This is a gentle guided somatic movement practice to help foster self-compassion and healing in mothers.
Begin by finding a comfortable space somewhere that you can settle into your body with your feet on the floor or legs crossed but be with a steady breath and just allow your shoulders to relax as you take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
First we're going to start with centering with a gentle sway.
As you next take your breath just start to gently sway from side to side.
Keep this movement small but comfortable just noticing allowing your brain to notice the any areas of tension perhaps that might be there in your shoulders or neck or back.
And with each exhale allow yourself to release any tightness just sinking further into the sway into that space where your body is held in the chair or the floor.
And as you sway and move either out loud or silently in your mind repeat I am here,
I am safe,
I am worthy of kindness.
Just feeling this gentle rhythm allowing each sway to be an anchor to your self compassion.
I am here,
I am safe,
I am worthy of kindness.
You can pause here to repeat and when you're ready move with us to the next exercise.
The swaying may feel really nice to continue and to keep that gentle rhythm.
As you do so with your breath you might like to now cross your arms over your chest resting each hand on the opposite shoulder just softly.
Gently begin alternating tapping your shoulders with the left hand and then the right.
And you can let this rhythm combine with the swaying or just have this rhythm of your hands be what calms you as each tap brings warmth and a sense of presence.
Then as you move with this alternating tap or tap with the sway either say silently in your mind or out loud I am here for myself,
I am allowed to feel what I feel.
Feel the support in this gentle rhythm,
Feel that soothing from your own kindness.
Continuing to tap left then right letting this rhythm calm you either in your mind or out loud you can say I am here for myself,
I am allowed to feel what I feel.
And you can continue and pause here and feel this gentle rhythm letting it remind you of your own kindness or you can allow the swaying to come to a gentle stop and let your hands rest by your sides.
You might like to stand up or you can stay seated here but as your arms are gently outstretched beside the body you can begin to make small slow circles with your chest.
Just move as your body feels comfortable feeling that gentle release of tension with each circle.
It doesn't need to be a perfect circle you can also just move your chest in a way that the body feels like it needs to move.
And either out loud or in your mind as you're swaying and moving and being guided by how your chest wants to move with your breath say I can let go of what I no longer need.
I am safe to soften.
You can feel that openness as you move allowing your body to lead you where it wants to move,
Allowing it to show you how it can position itself with the breath to take up space.
So letting the body feel and move at whatever pace,
Whatever rhythm feels nice.
Maybe the movements are a little more faster and rhythmic,
Maybe they're really slow and steady but as you move repeat after me the silently or out loud I can let go of what I no longer need.
I am safe to soften,
Allowing your body to show you the way that it needs to move,
That it needs to feel to soften.
Again you can pause here and keep going with this particular exercise or you can continue and now if you're standing or seated just bring awareness to your feet.
If you're seated just bend your knees and let your feet be flat pressing them firmly into the ground.
If you're standing maybe circulating around the weight between your toes and your heels and in either position you're just feeling that connection to the earth.
Gently pressing and bending your knees or pressing your feet down if you're seated and just oscillating the pressure through the feet bringing the body into awareness of that connection and allow your mind to breathe down into your feet and imagine that you've got these roots that are growing down through the feet into the ground beneath you and either in your mind or silently or out loud you can say to yourself I am grounded and supported and it's okay to feel this support.
I am grounded and supported.
It's okay to feel this support.
So as you're feeling this connection to the ground this is giving you that sense of your own strength and your own resilience.
You can be standing still feeling that sturdiness in your legs or you might still be bringing some of the swaying and the movement from the previous exercises to help you connect with that groundedness in your feet.
Just invite your body to guide you with whatever feels good.
Being here with your breath as you breathe in and out.
Next when you inhale deeply can you gently open your arms up and outward lifting your chest slightly.
It's almost as though you're letting your heart space feel open and expansive receiving compassion.
As you exhale let your arms just float down beside the body and then when you inhale you can sweep your arms maybe crisscrossing them up in front of your chest up and over and gently opening your arms outward lifting your chest slightly and letting your heart space feel open your shoulders drawing back.
You can silently affirm in your mind or out loud if you want to I am worthy of love and compassion.
And as you bring your arms up and outward holding your chest open you might like to hold this openness for a few breaths I am worthy of love and compassion.
Placing one hand now over your heart and the other on your belly just breathing in breathing out and feeling the rise and fall of your body.
Maybe you've moved from that starting seated position now to standing maybe you're still seated on the floor but there's this sense of compassion this sense of openness that may have settled into your body.
And to close repeat after me either silently or in your head I am here.
I am whole and I am enough.
When you're ready if your eyes are closed gently open them carrying this warmth and compassion with you into your caregiving or your next activity.
