Welcome to this practice for nervous system regulation.
Today our goal is to calm the nervous system and cultivate a more parasympathetic state through a few different practices.
And a reminder that everything in this practice is purely an invitation and completely optional.
And as we begin,
I invite you to find yourself in a comfortable position.
Any position is fine.
Seated,
Laying down,
Anything that works that helps you feel supported and relaxed.
And as you find your way into that comfortable place,
An invitation to just fidget or wiggle about until you find a comfortable place to land.
And we're going to open this practice with a very brief body scan.
An invitation to notice any discomfort or tension in the body or muscles.
There is no order to complete this task and just notice where your body and your attention gravitates to.
There's no need to do anything about it just yet.
Observing in this moment perhaps what you feel,
Even maybe giving it a name.
If it feels comfortable,
I invite you to take in a deep breath and direct this life force towards the area you've zoned in on.
And slowly releasing your exhale.
Repeating this breath two or three more times at your own pace.
And as you close that exhale,
I invite you to perhaps call in just 10% more softness to this area.
Can you relax just 10% more?
Even perhaps directing this relaxation to your entire body,
Just a touch more relaxation.
Trusting the ground that is supporting you.
And as we allow our bodies to relax,
I invite you to call in the vision of your favorite place in nature.
Noticing where you are.
Drawing up as vivid of an image of this place as you can.
Noticing the temperature of the air you're occupying.
The colors of the environment.
The smell of the earth.
Breathing it in.
And now opening up a blanket and laying it on the earth.
You sit yourself down and remove your shoes.
Placing your bare feet on the earth beside the blanket.
Observing perhaps the texture of the earth upon which your feet have landed.
Cultivating a deep connection with the ground upon which you are anchored.
And as we sit here with our feet connected to the earth,
We are going to collectively take three deep inhales and three long and deliberate exhales as if you were blowing on a hot cup of tea.
And I invite you to do this breathing at your own pace.
And once you've completed these three deep breaths,
We're going to take a moment to resume normal breathing.
Coming back to the normal breath.
And in a moment,
We're going to repeat these three breaths.
However,
This time you are invited to add a humming noise to each exhale,
Like you're humming your favorite tune.
This humming sound stimulates our vagus nerve,
An essential part of calming our nervous system.
So again,
When you're ready,
Three breaths this way at your own pace,
Breathing in.
And humming out.
And when that feels complete,
The option to resume normal breathing.
And as you come back to your normal breath,
An invitation if you feel comfortable doing so to very gently touch your ears with your fingertips running ever so gently along the inner part of your ear.
This rubbing gently stimulates our vagus nerve and again contributes to a state of inner calm.
When that feels complete for you,
An invitation to place your hands over your heart.
Noticing the incredible miracle that is your heartbeat.
Being present with this life force for just a moment here.
Perhaps even inviting in a moment of gratitude for this beating heart.
For this moment.
Gratitude for yourself for having given yourself the gift of this time.
And as we begin to draw this practice to a close,
An invitation if it feels safe to welcome in a small amount of stretch or movement in the neck.
Allowing yourself to move intuitively,
Trusting your body and letting it guide you towards which movements it needs.
Stretching the neck creates some gentle vagus nerve stimulation as well.
And once this stretch feels complete,
Slowly bringing your awareness back into the room you are in and allowing yourself to return to the present moment.
Thanking yourself for this practice.
Thank you and enjoy your day.
