Welcome to day one of the hormonal health challenge here on Insight Timer.
Hormonal changes can affect how you feel,
Think and get through the day.
Today we'll explore a simple strategy to help you feel more supported through those changes.
Let's jump in.
Hello and welcome to Day 1 of the Hormonal Health Challenge here on Insight Timer.
My name is Faith Hunter and I'm glad to be opening this 8 day experience.
Most of us have learned to manage our bodies rather than actually listen to them.
So an unexplained dip in energy gets pushed through,
A shift in mood gets talked away,
And an ache gets filed under probably nothing before anyone stops to ask what it might be about.
Hormones are quietly behind a lot of that.
Though what it looks like definitely varies from person to person.
Over the next few days,
This isn't about diagnosing any of it.
Or even replacing whatever care.
You already have.
It is about paying closer attention with a handful of mindfulness tools that can support you no matter what's actually driving the change.
Each day,
You will be guided through a short practice.
There's no plan,
No right or wrong.
Whatever brought you here,
A cycle,
A birth,
Menopause,
A hormonal treatment,
Or a body doing its best without a clear name yet for what it's going through.
There's room here for your experience over the next eight days.
Today we will start with the simplest thing.
Just a slow pass through the body,
Region by region,
The same way you would reread an old journal.
Some pages may feel.
And look familiar.
Some may be surprising.
And some you'd forgotten that you'd even written.
So go on and get comfortable.
Know that you can do this seated or resting on your back.
We're going to start with the soles of the feet.
So bring all of your awareness there.
And know that this realm of the body is about grounding.
It is your foundation,
The realm that holds you up.
The physical realm that carries you everywhere.
Notice if it's warm,
If it's tender if your legs feel strong or weak.
And all you have to do is be here and breathe.
As the breath continues to flow in and out of your body.
Shift your awareness a little bit higher Move into your legs,
Your knees.
And then see if you can soften the lower half.
And then C.
As you exhale.
If you can soften.
The lower area of your body.
Come into your hips Our hips carry history.
They carry every place we have stood and every place we couldn't.
We hold a significant amount of tension in this realm.
So if it feels heavy,
Be a witness to those sensations and maybe it feels a little more open.
And if so.
.
.
Drop in a little deeper.
The key here is to breathe in and out and allow your body to be and feel.
Now let's settle into the belly This is the part of the body that we ignore a lot.
And I want you to place both hands on your belly.
Feel the warmth.
Maybe there's a little tightness.
And then start to gently,
Gently massage your abdomen.
No heavy pressure.
Just a gentle massage.
And then pause.
And just feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.
Now let's move up into the chest and I actually want you to place your hands.
On your chest,
One palm on top of the other.
Feel your heartbeat,
Feel the rhythm of your soul,
And whatever is living in your chest today,
A little grief,
A little joy,
A little ease.
Whatever is showing up emotionally.
Feel it and know that you are whole.
Now bring your awareness to your fingers,
Your arms,
Your shoulders.
Maybe release the arms now alongside your body.
And as you exhale,
Surrender for a moment.
Then bring your attention to your throat.
This is the part that we use to speak and swallow.
And sometimes.
We get quiet when we feel uncomfortable.
We get quiet when we feel unsafe.
But today.
We're going to let go of that.
So I'm going to invite you to breathe in through your nose.
And as you exhale,
Let out a big sigh.
Hmmmm.
.
.
Two more times.
Inhale.
Excel Sci.
Uhhhhhhhhh.
One more.
Breathing in.
Exhale sigh.
Mmmmmmm.
As the tongue softens in your mouth.
Notice your jaw muscles.
See if you can release any tension there.
Notice if you're clenching.
Maybe stretch the mouth,
Stick out your tongue,
And then relax again.
Now bring your attention to your forehead.
Your eyes.
And even your eyelids Continue to breathe in and out and feel a sense of lightness float down from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
And say to yourself,
I soften and I let go.
I soften and I let go.
I soften and I let go.
Take another deep breath in.
Exhale release.
And I want you to notice what you found today.
Maybe something surprised you.
Maybe most of it felt exactly as familiar as you expected.
And that is actually its own kind of information.
Before you go.
I invite you to sit with a few questions.
What did you notice in your body today that you do not usually pay attention to?
Is there a part of you that has been asking for more attention longer than you realize?
And here's the final one.
When did you last actually stop to listen instead of pushing through?
Keep today's answers close.
We will go back to the body again before the end of this challenge.
And it will mean something to compare what you find then and now.
And what you experienced today.
At the beginning.
Thank you for showing up for yourself.
And I look forward to seeing you again.
