In this short session of embodiment to empowerment,
We combine compassionate phrasing,
The phrases or the things that we needed to hear as children that perhaps we didn't hear at that time,
Along with movement of the body in some sort and awareness into the body as a means of reconnecting and regulating the nervous system.
Trauma doesn't have language.
It is instead a visceral response,
And it is felt in the body.
And this is why utilizing the body and movement and reconnecting with the body is so important in integration and processing and reorganization of the events of trauma in our brains as adults.
In our practice today,
We will utilize some movement and compassionate phrasing.
As always,
You are the expert of you and your experience and your body.
As we move through the practice,
If it feels too intense or feels uncomfortable or triggering,
Then please take care of yourself.
You could pause,
Take a breath.
You could come back to the practice another time.
Just move through with gentleness and kindness to yourself in whatever way your body and your emotions need from you.
So let's just begin by standing up,
Preferably with no shoes on.
You can be in sock feet or bare feet.
And just bring your awareness down to the soles of your feet,
Noticing the connection between your feet and the floor and noticing the floor supporting your body as you stand.
Bringing awareness a little deeper,
See if you can notice where in your feet your weight is held the most.
Perhaps it's evenly balanced.
But perhaps it's a little forward,
A little back,
Or a little to one side more than the other.
Simply notice what there is to notice without judgment or criticism,
Bringing curious observation and kindness.
And now,
If the weight is not evenly distributed in your feet,
Shift your body in some way to find the most easeful positioning.
Notice once you get your weight evenly distributed,
Are your bones stacked in alignment?
Could you soften your knees a little more or take your shoulders back a little more?
Is your head directly over your neck or forward or back?
And then sensing into the body a little deeper,
Noticing is your heart racing or calm?
Are there any other sensations such as butterflies in the belly,
A throat that feels closed,
A pounding in the head?
Notice your body's temperature.
Are you cool or warm?
Are there parts of your body that are cooler than other parts?
All of this is just a means to connecting into your physical state.
And now,
Just begin to sway side to side,
Placing most of your weight into one foot at a time.
Not so much that you feel unbalanced,
But just enough to notice the shift in your weight from one foot to the other.
Maybe this feels calming and relaxing.
If it does not,
Then find a different way to move.
Or just return to standing still.
You could also place a hand on your heart and a hand on your belly.
And notice how that might change your experience of sensation or of your body,
Your perception of your body.
Perhaps it brings in some sort of emotion or thoughts.
Again,
You are here as a curious observer of what might come up.
Whether you notice changes or not makes no difference.
There's no right or wrong way to do this.
And now,
You can come to stillness.
You could sit down if you wish or stay standing.
If you sit down,
Also bring awareness to the support of the chair or the surface that you sit on,
Holding your body this way as well.
Can you bring your attention to the sensation of your clothing touching your skin?
Are there some areas that you can notice it more easily and some areas that are more difficult to notice?
And now,
Let's take a nice,
Big,
Deep breath in and exhale and let it out.
Does it feel easy to take a deep breath?
Or does it feel restricted in some way?
When you breathe,
Can you notice how deeply you normally breathe?
Do you normally breathe lower into your belly or higher into your chest?
Let's take another inhale together.
And this time on the exhale,
See if you can slow the exhale down.
And now,
Letting all of that go,
I will begin with the compassionate phrases.
You can simply listen and notice if anything changes with your emotional state as I read them out.
You could also repeat them after me exactly the way that I say them using the you statement,
As this allows a little bit of space and safety,
But acknowledgment of possible feelings.
You could wrap your arms around yourself in a hug,
Feeling safety.
And if it feels OK,
You could close your eyes.
I will say each phrase two times,
Noting that if I say a phrase and there's no reaction in your physical or emotional state,
It just means that that phrase was not for you.
But some phrases may trigger some sort of emotional or physical reaction.
And this means that these were things that you may have needed to hear.
So please allow yourself the space to hear them,
To feel them,
To acknowledge them.
I hold space for that part of you that didn't feel safe.
I hold space for that part of you that didn't feel safe.
I'm so sorry you thought it was your fault.
I'm so sorry you thought it was your fault.
I'm so sorry they didn't hear or believe you.
I'm so sorry they didn't hear or believe you.
I hold space for that part of you that felt so lonely.
I hold space for that part of you that felt so lonely.
I see you and that part of you that had to pretend in order to survive.
I see you and that part of you that had to pretend in order to survive.
I'm so sorry you thought you deserved it.
I'm so sorry you thought you deserved it.
You deserved it.
I'm so sorry they made you feel like you deserved it.
I'm so sorry they made you feel like you deserved it.
I'm so sorry they told you you deserved it.
I'm so sorry they told you you deserved it.
Take a big breath in and let it go.
Take a big breath in and let it go.
One more time,
Inhale.
Exhale.
Notice if any of these phrases triggered any kind of emotion or activation where in your body you feel it.
What does it feel like?
You could even name it out loud.
My throat feels like I'm choking.
My chest feels like there's so much pressure.
Whatever it is for you,
You could say it out loud.
Acknowledge it.
And allow yourself to feel this in this safe,
Contained way.
Because in the feeling and the awareness you create the space to change the outcome,
To take control and become self-empowered for something different.
Feeling these feelings,
Acknowledging and naming them allows your brain to reorganize them which is the first step in integration and processing of these stuck or frozen emotions.
From here,
I would recommend to get up and move in some way.
Ask your body what kind of movement it needs.
It will tell you.
Perhaps it's just swaying.
Perhaps it's taking a powerful stance like a Superman pose.
Perhaps it's lifting your hands up to the ceiling and looking up and taking a big breath.
Maybe it's dance in some way.
Maybe it's hopping or shaking your body in some way.
Whatever feels right and feels like movement of that sensation.
This is what I need you to explore for yourself right now.
Utilize your breath,
Taking that deeper,
Fuller breath.
Receive your inhale and then releasing fully,
Extending your exhale.
Move your body in a way that feels right for you,
That feels safe,
That perhaps feels strong or empowering.
And then coming back to that place of grounding and anchoring,
Feeling your feet connecting to the floor.
You could imagine inhaling up the front of your body and exhaling down the back of your body and through your feet down into the floor beneath you.
Inhaling up the front of the body,
Exhaling down the back of the body and releasing and letting go,
Rooting down,
Anchoring down into the floor beneath you.
Open your arms wide and give yourself a hug.
You have done some excellent work,
My friends.
Repeat this practice as often as you need and be kind and gentle with yourselves.
This is an important journey of self-love,
Self-compassion and self-empowerment to choose the life that you desire.
Take good care,
My friends.
