I invite you to find any comfortable seated position for this session.
This is a wonderful practice to help you find balance in your nervous system.
I learned this tool from Prune Harris,
Energy expert and author of the book Your Radiant Soul.
It is one of my favorite ways to calm the vagus nerve,
Sedate the stress response and bring balance to your body.
This session also includes a breathing technique and mindful tips for embodied presence.
When we are in the present moment of the body and the breath,
We're not pulled into the past or into the future,
Which keeps us in the loop of stress and anxiety.
Let's begin.
I invite you to place both of your hands on your belly.
Close your eyes if that feels right and drop your attention into your belly space.
Just notice how you're doing below the surface.
You might ask yourself overall,
How do I feel?
Am I open or contracted?
And whatever you sense is just fine.
We're calling our attention home to our body.
Begin to sense the pulsing aliveness of your inner being.
Notice your breath moving in and out,
Perhaps the belly rising and falling with the breath.
Now exhale,
Draw navel to spine,
Releasing the stale air from your lungs.
Inhale into your belly,
Low ribs,
Chest.
Exhale,
Relaxing your attention back down to your belly.
Inhaling belly,
Low ribs,
Chest.
Exhale letting go and dropping back down into the belly space.
Good.
Continue at your own pace,
Following the breath with your attention.
On your next exhale,
Dropping your attention downward again,
Sensing your bottom and the chair,
Your feet against the earth.
Letting go of the breath and just fully landing in your body.
Release your hands as we move into our practice.
Take one hand and explore the indentation at the base of your neck.
Right in the front at the bottom of your neck,
You'll feel a little V shape.
Notice the indentation there and be gentle.
We're making a three-fingered notch with that hand,
Thumb,
Index and middle finger together rest in this little area at the base of the throat.
Absolutely no pressure here.
Be super gentle.
With the other hand,
Make that three-fingered notch with the thumb,
Index and middle finger.
Place it an inch or two and a half centimeters below your navel.
Softly point the fingertips into this area.
And this can be done on top of clothing.
Good.
Now soften.
Remember we're being very gentle.
Energy pours off of our fingertips.
So I love to call this practice jumper cables.
Relax and stay aware.
The magic happens as we lightly connect our fingertips to these areas.
Use a soft conscious breath here.
If your nails are too long,
Simply lay your hands flat on these two areas.
We will stay here for about two minutes.
You are holding neurovascular points for the triple warmer meridian or energy pathway,
Which is in charge of the body's fight,
Flight and freeze response.
Calming triple warmer sedates the nervous system.
Remember to keep that gentle,
No pressure hold.
If we put pressure on these points,
It could create stress in your body.
Continue with those super soft,
Relaxing breaths.
It doesn't take long before we notice the shifts.
Perhaps you take a deep breath or you feel more saliva in your mouth.
You might sigh or even yawn if you're very accustomed to doing vagus nerve practices.
If you've been stressed for a long period of time,
Don't worry if you don't notice anything right away.
The more we practice,
The easier it is for our body to respond.
Now release your hands and place them over these points,
So placing one hand on your navel and just below,
And one hand to cover the throat notch.
The hand covering the throat notch has the thumb on one side at the base of your throat and your fingers on the other.
If your body does not like to touch your throat,
And some of you will not like that,
Then just hover your hand over the skin.
Your body knows what you're trying to do with this practice.
Your body is always trying to help you find balance.
So we're just helping it with this healing hold.
Opening your breath,
Laying the hands flat on these points is a great practice to do as you're falling asleep at night.
Take time here just to relax and breathe.
Wonderful.
Now move your hands one on top of the other at your heart.
And just notice.
Notice any shifts in your body.
Enjoying the results,
You might ask yourself,
How grounded do I feel?
Do I sense more openness?
Am I breathing easier?
These are all keys that will help you know if this practice is right for you.
I hope you will sample more of my Vagus Nerve tracks.
From my heart to yours,
Deep peace,
My friends.
