Dear friend,
Welcome to this guided somatic tracking.
We will weave in some soothing gathers of Thich Nhat Hanh to give your body and being a deep feeling of safety and calm.
Stage one grounding.
Find a comfortable position where your body feels well supported.
You might sit upright with a soft spine,
Semi-recline or lie down comfortably.
Let your arms rest naturally at your sides.
Gently soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose filling up your lungs and let it out with a long soft letting go sigh.
You might do this a few times.
Now feel the weight of your body pressing down into the surface beneath you.
Notice any points of pressure between your body and the surface and intentionally receive support from the surface which is holding your body up without you needing to do any work at all.
Recognize you do not need to fix anything right now.
You do not need to solve any problem.
Give yourself permission to simply be here and rest however you are feeling.
Meet yourself here exactly as you are and simply acknowledge your own presence in the room.
If it feels natural to you,
Allow a gentle half smile to form on your lips.
Soften the muscles around your eyes releasing any tiny tensions you might be holding there.
Allow a feeling of gentle safety to expand through your face.
Let your jaw soften,
Relax your tongue and let your shoulders drop completely.
If you don't feel like smiling today,
Just let your face and eyes be peaceful like the face of a buddha.
No effort required.
Stage two.
Establishing awareness.
Now bring your awareness into your physical body and your natural breathing pattern.
Become aware of the presence of your breath as it moves like a tide in and out of your body.
Notice what sensations are created by this in and out.
Perhaps you can feel a slight rise in your stomach.
Perhaps you can feel at your nostrils where the breath is entering your body.
As you watch the natural flow of your breath,
Let its rhythm begin to settle into a steady pattern.
Let us steady the mind further by bringing attention into the middle of your head,
Where you can locate your observing self.
Continue to breathe and watch your breath from this place of observation and witness.
Now watch yourself matching the following words to the flow of your breath.
Breathing in.
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out.
I know I am breathing out.
You might like to say a shortened version of these words in your own timing,
Internally or out loud.
In.
Breathing in.
Out.
Breathing out.
And now,
Breathing in,
My breath grows deep.
Breathing out,
My breath grows slow.
In,
Deep.
Out,
Slow.
In your own time and with the rhythm of your breath.
Stage three,
Objective somatic tracking.
With your nervous system settling,
Gently bring your awareness to any area of discomfort or intensity in your body.
We feel our emotions as physical sensations,
Including worry and stress.
You might notice sensations in your chest,
A flutter in your stomach or a clenching in your jaw or shoulders.
See if you can look closely at this sensation with neutral,
Objective curiosity.
Just choose one to begin with.
Zoom in on it with an attitude of quiet,
Open curiosity.
You're not trying to make it go away and you're not trying to fix it.
Just observe it from your observing self.
How would you describe this feeling to yourself?
Is it a feeling of tightness,
Pressure,
Tingling or warmth?
Does it have distinct,
Sharp borders or does it fade softly into the surrounding tissue?
Is it perfectly still or is there a subtle,
Pulsing,
Moving or shifting quality to it?
With a quiet interest.
Stage four,
Safety reappraisal and softening.
As you observe this physical sensation,
Remind your brain that you are completely safe.
This feeling is just an emotional echo.
It is a wave of adrenaline and nervous system energy.
Tell your nervous system softly,
This feeling is uncomfortable but it is entirely safe.
My body is strong.
I am safe.
I am solid.
Saying the words out loud can be very helpful.
Just choose whatever of the phrases or any others you like the best and say them aloud to yourself.
Feel them resonate deeply in your body and heart center.
Now let's return to the gathas to invite a deep sense of calm and release directly into the tension.
As before,
Match the following words gently to the flow of your breath.
If you prefer not to synchronize them with your breathing,
Just say the words and again see if you can feel them vibrating in your body.
Breathing in,
I calm my body and mind.
Breathing out,
I feel at ease.
Breathing in,
I smile to my life.
Breathing out,
I release all tension.
In,
Calm my body and mind.
Out,
Ease.
Breathing in,
I smile to my life.
Breathing out,
I release all tension.
Breathing in,
I smile to my life.
Breathing out,
I release all tension.
Stage five,
Cultivating stability.
Breathing in,
I see myself as a mountain.
Breathing out,
I feel solid.
Maintain your subtle smile or sense of peace as a sign of your internal stability.
Like a mountain,
You can stand solid,
Rooted and unbothered by the passing weather of physical sensations.
Stage six,
Expansion and freedom.
Keep watching any remaining sensations with a light,
Easy attitude.
Let your boundaries soften,
Recognizing that you are so much larger than this passing feeling.
Breathing in,
I see myself as space.
Breathing out,
I feel free.
In,
Space.
Out,
Free.
Take one more deep,
Grounding breath in and let it all the way out.
Gently begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes and bring movement back to your physical body.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and continue with your day.
