Hi everyone.
Take time to get comfortable in a seated position.
It's best not to use headphones with this practice.
Close your eyes and let's check in.
Notice how you're doing physically and emotionally.
We will start with the releasing breath that stimulates the vagus nerve.
Exhale with me and draw belly to spine.
And as you inhale,
Lift your shoulders up by your ears and pause.
Open your mouth wide and sigh as you release your shoulders.
Inhale deeply as you lift your shoulders.
Pause.
Exhale with your sigh.
Pause.
Inhale deeply.
Lift the shoulders.
Exhale.
Sigh.
Continue to breathe deeply as I explain our practice.
In this sequence,
We're referencing the work of Dr.
Aurel Swartz and her book Therapeutic Yoga,
Which gives practices to stimulate the vagus nerve.
We will be working around the eyes and face because the vagus nerve connects with muscles and other cranial nerves around the eyes,
Face,
Ears,
Heart,
And lungs.
Begin to rub the palms of the hands together until you feel warmth between your hands.
Shake them off and place your hands over your eyes with the base of the hands at the wrists resting below the eyes and the fingers resting into the hairline.
Relax and breathe.
No pressure on the eyes,
Just a gentle cradling.
Some of you may wish to lean your elbows onto a table,
Perhaps noticing the calming effect of this practice.
Now smooth the fingers down from the hairline into the forehead and find the very top of the bridge of the nose with your fingers.
Take a couple of fingers there and begin to circle so your fingers are right below the inner edge of the eyebrow at the bridge of the nose,
Gently circling here.
It may be a tender point.
This is a pressure point that helps the nervous system be able to let go.
So just be gentle.
Now take the fingers and rub them through the eyebrows with firm pressure until you get to the temples and gently circle the middle of the temples.
Keep breathing.
Now pick the fingers back up and place the hands back in our starting position at the top of the bridge of the nose.
Gentle circles here and this time we're going to slide the fingers about halfway down the sides of the nose.
Move outward here until the fingers reach that bony ridge right below the eyes.
Begin to circle the fingers here.
This is another pressure point that helps the body ground and feel safe.
Keep breathing.
Perhaps you're noticing that you have more saliva in your mouth.
This up to the temples,
Circling at the temples again.
Now sweep the fingers back toward the hairline and drag the fingers down in front of the ears to the jawline along the sides of the neck and bring both hands to rest at your chest.
Drop the top hand down to your belly.
Taking a couple of deep breaths into your belly and let's check in again and notice how your body is doing physically,
Emotionally,
Perhaps you're even breathing more deeply.
I'm so delighted you took time for yourself.
Wishing you deep peace,
My friends.
