Welcome and thank you for joining this trauma-informed yoga class to tend to an overactive nervous system when you're experiencing hypervigilance.
There are no props required,
And if you're ready to begin,
I invite you to start in a comfortable seat of your choosing.
Taking your time to arrive into this class,
Into this moment.
And as you get comfortable,
I welcome a gentle reminder to move in your own pace and honor what feels right for you in each moment.
Knowing you can take breaks or end early.
Once you're settled,
You might choose to place your hands anywhere that feels most comfortable.
Or most grounding.
So maybe that's one hand on your heart,
The other on your belly.
Both on one of these areas.
In your lap.
On the ground.
Or anywhere else that's most speaking to you.
You might notice your connection that your hands are making with whatever you're touching.
Maybe taking a deep breath if breathwork feels comfortable.
And tuning into this class.
And as you settle in,
I offer a reminder that sometimes we might try and put a story or meaning behind our feelings.
In hypervigilance,
This is our nervous system stuck in a state of high alert.
Keeping us on guard and like we can't fully relax.
This isn't a fault,
But your body trying to protect you.
And allowing yourself to be present.
And hold these feelings as much as you feel comfortable,
Instead of trying to fix or refine the story behind them.
This is how we find relief.
Know that if anything becomes too much or feels like you're going further than what you would like,
You're welcome to come back to grounding at any time.
Which is what we'll explore next.
And so maybe you have your hands on your body or the floor.
Connecting with this space.
If touch isn't supportive,
You might also connect with an object in the room.
Maybe noticing its texture.
Color.
Shape.
Thighs,
Were we?
Wherever you are taking a few moments to be present with what is true in this moment.
Maybe connecting with your breath if that feels comfortable.
And taking breaks if that's what feels best.
We'll be here for just a few moments.
You might stay here or if you would like to continue knowing that you don't have to move on just because I am.
You can stay anywhere that feels most supportive.
But if you're comfortable with gentle touch.
You might explore a few body taps with me.
Maybe beginning with one or both hands,
Gently tapping your chest.
Bringing your awareness to your body in its current state.
This is supportive if you're finding that your mind is elsewhere.
Or even during flashbacks.
You could also bring your palms to the earth during this if that's more supportive.
Maybe you stay here or if you're joining me.
Knowing that you can skip any areas you're not comfortable with.
As we bring our hands to the top of our collarbones.
To the front of her neck.
To our cheeks.
Forehead top of our head.
Back of her head.
Back of our neck.
Your shoulders,
Maybe bringing opposite hand to opposite side.
Traveling down your upper arms.
Your lower arms.
Maybe you alternate hands.
Traveling back up your arms.
Returning to your chest.
Maybe you travel down your center.
Maybe you explore your belly or the sides of your waist.
Or your lower belly,
Anywhere that's speaking to you.
Moving to the tops of our thighs.
Her calves.
And V.
Option to skip if you prefer to stay cross-legged.
And then back up our calves.
To our thighs.
Midsection.
And returning to our chest.
Maybe you take a few more taps here,
Or maybe you place one hand on top of the other over your heart.
Maybe this is enough here.
Where you can say silently or aloud to yourself.
It is okay.
To feel what I'm feeling.
And I'm here.
For myself.
If you'd like to move on,
I welcome you to release your hands anywhere that feels comfortable for your shoulders.
Finding a gentle release in our neck and shoulders.
This is where hypervigilance can live.
Especially if you notice if you have hunched shoulders or neck pain.
So first starting with our neck,
Maybe you rock ear to shoulder.
Ear to shoulder.
Maybe you rock your neck back if that feels comfortable.
If not,
No worry.
Just moving within a range that feels supportive.
And if you like moving into a few shoulder rolls,
Maybe you guide your shoulders up to your ears.
Maybe with an inhale.
And as you exhale,
Releasing them down.
And finding a rhythm that works for you.
Seeing if you can find any softness,
Even just 1%.
If not,
That's okay too.
It's just where our bodies are today.
And if you were going one way,
You might switch directions.
Option to find any other type of movement.
Than what I'm showing today.
So you could alternate one shoulder and the other.
Or find something else entirely.
And coming back to center if you're ready.
Maybe you place your hands in your lap.
Anywhere else you like as we explore a few seated cat-cow movements.
So on your in-breath or as feels right for you,
Broadening in your chest.
Sending your heart space forward,
Maybe gazing up.
And on your out breath,
Or as you're ready,
Rounding through,
Drawing your chin to your chest.
Grounding in your upper middle.
And lower back.
An option to move between these two shapes.
Where you could find more fluid movements.
Maybe undulating your spine,
Creating a wave,
Leading with your heart space.
Just an additional option to explore.
If you're comfortable with breath work,
You might choose to slow your breathing.
Taking one breath in with one motion and exhaling with another.
Being kind to yourself.
Knowing this doesn't have to be a big movement.
And a few more moments here in your time and pace.
If you like coming back to center Maybe recentering.
Noticing how your body feels with the ground beneath you.
Moving into a gentle side stretch.
So bringing your left hand out as far as feels comfortable,
Right arm reaches up and overhead,
Gentle bend to the left.
Option to have your hand lifted or by your side.
Maybe you rotate your chest to the ceiling.
With a little bit of length in the back of your neck.
Finding any version of this side bend that feels most comfortable to you.
Gently switching sides when you're ready,
Maybe growing heavy in your sits bones.
Right arm comes down to the mat.
Left arm reaches up overhead.
Finding your comfort on this side.
And returning to center.
From here,
I welcome you to extend your legs out long.
Option to have soft bent knees or even placing a bolster under them for more support.
Neither staying here.
Or you might choose to round forward,
Allowing your arms to soften.
Either palms facing up.
Or if you prefer more grounding,
You might choose to press them flat to the mat.
Allowing yourself to grow heavy.
Maybe you soften in your jaw.
Shoulders.
Belly.
Allowing your body to rest.
Knowing you can fidget as much as you need.
Out of the pose at any time or find a different shape that you feel would be more supportive in this moment.
And we'll be here for a few more moments.
You can stay here as long as you like,
Or if you'd like to ease out,
I welcome you to gently walk your hands back up.
Coming to a C.
Joining me in a child's pose so you might cross at your ankles coming forward.
Bringing your knees as wide as you like.
Big toes to touch wherever they naturally land.
Sending your heart and chest forward either onto the mat or onto a bolster.
Option to also place a bolster between your feet and seat for more comfort.
And your arms can rest anywhere,
Allowing a few moments in this posture,
This grounding posture.
To soften.
If this pose isn't supportive,
You might instead choose to take the supine version of this.
Laying on your back and drawing your knees to your chest.
Whichever version is speaking to you and your body today.
And taking a few moments here.
Knowing there's nowhere to go,
Nothing to do.
No need to perform or perfect,
Just being.
However that feels best for you will look different from someone else and that's totally normal.
And we'll be here for a few more moments.
If you're ready to continue,
I welcome you to gently walk your palms back toward your body to come up.
And then maybe bringing your knees a little closer together as we come back down onto our belly.
Pressing our head and our hands.
Or maybe on the mat.
Option to include any props that would bring you more comfort.
Bringing a sense of grounding and stability to the front side of our bodies.
This is a regulating posture for your nervous system.
When our bellies are on the ground,
Our body receives a signal.
That were supported.
We don't need to be on guard.
And it naturally activates your parasympathetic nervous system.
Your rest and digest response.
And knowing that this may be true for some people,
But not all people.
Everyone is different.
So if there's something else you'd rather take,
You are more than welcome to.
Whichever pose you have chosen,
We'll be here for a few more moments.
Allowing yourselves to be.
Allowing anything to arise.
Coming into your comfort level.
I'm returning to grounding if that feels appropriate for this moment.
To ease out of this posture,
I welcome you to bring your hands under your shoulders.
Gently press back up to a tabletop position,
Maybe taking a quick cat-counter-stretch to support our back body.
Finding any movement that feels intuitive to you.
You might choose to join me as we make our way onto our back.
If you're not comfortable in a supine position,
You can also do this next pose seated.
Whether you're on your back or seated,
I welcome you to bring the soles of your feet together.
Knees resting open or maybe on top of blocks.
Tapping your heels as close or as far away from your body as you like.
You might choose to place your hands on your belly or extend them out by your side.
Anywhere that's calling to you.
And if you're laying down,
You might now notice how this grounding feels on your back body.
Opposed to your front body.
It's okay if nothing arises,
Just seeing if anything does.
Taking a few moments here.
Maybe you soften in your jaw.
Your shoulders.
Your belly.
And your legs.
Staying here as long as you like or maybe you gently guide your knees back up to center Whether you're seated or lying down,
You might choose to explore a few windshield wiper motions with your legs.
Dropping them side to side.
Moving in your rhythm and your pace.
You have the option to stay here or you might choose to join me in a comfortable seat of your choosing.
Just like how we started class.
You might place your hands anywhere that felt the most grounding to you.
Or reconnecting with the object in the room.
A few gentle moments of grounding here.
And when you're ready,
Returning back to center,
Coming back to the room and space around you.
Thank you for joining me for this gentle class to tend to your nervous system when you feel activated and hypervigilant.
Sometimes our practices bring a sense of calm.
Sometimes they allow us to deeper understand how we're feeling.
Both are perfectly normal to experience.
I honor you for arriving to your practice today.
Hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day and that we get to practice again soon.
From my vulnerable heart to yours.
Take care.
