
The internal tempo eases,
You are not forcing relaxation,
This is relaxation returning,
A remembering,
You may even notice moments of quiet between each breath,
Tiny pauses,
Space where nothing is required,
These pauses are safe,
They are part of balance,
Now let your breath return to a natural rhythm,
Still calm,
Still steady,
Without effort,
Bring your awareness into your body and notice how the body feels now,
Subtle changes count,
Before we close,
One final inward reminder,
Repeat this in your mind,
My nervous system remembers how to return to calm,
That's right,
Your nervous system does remember how to return to calm,
When you are ready,
Begin to bring awareness back to the space around you,
Feeling the surface beneath you,
Noticing the room,
Gently opening the eyes,
When you feel it's right,
Carry this regulated rhythm with you,
A bridge you can return to,
Whenever you need it,
Have a blessed day today,
And remember,
You can always come back to your slow deep breaths,
In through the nose and out through the mouth,
Blessings on your journey,
Namaste.
