Hello and welcome.
My name is Lindsay Johnson and this is your somatic nurse somatic practice.
Today we are working with proprioception.
Proprioception is a great way to begin to notice the body.
In somatic experiencing we use the body and its sensations to work through stressors that have lived in our body for for quite a while.
The stress response that has lived in our bodies.
Proprioception is noticing the body within space which allows you to put up your hair into a ponytail,
Scratch your back,
Scratch your nose,
Or even ride a bike.
So if you have problems with mobility or balance sometimes our sense of proprioception can be off.
Sometimes noticing the body can come with charge or difficulty.
So today we're making a very slow introduction.
You may have never noticed that you have a body before.
Maybe noticing your body just comes up with nothing and that's totally fine.
We can work starting there.
Or perhaps you've noticed your body and every time you notice your body it's it feels bad.
Maybe it feels bad to be inside of it.
Maybe it comes with a lot of charge.
Maybe it feels literally painful.
And so what we want to do is we want to keep this a neutral to positive experience for you.
So that so if you notice that it starts to become negative please press pause on this meditation this practice and either stop the practice or take a break.
If you decide to come back please notice a body part that has more neutral to positive associations if you can find them and even if it's simply just a finger or a toe.
If you are still struggling please feel free to reach out and we can talk through it if you need to.
So I'll invite you now to settle into your a comfortable position preferably seated with your feet onto the floor.
Take a few moments to notice your surroundings perhaps visually or maybe through hearing the surroundings.
And if you already have access to your body and enjoy doing so you're welcome to come into your body and notice that as well.
And we're going to start placing our attention on a neutral to positive place on our bodies.
I'm going to lead this practice referring to a hand.
So if you like hanging out with your hand if that feels like a good place for you please feel free to move through the practice with me.
But if that does not bring up good connotations please move your attention elsewhere.
Perhaps it's a foot maybe it's the top of your head maybe it's just a single finger or toe an elbow a knee and just gently placing your attention there.
If this feels like a lot maybe you can just sort of side-eye that body part your hand.
If you feel comfortable closing your eyes while doing this feel free to do so.
If it's supportive to look at your body part or hand feel free to do that as well.
And just begin to notice your hand in space.
This is the first step of somatic work is simply noticing.
Just giving some time to notice the outline of this body part in space.
Perhaps you feel the skin of your hand.
Maybe you notice it touching another part of your body or an object and without moving your hand can you feel your hand?
Can you feel it against the other body part that it might be laying against?
Can you feel the temperature of the air around it?
Maybe you can even feel the movement of the air on your hand.
And whatever you feel this is the second step of this somatic practice is can you not judge it?
Can you notice without judgment or trying to change it?
So if it's difficult can you just notice that it's difficult?
And if this feels pleasant to neutral and you'd like to notice what else is happening inside of your hand feel free to do so as well.
Maybe you can notice any tingling in the hand,
Any pulsations from the blood circulating throughout your body,
Any vibrations that you notice within your hand.
So maybe just going inside of that hand for a moment and then coming back out to notice it within space and maybe it might be different,
Maybe it might be the same,
Maybe it feels good to go back and forth between inside and outside of your hand.
And again if any of this feels intolerably bad feel free to step away from this.
And when this feels complete please take your attention away from your hand and notice if you have any changes in your body.
Maybe you notice that you have a body now,
Maybe you notice that things feel a little bit slower or calmer,
Maybe taking a little look around the space around you,
Listening to any sounds that you might may hear,
And just giving a moment for any of that to register.
And you can release the practice when you feel ready.
Thank you so much I really appreciate you being here.
I hope you have a good day.
