Find a place that feels safe enough for you for the next five minutes where you won't be interrupted,
Maybe where you can close the door or put on headphones.
Wherever you are,
Look around and see what tells you that you are safe right now.
Look to your left,
To your right,
Scan in the environment for what tells you that you are safe right here,
Right now.
Perhaps you see your door is closed.
Maybe you see outside,
Tree branches gently moving in the breeze.
Or maybe what helps you feel safe is hearing people going about their tasks.
Or maybe you're somewhere without any people,
And that's what feels safe.
What happens in your body as you notice this evidence of safety?
What sensations do you have knowing that right now,
Right here,
You are safe?
Maybe your belly relaxes,
Your shoulders drop,
Your breathing slows down,
Your hands open,
Or your jaw unclenches.
You might even notice urges to move your body into a more comfortable position.
Whatever is happening in your body,
Notice those sensations and allow those urges.
Now,
Your thoughts might go to the past or the future,
Just notice that.
That's your brain saying,
Don't forget how to defend yourself to stay safe.
Acknowledge that part.
Know that the defender will always be there when you need it.
Right now,
It's okay to invite your defender to take a break.
Gently become aware of your environment again and the cues that tell you that you are safe right now.
Return to noticing sensations in your body.
Where in your body do you feel the most safe?
Or perhaps the least unsafe?
Don't think about this too much.
Go with what you first notice.
Maybe you feel most safe or least unsafe in your pinky toe,
The tip of your nose,
Your earlobe.
Wherever it is,
Become aware of that place in your body that feels the most safe or the least unsafe.
You can do this with your eyes closed or open,
Whichever feels safer for you.
Maybe the safest place in your body has a sensation.
Maybe it just feels right,
Okay,
Or strong.
Maybe there's a color or an image in that part of your body.
Maybe even a temperature.
Whatever the sensation is,
Invite it to spread to other parts of your body,
Maybe even beyond the boundaries of your body.
There might be parts of your body that don't feel safe.
And that's okay.
You can notice those parts and then come back to the parts of your body that do feel safe.
You can also come back to the evidence in your environment that you're safe right now.
Let's allow the sensation of safety to deepen and spread.
One way to do this is to take some breaths,
With each exhale inviting you to extend and deepen the sensations of safety in your body.
If you choose to,
Totally up to you.
You can inhale and exhale,
Maybe making a wish for yourself.
May the feeling of safety increase.
Inhaling and exhaling.
May I feel even more safe.
You can take as much time as you would like.
You can deepen the sensation of safety as much as you would like.
You can take as many or as few breaths as you would like.
Press the pause button whenever you want.
When you feel ready,
If your eyes are closed,
Gently open them.
Maybe look around again at the cues in your environment that tell you that you are safe right now.
Take another moment to savor the felt sense of safety in your body.
Almost like you are storing the sensations in a bottle.
You can return to this bottled feeling at any moment,
Through the memory of what you experienced just now.
You can come back to this feeling of safety within your body whenever you would like.
