Hi,
I'm Jeremy.
I work in brain and spine surgery,
Monitoring how the nerves respond in real time.
One thing becomes very clear.
After surgery,
The nervous system has also been through something,
And it's recalibrating.
The signals can feel unfamiliar.
Sometimes they're louder,
And sometimes they're quieter.
Sometimes they just feel harder to interpret.
And this can all create uncertainty,
Untrust in our bodies.
So for this practice,
You might explore something gentle,
Not trying to fix anything,
Not trying to feel a certain way.
We're just re-establishing contact with the signals that are here.
We're establishing a little more trust in our bodies.
And we're moving through the theme that our body can be re-learned one clear signal at a time.
You might begin in a position that feels supported,
Lying down or seated.
Whatever allows the body to feel held without effort.
And take your time getting there.
You have time here.
And you might take a moment to adjust,
Maybe a pillow or a blanket.
And as you're settling here,
You might start to take in your hands.
Perhaps they're resting somewhere on the body or by your sides.
Gently place somewhere that feels natural.
And the hands carry a large amount of sensory information,
Constantly sending signals to the head,
To the brain.
And sometimes placing a hand on the body can make that area feel more known,
More defined.
It's a different kind of input.
Now make a small choice with your eyes.
Make a close and stay softly open.
Make a small choice about how much input you'd like through that system.
Less input,
Less processing,
Maybe more space.
Now gently take in and sense your body.
We're not scanning or searching or witnessing.
Observing what's happening and feeling and sensation.
You might take in pressure.
You might start to sense temperature.
You might take in texture.
And feeling the contact beneath you.
And checking in with your thoughts.
If you're interested,
Feel free to return.
And after surgery,
The brain is often predicting more threat than necessary.
It's protected.
But when you begin to feel actual contact,
Those predictions can begin to update.
And sometimes the nervous system takes time to recalibrate.
Sometimes slowly.
And you might stay here for a few breaths.
Gentle.
Unhurried.
And just witnessing.
Temperature.
Support.
Where's there ease in your body?
Where's there effort happening?
Now take in your breath.
Gentle through your nose.
And you might just follow the rhythm.
And if you'd like,
You could anchor a word to your inhale.
Effort.
And maybe anchor ease to your exhale.
Gentle inhale of effort.
And gentle exhale of ease.
Both existing.
Not opposites.
Complementary.
Now start to bring your awareness to an area of your body that feels neutral.
This could be your hands.
Could be your feet.
Could be your belly.
Somewhere easy to feel.
And you might notice,
What can I sense here?
Warmth.
Movement.
Texture.
Is there a story here?
If you'd like,
Take a few gentle breaths here.
Letting the brain receive clear,
Simple information.
This is how we can begin to build confidence in the system.
Start to build trust in our bodies.
Now if it feels appropriate,
You might slowly include another area.
Perhaps closer to where the healing is happening.
Only if it feels manageable.
We're staying in the workable zone.
You're always in control of where your attention goes.
And you might notice,
What is actually here?
Not what it means.
Just the sensation.
Pressure.
Tension.
Numbness.
Is there a story here?
Memory.
Is there effort happening here?
Is there any ease available?
Maybe two percent.
And if there's any hesitation or resistance,
That's completely understandable.
You might acknowledge it.
And then if you can,
Return to somewhere more neutral.
We're not pushing today.
We're not forcing.
It's about choice and clarity.
And if you'd like,
Place a hand gently over an area that feels uncertain.
Or you could keep your hands where they are.
Our sense of touch can help define a signal.
Defined signals are easier for the brain to interpret.
Now just staying with what's there.
A few gentle in-breaths.
A few gentle out-breaths.
You might notice something subtle here.
Not everything feels better.
But maybe it feels a little more understandable.
Maybe a little more known.
And this is how the nervous system reorganizes.
Not through force,
But through clear,
Repeated input.
Now widening your awareness slightly,
Taking in your breath.
Following the rhythm.
Including the whole body as it is.
Healing.
Adjusting.
Responding.
And perhaps something deeper.
A quiet awareness beneath breath.
Beneath sensation.
An awareness.
An awareness not needing to change anything.
You might rest here for a few moments.
Nothing to do.
Just being with what is.
And then slowly beginning to include the space around you.
The sounds.
The air.
And the light.
And if you'd like,
Taking a gentle inhale.
An easy exhale.
And just notice.
Not if something's fixed,
But whether there's any more clarity.
See,
We can't force our healing.
But we can reconnect the body.
As it heals.
You see,
The body can be relearned.
One clear signal at a time.
As you move through recovery,
There may be moments of uncertainty.
Moments of discomfort.
Moments of progress.
And in those moments,
You might return.
You don't have to understand everything at once.
You can return to something simple.
Contact with your hands and your feet.
Contact in your breath.
Sensation in the body.
And when you need to,
Return to the signal.
