Nervous System Regulation Skill: Resourcing Touch

Resourcing touch is a gentle way of showing yourself that you are here. Zara Dureno guides you to explore different kinds of soothing touch, on the chest, the arms, the face and the belly, so you can find what feels comforting and nourishing for you. A simple practice you can come back to whenever you need a moment of care. This content is educational and is not a substitute for one to one professional care.

Transcript

Let's explore resourcing touch. The thing about resourcing touch is that it's going to be specific to you. Throughout this program, We are talking about how we can develop a relationship and an intuition with our own bodies and a connection to what we need, A connection to how your nervous system is feeling and how we can respond to it. Resourcing touch is no different. There may be some kinds of touch for you that are very nice and soothing and nourishing and some kinds of touch where you're like, That doesn't work for me or might even be activating. So we're going to explore some different areas that might feel good as a touch to you that you can show yourself, That you're here, That you're comforting yourself. This is also a form of orienting. I love to put my hands on my chest. This is a very resourcing touch for me. It may or may not be for you. Areas that you can use for this skill. The first one, Since my hands are already here, Why don't we try touching the chest. So you can put your hand on the chest, Move your other hand on top, Or you can put both hands on the chest, Kind of right along the collarbone, Allowing yourself to feel that comfort of I am here, And take a deep breath and notice how this feels. Long exhale. Bring yourself into your body. Notice what it feels like. To hold yourself in this way, To give yourself this compassion. Be really present with yourself. I'm here. I'm safe enough. And let's experiment with some different kinds of touch that might be resourcing. So you can grab both shoulders and give yourself a little hug. I like to tuck my cheek in when I give myself a hug. It feels a little bit more nourishing. Squeezing yourself, Saying, I'm here, I've got you. This is another one of those ways that we develop self-compassion. Sometimes it's about what we say to ourselves. Sometimes it's a little bit more somatic. It's about how we touch ourselves, How we move our bodies, The way that we're gentle with ourselves through our bodies can be a real confirmation to your nervous system that you're here, That you're here to support. So check it out, Did it feel better to do this? Or did it feel better to give yourself a nice bear hug? Or maybe some people really like to hold their face, So just try it. Give your face, Cup your face, Give your face a little hold. Take a breath here. Nice long exhale. What does it feel like to hold your face? Some people really like to hold their forehead. In the back of their head, It gives a little bit of a sense of security. So you can try that with the shoulders down and back, Holding the forehead, Holding the back of the head. Long exhale. Just notice which of these is actually resourcing for you. There's no one answer for every person. This is a curiosity and a getting to know your own nervous system. We're going to try two more. I want you to try doing little circles on your belly. Or holding your belly in one spot. Breathing into your hands. Gentle circles or. Giving a little bit of a firm hold to the belly. Just noticing what's coming up for you. These different spots, What feels the most relaxing for you, Listen to that. You're getting to know your body, Your nervous system. You're tuning in, You're attuning to your needs. And now the final one that can be relaxing for some people is to put some pressure into the tops of your thighs or to rub the tops of your thighs. Giving yourself a little bit of grounding. Notice how that feels. Again, You can close your eyes, You can keep them open. Sometimes I find if I'm really trying to connect with my body, It helps to close my eyes and notice what's going on. Limits distractions. Good. So noticing which one of those felt the most resourcing, Or perhaps you want to get a little creative and explore what would feel more resourcing for you. Maybe there's movement involved, Like a havening kind of movement, Or maybe there's a tapping like we've explored before. Pressure that feels good. So just explore what really works for you and once you've found one spot, Let's connect with that for the next minute or so. So again, Like I said, I gravitate towards this motion but choose the one that worked best for you and let's practice that for a minute or so. You can close your eyes or you can soften your gaze or you can have your eyes open with just a little sliver of light, Whatever feels best and let's explore that resourcing for the next minute. So from here, Taking a deep breath. Nice long exhale. Let your body know I'm here with you. I've got you. No matter what's happening in the mind, In the body. You are signaling to yourself that you are here. Right now, Right here, I am safe enough. Again, Maybe we embody safety, Shoulders back and down. Little smile on your face. Feel the comfort you are capable of giving yourself. This is always, Always accessible to you. No matter how much suffering you're in, You can always offer a little bit of extra comfort to yourself. Fantastic work. Now you can allow your arms and hands some rest. Again, Just reflect and notice how this exercise made you feel.