In tonight's guided meditation,
We are going to travel between our left and our right hemisphere.
The left narrates using language and makes logical connections.
You're listening to my logical explanation with your left hemisphere.
What we want to do is let it know that it's important to us and what it's going to do during this meditation is to observe the process.
It's going to look in a very scientific way at what we are going to do here.
For those who don't know,
Interpersonal neurobiology helps Health is the cornerstone of what we're seeking to achieve,
And the definition of health is integration.
So when we integrate,
We differentiate and link.
Exact definition is the easy and reciprocal flow between differentiated and linked brain systems.
So there's this magical space that links the left and the right hemisphere called the corpus callosum.
So what we can do is we can begin to breathe in through our nose and out through our mouth.
With kind of pursed lips blowing out,
Making the exhale really long if you can.
If your nose is stopped up,
Just go in and out of your mouth.
And you're going to breathe in through your nose and you're going to imagine yourself making contact with your corpus callosum,
Which is the bridge between your left and your right hemisphere.
Just pretend like you can kind of feel where it is in the very center of your brain.
So you're going to breathe in.
And then as you blow out.
.
.
You're going to blow kindness right there in the center of your brain.
So breathing in and out.
Breathing out kindness in the same way you would blow on a baby's eyelashes.
Kindness to this part of your brain.
Kind of like your pelvis that links the left and the right leg.
It links up both sides.
So breathing in.
And out.
Just loving.
That part that links up your two hemispheres.
And just doing this exercise.
Grows the corpus callosum.
It grows the integrated fibers between the left and the right hemisphere It helps grow the fibers of the prefrontal cortex.
It helps grow the connectome and it increases brain integration.
Just breathing in.
And out.
Relaxing your body.
Focusing on kindness,
And linking up your two hemispheres.
So we're going to thank that left logical,
Linear,
Literal left brain for understanding the process of differentiating and linking And it probably knows that first we're going to differentiate and then we're going to link tonight.
So in differentiating,
What we're going to do is we're going to go into the right hemisphere more now.
As you started,
As you took deeper and deeper breaths,
And got more into your body.
As much as you continue to do that deep breathing.
In and out.
So it really is that long,
Slow exhale that helps put us into the parasympathetic state.
That helps slow down our heart rate.
And that tells the whole nervous system we can rest and digest.
It's like the sun setting.
You just imagine that,
A picture.
Of the sun setting.
Maybe you might remember a sunset you saw and liked.
And how that made you feel.
Maybe one time you saw the green flash as the sun disappeared on the horizon.
So you're gonna go deeper into your body now.
Really use your mind's eye.
And focus on the feeling of the whole body now.
You can notice where your body contacts the chair or the floor.
Where other parts of your body don't contact the floor.
You can notice the quality of your breathing.
Whether you're being active.
Or whether you're just observing your breath,
Whichever you choose to do.
Although if you feel comfortable,
I recommend continuing with the diaphragmatic breathing where you're breathing in through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
Each breath.
Falling deeper into a state of relaxation.
Where you feel open hearted,
Easy.
Carefree.
Elated,
Joyful.
Where you feel tranquil and quiet,
Relaxed and dreamy.
Maybe you feel grateful about something.
Just open.
Maybe you might feel tender.
Warm.
Or cold.
So notice the sensations on your body.
Your breath.
All of this is more.
A right mood.
Of being.
And you can check in and just think about.
How do you feel in general?
Maybe you might have a sound.
How you feel.
And I'm going to count to three,
And you can just make that sound.
If you want to make that sound.
Whatever the sound should represent how you're feeling right now.
So on the count of three.
One,
Two,
Three.
Good,
We'll try it one more time just for fun.
Just think about how you're feeling.
And just make a noise that represents that on the count of three.
One,
Two,
Three.
Noise.
Yeah,
Nice.
Feel how you feel after having made the noise.
Connecting with feeling and your body.
Noticing my tone of voice.
All of this is more a right brain mode of being.
What we're going to do is we're going to transition.
Over.
To the left hemisphere briefly.
And we're gonna name.
It's called Name It to Tame It.
We're gonna name what we were feeling with a word.
So we just made a sound,
But now we're going to give a name to that sound.
So whatever that name is for how you felt,
I'm going to count to three and we're all just going to say that feeling word aloud.
One,
Two,
Three,
Now.
Nice.
We'll try it one more time.
On the count of three,
However you're feeling,
Just say the word and see how you feel after you said it.
One,
Two,
Three.
And notice what that was like when you said the word.
How you feel.
Versus a minute ago when you made the noise.
And continue to take a breath in.
And out.
And in.
And out.
Focusing on that corpus callosum again,
That magical bridge that links the two hemispheres.
As we blow on it.
We're going to imagine it.
Like a bright ball of light,
Just getting a little bit bigger every time we blow on it.
So we're going to breathe in and out at whatever pace works for you.
Just imagine it like a firefly.
Blowing on it and it gets just a little bit bigger.
And as you continue to blow on it,
We're going to go on a journey of yourself in the future.
Where you've continued to do this exercise of blowing loving kindness on your corpus callosum for one minute every day.
Because we know in studies this increases the ability to regulate your emotions.
And this same function can get impaired.
And there's really impaired problems when you're younger when there's trauma.
We see children become more left or more right hemisphere mode acting.
But the amazing thing is despite trauma,
If we do kindness meditation on our corpus callosum like you're doing right now,
That bright ball of light,
That firefly in the middle of your brain just grows and grows and grows and you're doing this meditation and you've been doing it a little bit when you wake up in the morning you just do it maybe a couple times a week whatever it is you've done it you blow kindness in your corpus callosum a few times a week a few months have passed,
A few more months have passed,
And someone is yelling at you,
And you're remembering that morning you were blowing kindness under corpus callosum,
And you differentiate from that person who is seeming aggressive,
And you link with the kindness of your breath to the center of your brain.
You've grown this muscle of focusing on yourself in the face of other high intense things from other people.
So you're just blowing kindness on your corpus callosum right now.
And you notice that you're less tense than you might have been as this person has an angry outburst.
Because you're just blowing on your corpus callosum,
You're aware of your breath,
And you're a little more differentiated from a situation where you might have been a little more reactive in the past.
You're finding yourself responsive,
Calm,
More in your body.
And in this visualization right now,
See yourself just walk outside you just walk past that person go outside to a wide expanse somewhere really beautiful and that you're leaving that person behind and you feel really calm and centered in your body you feel your weight moving left right left right and you're just going out to the horizon with an open heart and you're relaxed and calm.
You are able to stay centered when other people decide that they want to show you a strong emotion.
And you think,
You know what,
It's because I've been doing kindness and my corpus callosum is more integrated and stronger and it's given me the ability to differentiate from people with strong emotions and link up more to my body.
And I think I have more integration overall.
Because I can differentiate like from difficult situations when I want to and I can link up to more enjoyable experiences.
The way I just left the room and I went outside to this beautiful landscape that you're experiencing now in your visualization.
It could be you go into the forest and you hear the crinkling of leaves.
It could be you go out on the ocean and the waves are crashing and you could smell the salty sea air.
You could be in the mountains.
The mountains are what bring you peace.
But you're out there and you're linking up to this beautiful,
Sacred space that is your safe,
Centered space.
And you're going to breathe that sacred space in through your nose.
And you're going to blow it into your corpus callosum.
So you're just breathing in that wonderful fresh outside air.
All that healing energy around you and you're just going to blow it into your brain.
And as you do that,
You're going to blow in that fresh healing air.
And you're going to blow it on your body.
If there's any place in or around your body that feels more tense than another place,
You're going to breathe in that healing energy.
And you're going to blow kindness.
Wherever that place that's a little more uncomfortable might be.
Or if you have a really happy place,
You can breathe in that healing air and you can just blow it straight onto that happy place.
Whatever you want to do,
Just breathe in the healing.
And direct it somewhere right on you where you want to direct that healing energy.
Just let it sink in deeper the way water soaks into cloth.
So you're going to get ready to leave the special place.
You're going to walk back through a gate,
And you're going to come back slowly into the room.
But before you come back,
While you're sitting in this special space where you are right now,
You're going to think of a word.
It can also be an object or an image if you'd rather.
That represents something you've been given during this meditation.
So it can be a sentence too,
But it can also be a gift.
Just let your imagination decide.
What appears before you right now.
It can be something very small and simple.
That wasn't there an hour ago.
Let's just imagine that you have something now.
Something good.
So whatever that thing is,
Whether it's a word or a tool or an image,
Whatever that thing is,
Just shrink it down to the size of a keychain.
And put it in your pocket.
It's just a reminder.
Of what you got tonight.
A special gift.
If there comes a time in the future.
You can just reach into your pocket.
And touch that object.
Imagine yourself doing that right now,
Touching that object.
In the future when something might happen.
And the thought of it.
Helps calm you down.
So once you've done that,
You can just slowly,
Slowly feel gratitude.
For this moment in nature,
This beautiful landscape where you've been.
For your breathing.
For your lungs.
300 million alveoli,
Little sacs that take in oxygen.
All the parts of your body.
You can thank your heart.
Which pumps two gallons of blood every minute.
Through 60,
000 miles of vessels,
Which is twice the circumference of the Earth.
Your heart does that every minute.
I can just say thank you,
Thank you heart,
Thank you lungs.
Thank you for working and there's nothing I need to do at all right now.
You just continue to work for me.
Thank you.
And lastly,
Just thank your brain.
Especially your left brain,
As it was listening to the logical sequence.
Of this meditation and helping guide you as you went through this more bodily sensation meditation.
Of bringing together in a dance of the left and right modes of being.
