Welcome to this somatic practice for building your container of safety.
We call this the safety cocoon.
In today's practice,
We're going to wrap enough regulation around the sensations so that you experience them in a safe container that brings about more nervous system regulation and over time this can lessen or completely stop your neuroplastic sensations.
Before we start,
I would like to invite you to subscribe so that you get early access to my brand new practices.
So to begin,
Get as comfortable as you can in whatever position feels most supportive for you.
This could be seated or laying down.
Feel into the back of your body and notice how the support feels beneath you.
Close your eyes or if that feels uncomfortable which it might,
Take a soft gaze and allow your attention to begin to focus inwards.
Take a moment to notice your face and any areas of expression you're holding in your face.
This could be in the eyebrows or the mouth.
Consciously relax down the face,
Removing any expression.
Notice your tongue position and relax it down now,
Allowing your jaw to slightly part.
Expand your awareness out from your face and into the rest of your body and take a few moments to settle your awareness here,
Simply noticing the quality of sensation in your body.
Allow your body to give you a guided tour of the sensations that you're experiencing.
You don't need to make any particular effort here,
Simply watch as your body reveals sensations to you.
Identify these sensations with descriptive words.
You may feel a tightening in one area,
Spaciousness in another or restlessness in another.
Without changing anything,
Simply label the words and allow your sensations to just be.
And know that you do not need to be free of uncomfortable situations for this practice to be beneficial,
So whatever you're experiencing in your body is okay.
Your body is communicating with you via these sensations that you're labelling.
If it's sending chronic sensations such as pain,
That is a request to your brain to send messages of safety to your body and by observing these sensations you are showing your body that you are here,
You are listening and all is well.
So take a moment in your own words to remind your body that all is well.
Just doing this in your mind,
Using whatever words feel comforting and soothing.
With no expectations of the sensations changing in any way,
Simply allow them to be there and remind them that all is well.
Bring into your frame of consciousness the sense of something deeply comforting.
Allow your intuition to guide you here.
You may visualise something like a soft blanket cocooning your body,
A warm light infusing your skin with comfort,
Allowing you to rest back and relax.
Whatever it is,
Allow it to feel deeply comforting and cosy,
With a very neutral emotional charge.
Allow your intuition to guide you here.
Imagine that your skin is experiencing the comfort of whatever it is you've chosen to cocoon your body.
Bring into your frame of consciousness the sense of your skin really experiencing the comforting sense of whatever it is you've chosen.
Allow yourself to be cocooned by this sense of deep comfort.
Notice how your body feels,
Where can you feel this sense of peace and comforting in your body?
It may be in your limbs,
Your torso,
Could be something really subtle like your throat feels more open.
Just noticing how your body feels and where this experience is felt in your body the most.
If you feel no change,
That is okay too.
It can take a while to get accustomed to practicing comfort,
So go easy on yourself,
This is normal.
With your attention still on the deep comfort cocooning your whole body,
Imagine you're looking at whatever you've chosen to cocoon you.
With your eyes still closed or in a soft gaze,
Simply imagining what does this thing look like?
What is the texture?
It may have a brightness that feels soothing and calming to your nervous system.
Just imagining what this looks like.
And in your mind's eye,
Simply notice how it is to be looking at this texture that is comforting you in this moment.
Now allow your mind to bring a comforting scent into your experience,
Just imagining.
Allow your consciousness to experience this scent as if it were here,
Now.
This could be something simple such as fresh lavender,
Rose or even the scent of your favourite treats baking in the oven.
Whatever it is that feels comforting to you,
With a neutral emotional charge,
Allow this scent to infuse with the experience of being cocooned in comfort.
This experience that you have created for yourself here is your cocoon of safety.
This resource is available to you whenever you wish.
By creating the experience here,
You've developed new connections in your brain that will allow you to call upon your cocoon whenever you're feeling unwanted sensations or emotions.
The intention of this cocoon is to embrace and comfort the sensations or emotions that you're experiencing,
Just allowing them to be exactly how they are,
But knowing that they're being held and comforted.
Rest your awareness now on your heart centre,
The energy channel in the middle of your chest,
And rest back here for a moment.
Bask in the safety and comfort that you have created for yourself for just a moment more.
While you rest here,
I would like to read a short poem that may resonate with you in this moment.
Like the sky holds space for clouds,
Your experience of safety holds space for your emotions now.
Safety can be experienced in the darkness of nights,
Because your safety cocoon can find you without any lights.
Rest here for a moment more,
Allowing your mind to integrate this practice all on its own.
And whenever you're ready,
Begin to notice the space around you in your mind's eye,
With your eyes still closed or soft.
Trace the space around you in your imagination.
Allow your awareness to tune in to the sounds around you or my voice.
And whenever you're ready,
Take a moment to open your eyes and adjust to being awake and present.
And whilst you're adjusting here,
I'd like to share with you that I have created another practice that pairs perfectly with this one.
It is centred around bringing your cocoon of safety into your awareness whilst you're experiencing sensations and emotions,
And practising how the cocoon of safety can be a supportive sanctuary during times of high pain,
Sensations or difficult emotions.
This practice is supportive in processing your pain or emotions or sensations and just allowing them to move through,
Rather than getting backlogged in your body,
Unprocessed.
And whenever you're ready,
Feel free to adjust back into your waking life.
Thank you so much for sharing this space with me today,
And I hope that you practice with me again soon.
