Evening Body Settle: Somatic Practice

You made it through another day. Whatever it held — your body carried all of it. Now it's time to put it down. In this deeply restful guided session, Feldenkrais practitioner and somatic educator Dayana Pereira walks you through a slow, descending practice designed to bring the nervous system from activation all the way into genuine rest. Not just tired — settled. There is a difference, and once you feel it, you'll want to come back to this one every night. Want to understand the science behind the practice first? Start with Evening Body Settle: The Science Behind the Practice, the companion video. Please note: Because this practice is deeply relaxing, please do not listen while driving or operating heavy machinery.

Transcript

Hi, I am Diana Pereira, Feldenkrais practitioner and somatic teacher. Welcome. Let's begin. If you'd like to understand the science behind what we are about to do, You can find it in the companion video, Evening Body Settle, The science behind the practice. For now, You don't need to know anything. You don't need to do anything. You just need to be here, In this body, At the end of this day. You made it through another day. Whatever it held. To the man. The decisions, The unexpected turns. Your body carried it all. This is time to let it go. Not to process it. Not to review it. Not to plan for tomorrow. To let the day complete itself. To give your body permission to finish what it started. And finally, Genuinely. Rest. Let's begin the practice by lying down. Spread your legs and arms and take a nice deep breath. Allow your body to settle down. If you can, Close your eyes. Tune in to the inner sensations of your body. Notice if you are comfortable. If something is tight. What is the temperature like? Any thoughts or feelings that you're still carrying. And for the time of the practice I'm going to invite you to picture an imaginary box safe. Or chest. Or you can put all the thoughts all the worries. All the to-do lists, The anxieties, Everything that you may be thinking about. Imaginary thought floating into the box and landing itself there. Safely. Knowing that whenever you want to you can open the box, Retrieve the thoughts again. But for now, This Energy Box is keeping your thoughts there. In a safe space, So you don't have to hold them in your mind. If a new thought comes as we're going through the somatic practice, You can send it to the box. Just intend that it goes there for safekeeping. You can symbolize this thought with an image. Or simply imagine the whole thought like an energy current. Floating and landing in the box. Let's come back to your body. The sensations. The difference in length perhaps between the right and the left leg your arms. The direction of your palms down, Side, Up. Experimenting. With comfort. What makes you more comfortable? To keep your arms in one position. If you have a lot of tension in your joints, Say your low back or your ankles. Feel free to bend your knees for a moment and shift the weight of your legs right to left to release any stored tension. Of your spine. Your feet, Your ankles. Otherwise you can place a pillow under your knees and let your legs gently rest that way, Taking off some of the weight of the knees. And now let's imagine that You can create a bubble around your body. Protection. Cleansing. Keeping all the world's worries, Projections, Anybody that wants something from you, That may require something now or later in the day, Tomorrow, Away from you right now. And we make this practice only about yourself. With that, Pay attention to the sensations in your neck. Your jaw. And see if you can begin to gently turn your head a little left and right, Releasing your neck. If it's not easy to do by itself you can place your hand on your forehead and gently release your head left and right as if you were rolling a cylinder, A rolling pin on a countertop using the weight of your hand to gently roll the head without much pressure. And as you roll your head left to right, Allow your eyes to move softly inside the sockets. Allow a breath to come in and out freely. Even sound as you breathe out. If you want to exhale with a sigh. Grrrrrrrrrr! Letting go. Releasing any tension from your day. And come back now. Settle with the head. Scan your body from crown. To feet and see if there's any tension held anywhere. Any remaining any lasting effort from the day. If you find it, It's in a muscular zone. It's a zone where there's muscle attached to it. Feel free to contract it. And release it. Squeezing the muscle. Releasing. Inhaling squeezing the muscle Releasing If you find tension in a skeletal zone, In a place where there's more bone than muscle, Say a joint, Like your hands and wrists, You can make gentle rolls or move them side to side. Using movement to release any tension inviting your body with this movement I release like waves. In the ocean. Thing. In and out. Your breath connected to the movement. And now come back to resting again noticing Whatever else. Is needed. To put to rest any thoughts that are left that you want to send into the energy box any tension remaining anywhere that you want to release. And with that, Begin to send off this day. Begin to notice what about this day are you grateful for? What was great about today? You may find two or three things. If you want to, You can place a hand on your heart for this part of the session. Noticing with gratitude. It's a huge, Huge way. To find appreciation for the middle moment. Kindness towards oneself and others. And set the seeds, Plant the seeds. For a beautiful tomorrow. Now feeling this gratitude other than just thinking about it makes a big difference. So when you find one or two moments of this day, For which you can feel grateful for. Allow that gratitude to expand from the area of your chest all the way into your body. You can send it to your feet. Send it to your arms. Send it to your back, Your brain. Your sounds. Breathing in gratitude. Feeling more and more relaxed. Scanning. Your body for any area that needs your support and releasing it. Through movement. Now intending for a deep restful sleep. You can tell yourself I will have beautiful restful sleep. I will dream and remember my dreams. I will wake up. Restore it. Be happy. Ready for a new beautiful day tomorrow. This moment when you're so relaxed All tension left your body, Your thoughts are at bay. Your heart is full of gratitude. It's a perfect time. To place an intention. For a deep restorative sleep. For a beautiful, Joyful awakening. Tomorrow morning. And now let the breath support this intention by sending it throughout your whole body again breathing it into your toes your fingers. Your head, Your brain. Feeling all the space around you radiating from your body. Noticing now the vibrations in yourself. Whatever you can feel that has shifted. From any restlessness at the beginning to now. Finding the peace of this moment. Being present to it. Connecting to your breath Just stay exactly where you are. There's nowhere to go. Nothing to do. The day is complete. Let go of the weight of your body. Expand into your breathing. Gratitude. Beautiful deep rest coming your way. Peaceful mind. Sit down. Hell. Drifting now into sleep. Thank you so much for being with me today. Sweet dreams.