Sensory Orienting: Teach Your Nervous System To Find Ease

Sometimes we can tell ourselves to relax, but the body and nervous system need to feel it, to truly know it’s safe to settle. Without that felt sense, mental relaxation is only fleeting.

Sensory orienting is one of our most fundamental ways of knowing the world. Yet we often orient toward what feels threatening, forgetting we can also turn toward what feels steady, comforting, or alive.

Your body already knows how to do this. It just needs practice and your curiosity.

In a world that trains us to notice what’s wrong, this practice invites you to notice what’s right. Through sight, sound, and touch, you’ll learn to orient toward calm and let your body remember what safety, ease, and comfort actually feel like.

This isn’t about clearing your mind or forcing peace. It’s about the subtle shift, the softening shoulders, a breath that can breathe itself, the quiet heart that whispers, yes, this is okay.

Designed to complement Katie’s course “The Body Is the Way” on Insight Timer.

Transcript

So welcome to this somatic orienting practice.

Before we begin though,

Just take a moment to arrive wherever you are.

So before we begin the practice,

It's helpful to know that our nervous system is constantly orienting through our senses.

It's what it's designed to do.

But often we get stuck orienting only towards problems,

Towards threat,

Or what feels activating or needs fixing.

We're good at finding what's wrong.

But in this practice,

We're gonna learn how to use your senses to orient to safety and ease and settling.

And we're gonna get very curious about what actually helps your system settle.

You can use this practice when you're activated,

But it's especially powerful to practice when you're calm because you're building neural pathways home.

And when you really need it,

Then the path will already be familiar.

But one last thing to remember,

In the world of nervous system work,

Subtle is powerful.

We're not looking for big dramatic shifts here.

Even the tiniest softening matters.

So take a moment to just get comfortable for this practice.

Shift your position until you find just a little bit more comfort.

And the question is,

How do you know that you found it?

What does your body say?

Does something soften?

Is there just a little bit more space or ease?

And see if you can just notice.

And so taking a nice breath,

Let's begin with visual orienting.

Exploring how your eyes in your visual system can help you find safety and ease.

So if your eyes are closed,

Let them open gently.

And if they're already open,

See if you can allow them to soften.

And I'd like to invite you to allow your eyes to wander your environment with a fresh sense of curiosity.

Let your eyes go on a walkabout.

Even if you're in a familiar space,

See where your eyes want to explore.

And as you do so,

See if you can slow your pace a little bit.

Let your gaze move slowly.

And if you notice your eyes land on something activating or stressful,

Maybe that pile of laundry or the to-do list,

Just gently redirect.

We're actually looking for what brings ease.

And see if you can find something neutral or pleasant but let it come to you.

Perhaps it's a color or a plant or an image or a quality of light.

And when your eyes find something settling,

Pause there.

And the question is,

How does your body take in this visual information?

Not the story that your mind tells,

But how does your body say,

Yeah,

This is okay.

This is soothing.

I like this.

This feels safe.

Maybe your shoulders drop slightly or maybe your breath deepens.

Maybe there's a subtle softening in your chest or your belly.

But again,

Notice how your body registers this visual comfort.

And now shift your gaze to the farthest point that you can see.

Maybe out a window,

Maybe across the room.

Gently.

And see if you can let the information come to you.

Don't strain,

Just receive.

And so how does your body respond to this distance?

What you see farther away?

Does your chest open?

Does your breathing shift?

Or maybe you notice some difference between when you were looking at things closer and farther away.

Does your nervous system say,

Ah,

This feels good?

Or I'd prefer to look at this thing that's close to me.

We're just noticing.

It doesn't mean you have to fix.

Now bring your gaze close again,

Within a few feet.

Not your screen,

But something nearby.

And just getting curious and noticing how your body takes in near differently than far,

As I noted earlier.

What changes?

And when you're ready,

Find a middle distance now.

Wherever that might be for you.

Again,

How does your body receive this?

Is this the point where your system says,

Ah,

Yeah,

This is comfortable?

Or maybe you noticed it was something else.

And with what you identified feels safe and comfortable for you,

Whatever distance it was.

Allow yourself a few more moments to simply rest there.

Nothing to do.

Just letting your eyes be soft.

Again,

Connecting to the felt experience within your body,

Not the story in the mind,

But within your body as to how you know it feels comforting and safe for you.

And letting your nervous system register this.

Taking a nice breath if you'd like.

So whenever you're ready,

We're shifting now to our auditory orienting.

That is discovering how sound can be a pathway to settling as well.

So take a gentle breath and begin to notice the sound in your environment.

And let's start close first.

Perhaps you're breathing your body's subtle sounds.

Maybe a clock or the hum of air conditioner or the ceiling fan.

And even noticing that silence actually has a quality too.

But again,

Let the sounds come to you.

You don't need to reach out with your hearing.

If you happen to notice more activating sounds like construction or barking dogs or loud traffic,

Acknowledge them,

But then orient towards something else or exploring what brings comfort in your immediate environment.

Again,

Finding a steady rhythmic sound if you can.

The hum of a fan,

Distant rain,

Or your own breath.

And when you find a settling sound,

The question always is,

How does your body receive it?

How does your nervous system say,

Ah,

Yeah,

This is soothing.

This feels good.

I like this.

Maybe your jaw softens.

Maybe your shoulders release,

Even if it's just a bit.

Maybe there's a letting go in your belly.

Maybe the breath just starts to breathe itself.

Notice,

How does your body register auditory comfort?

And so,

If you'd like,

Expand your awareness to include distant sounds.

Let them arrive like waves to a shore.

And how does your body know which sounds are safe,

Which are neutral?

What happens in your chest when you hear something?

What does your breathing naturally deepen?

Or do you notice something else?

Whatever you find,

It's okay.

And if you would like,

Maybe even noticing the space between sounds,

The pauses,

The quiet.

How does your body receive silence?

Does quiet feel like a relief?

Or is it more activating?

Maybe it feels more spacious for you.

But whatever it is,

Notice where you feel that in your body.

And taking a moment to go back to whatever sound,

Near or far,

That you found was soothing or settling.

And allow your attention to rest there for a few more moments.

And again,

Being curious as to exploring,

How do I know that this is helping me to settle?

Paying attention to those sounds.

Those subtle cues.

Beautiful.

We're gonna move to tactile orienting.

How touch and contact can bring us home to safety and settling.

So bring your awareness to your tactile sensations.

Bring your awareness to any contact.

Perhaps where your body meets the chair,

Or your feet on the floor.

Maybe the clothing on your skin.

Maybe even the feel of air on your skin.

And feel how you're being held at this moment,

And that the earth is literally supporting you.

And how does your body register this support?

How does your nervous system say,

I'm held,

I'm safe?

Even if it's the slightest bit.

Maybe there's a settling through your spine and hips.

Or maybe your muscles soften,

Knowing that they don't have to hold everything.

Where in your body,

Do you feel the relief of being supported?

And let's explore touch actively.

Maybe rubbing your fingers together,

Or placing a hand on your chest or your belly.

Or if there's something else comforting nearby,

Perhaps a soft fabric,

A smooth stone,

Something to touch with your hands.

Go ahead and make that contact.

That's what your nervous system wants.

But again,

Notice what happens when you touch something soothing,

Comforting,

And safe.

How does your body say,

Yeah,

This feels good?

And does your breathing slow?

Maybe something in your core settles.

Does warmth spread?

And this is your nervous system recognizing comfort through touch.

And take a few more moments to find the quality of touch that feels most supportive for you right now.

Maybe it's the steady floor,

Soft fabric,

Cool air on your skin,

Or your own warm hand.

And let yourself rest there.

How does your body drink in this comfort?

Where do you feel the settling?

Let your nervous system register this and integrate this.

Now very gently and slowly,

We're gonna turn our attention now to another one of our subtle senses.

And we'll be working with smell and taste together.

But for further practice,

You could spend your own time on these separately if you'd like.

So take a soft breath through your nose and notice what scents are present,

Subtle or obvious,

Or maybe they're sun.

And again,

Knowing that your nervous system is constantly processing scent,

Even if it's unconsciously.

If there's something aromatic nearby,

Perhaps a plant or a cup of tea or essential oil,

Whatever it might be,

Something pleasant,

See if you can lean toward it gently.

And so how does your body receive pleasant scents?

How does your nervous system say,

Yeah,

This is nice,

This is comforting,

I like this.

Maybe you naturally take a deeper breath.

Or maybe something in your chest softens.

Maybe there's a subtle brightening.

Notice where you feel comfort through scents within your body.

And if you have something to taste,

Water or tea or coffee,

Bring it to your lips mindfully.

Notice how your body instantly knows,

Yes,

This is good,

Or no,

Not now.

How does that knowing arrive?

Subtle opening or closing,

Or a gentle yes or no in your belly.

And even the absence of strong smell or taste is information.

Neutral can be deeply settling as well.

And again,

Taking a few more moments to be with what you've found is comforting through your smell or taste orienting.

And being curious about how your body reacts how the body is responding to you,

Is communicating to you that this is supportive,

That this is safe in this moment.

And let it be.

And so now take a moment when you're ready to sense your whole body,

If you can,

Having moved through each of your orientation systems.

Which sense did your body,

Did your nervous system like the best today?

And again,

This isn't what your mind thinks you should prefer,

But what your body actually enjoyed during this practice,

Knowing that it could be different any other day.

But was it the far distance of sight?

Or the steadiness of some kind of sound?

Or maybe the grounding feeling of touch?

Whatever you find,

It's entirely yours.

And see if you can notice if there's been any shift since we began.

Even as I noted,

Very subtle shift.

Subtle can be big.

Perhaps you notice a little more steadiness,

Maybe more spaciousness.

Or just a different quality of awareness in this moment.

And again,

I often repeat myself on this.

Remember that in the nervous system,

Subtle is powerful.

Even the tiniest shift towards ease is teaching your system something important.

And overall,

You're literally teaching your nervous system,

Look,

There are things here that are safe and comforting and supportive to me.

There are things here that are neutral or even pleasant.

And I can orient to these too.

I have options.

Support is available to me.

Now,

As I noted,

Tomorrow it might be completely different.

Our needs change,

Our nervous systems are beautifully adaptive.

But you can be curious as to what system supports you in that moment.

And knowing that there's nothing to fix,

There's nothing to achieve,

You're simply remembering what you already know how to do,

Just finding safety and ease through your senses.

So as we prepare to close and carry forward,

Let's anchor this orientation in your system just a bit more.

Take in that one site that felt supportive or neutral.

And let your eyes and your body receive it fully.

Listen for one more sound,

Whether it's near or far,

Or maybe it was silence,

That reminds you of settledness.

And feel once more the steady support beneath you or the presence of touch and contact of something.

And take a breath,

Noticing any lingering sense or taste that you explored.

Now let that comfort register as well.

So remember what we've practiced today,

We can teach our nervous systems to find safety and ease,

It's available to you always,

Through your senses,

This body that knows how to orient towards what supports you.

You can return to any of these senses throughout your day,

When you feel disconnected or overwhelmed or stuck in thought,

Or when you feel anxious or anxious,

Or when you notice you're only orienting to problems or what's activating,

You can always come back to,

What do I see that's neutral or pleasant?

What do I hear that's steady?

What do I feel that's supportive?

This capacity to orient towards safety,

To find ease through your senses,

Again,

This is always with you.

You've just spent some time strengthening these pathways,

Teaching your nervous system that safety exists and you know how to find it.

So thank you so much for taking the time to teach your nervous system something new,

Or perhaps something very old that it's remembering.

Whenever you're ready,

You can begin to move gently,

Gently,

Perhaps stretching a little and see if you can carry this embodied awareness with you into the rest of your day.

May we all be well.

Reviews

Really helped me piece together how the positive vibrations I’m told to constantly cultivate relate to the neervous systems safety, I think this epiphany will motivate me more and more to turn to gratitude, compassion, appreciation, and care 🙏

Thanks Katie. A gentle, easy paced practice, supported beautifully by your calming and embodied presence.
As always, much love and gratitude 🙏 ❤️

Thanks again Katie, for your gentle touch and highlighting a warm curiosity in areas I take for granted.

Very soothing, thank you 🙏 and your voice is so reassuring 🌸🌻🌟