Welcome.
Begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
This is a gentle vagus nerve practice to release tension in the neck and shoulders.
Close your eyes as you let the surface beneath you support you.
And just observe how you're doing without judgment.
Now let's exhale together,
Drawing belly toward your spine.
Inhale deeply into your lower belly,
Opening your lips slightly and exhaling slowly.
Take another breath,
Inhaling into your belly.
And opening your mouth slightly,
Exhaling slowly.
Breathing in peace.
Breathing out tension.
Just welcoming that peace into the body.
And inviting that release on the exhale.
Keep breathing slowly and deeply,
But bring your attention to the base of your skull.
Where the head meets your neck.
This area is where the vagus nerve travels from the brain stem into the neck and torso and often holds so much tension and stress.
Keep your focus here and invite this area along the skull to soften.
Focusing on the exhalation.
Now open your eyes and take your fingers of both hands to the back of the neck.
Starting at the base of the neck,
Sweep the fingers upwards in a massage-like manner to the base of the skull and even into the hairline.
Simply inviting the body to feel safe.
And do this a few times where you take the fingers to the base of the neck and sweep upward.
Invite the shoulders to let go.
And remember to exhale through that slightly opened mouth,
Releasing tension.
Now move the hands to the sides of the neck and again stroke upwards.
And then move the hands to the back of the ears,
Stroking up behind the ears.
Bringing the hands in front of the ears,
Take your fingers and stroke upwards in front of the ears.
Jaw tension is often associated to neck and shoulder tension.
Bring your fingers to your cheeks,
Allowing the bottom jaw to drop open.
And then stroke upward from the cheeks into the temples.
Be gentle here.
These areas might be very tender.
Now release your hands.
Next we'll move into our shoulder practice.
So take your right hand and bring it across your left shoulder into the trapezius muscle and begin to take the tops of your fingers and push into the muscle like your fingers are playing piano.
Just pushing into the muscle,
Moving around,
Investigating,
Does it feel like pudding or does it feel like stone?
Most of us are somewhere in between.
Nice now squeeze and release the muscle so squeeze with your right hand on that left shoulder just like you're squeezing with a sponge and release it do that two more times where you're squeezing the muscle and then just letting it go and last one squeeze and release releasing that right hand and just circle that left shoulder up back and down.
Switching sides left hand across right shoulder begin to palpate the muscle with your fingertips like you're playing piano.
And notice whether this shoulder is bent.
The tighter shoulder or looser.
Good,
Keep breathing,
Making sure you're completing that exhalation.
Nice,
Now rest the hand going into the squeeze and release.
Squeeze the muscle.
And release.
Last one.
Squeeze and release.
Letting go of the left arm,
Circling the right shoulder.
Now for our last practice,
We will go back to stimulating the base of the skull.
Sit up straight with your back away from the chair.
Head in neutral.
And look up slightly toward the ceiling.
With the chin lifted,
Turn the head to the right just slightly.
And then shift.
Left ear toward left shoulder.
It doesn't go very far,
But just hold here.
Noting what's happening at the base of the skull.
It's like a tension release.
Good come back through center.
Adjusting that head to center.
And then look up.
With the chin lifted,
Turn the head to the left.
And slowly drop right ear toward right shoulder.
Lifting back through center.
We'll do that one more time.
Looking up with the head just slightly.
Rotating that lifted chin to the right and dropping left ear toward left shoulder.
Pausing here for about five or six seconds.
Good.
Come back to center with the head.
Last side.
Look up.
With chin lifted,
Turn the head to the left and then right ear toward right shoulder.
Pausing.
.
.
Continuing to breathe.
And then coming back through center.
I invite you to sit back in your chair and give in to the support below you.
Allow your hands to relax in your lap.
Close your eyes and focus on that long slow exhalation and a deep belly breath on your inhale.
On that exhale through the slightly opened mouth,
Let your body know that it's safe and it's okay to let go.
Soften your face.
And your jaw.
Return your attention to the base of your skull.
Imagining a warm waterfall cascading over the back of your head down the neck and completely freeing your shoulders.
With each exhale,
Your nervous system shifting deeper into rest.
Into peace.
And surrender.
And just pausing here for a few more quiet breaths.
Begin to notice any changes from the beginning of your practice,
Perhaps setting an intention to take this feeling of calm into your day.
What we focus on grows,
So shift your focus from problems to possibilities.
Wishing you deep peace,
My friends.
