Welcome,
I am Christina Marie,
A psychotherapist and coach offering trauma sensitive practices and meditation and psychotherapy.
To learn more about me and these practices,
Check out my website on the profile.
This trauma sensitive meditation is intended to empower and guide meditation with choice and what works for you.
I invite you to learn what is best for you and make it your own practice.
This particular meditation is a practice to ground and connect to the present moment through the senses.
This may be especially helpful when experiencing overwhelming emotions and thoughts or can be used as a general practice to come back to present moment awareness.
In this meditation,
I will guide you to notice all five senses.
Since this meditation is intended to soothe and regulate the nervous system,
If a sense is not helpful or uncomfortable,
You may leave it and come back to senses that are more useful.
It is okay if it is harder or easier to connect with different senses.
The number of senses I suggest to notice is only a suggestion.
You can do more or less of each sense.
Senses are always present.
They are portals to return back to the present moment.
When we are swept up in thoughts or overwhelming feelings,
The past or future,
Senses can ground us into moment to moment awareness.
Vision.
Wherever you are,
Take a moment to look around you.
Notice objects surrounding you.
Choose an object that is neutral or maybe even pleasing to look at.
Observe its color,
Shape,
And texture.
Describe the object you see to yourself,
Such as the teacup is brown with a smooth texture.
Get as descriptive and notice as much as you'd like.
Look around your space.
Name and describe five or more objects.
Hearing.
Tune into your sense of hearing.
Notice the sounds that surround you.
Perhaps tune into sounds that are far and then notice sounds that are close.
Notice the sound of my voice in this recording.
You may favor some sounds over others.
Allow time to just notice.
Then name to yourself four sounds that you hear right now.
Felt sense.
Notice your sense of touch or felt sense.
What do you feel in this moment?
You may bring awareness to the felt sense of your feet on the ground.
Notice a neutral point on the body.
Feet,
Back of neck,
Wrist,
Whatever is neutral on your body.
Perhaps it's just noticing the temperature of air on the skin or the temperature of air as you breathe into the nose.
Name to yourself three things you feel in this moment.
Smell.
Breathe into the nose to bring awareness to the sense of smell.
The smell of the air around you.
And if there is no smell,
You may also just notice the felt sense of the breath as you breathe into the nose.
Smells sometimes have powerful associations.
And if you notice an emotional association with the smell,
Just acknowledge it and return to the experience of the smell in this moment.
Can you describe the smells?
Name to yourself two things you smell in this moment.
Taste.
Bring attention to the mouth and the experience of taste.
If you do not have a sense of taste,
You can simply observe the felt sense of the mouth,
The tongue,
Teeth,
Roof of the mouth and lips.
You may also actively taste one thing,
A mint or something small.
Mindfully experience what it is like to taste in this moment.
All senses.
Notice what it is like to come into the present moment through the senses.
The senses are alive in the body and connect you with the present.
Do you notice a sense that is powerful and helpful for you?
You are welcome to return to your senses at any time you need to calm,
Soothe and regulate and just be alive in this present moment.
