Welcome to your meditation.
I'm Julie Skon,
And today I'll be guiding you through a gentle somatic practice to help release any stress your body may be holding.
As you may know,
Stress doesn't only live in our minds,
In our thoughts.
It shows up in the body.
Sometimes this is tension in the shoulders.
We can feel heaviness in the chest.
Our jaws clench.
And our breathing rhythms under stress often shift.
In somatic practice,
Which we'll be doing together in meditation today,
We work to build an internal awareness.
And meet ourselves and our bodies with compassion.
And when we do.
Tension and stress begin to soften and melt away naturally.
So let's go into meditation together and release some stress.
As you get settled into your space,
Into comfort.
Begin by gently moving your body side to side.
Give your shoulders a gentle roll.
Notice whatever is beneath you is holding you,
Supporting you.
And if it feels right,
Gently shake out your hands and release any excess energy.
Now begin taking slow,
Steady breaths.
Inhale deeply.
And exhale even longer.
Taking longer exhales sends a calming signal to your nervous system.
Continue at your own pace.
Allowing yourself to settle into comfort even deeper.
And when you're ready,
Softly close your eyes.
Begin to bring your awareness inward.
Where do you feel stress in your body today?
It could be your shoulders,
Your chest.
Your abdomen.
Your forehead,
Your jaw.
There is no judgment here,
No fixing.
We're just exploring with curiosity.
Where do you feel stress in your body today?
And when you find it,
What does that stress feel like for you?
The tightness.
Numbness,
Tingling,
A pressure.
Whatever it is,
Can you describe what that stress feels like?
And now gently place your hands palm side up in your lap.
Notice their temperature.
And begin to imagine a steady warmth.
Gathering in your palms.
A warmth that feels supportive.
And caring.
And when you're ready,
Place your hands.
Over the part of your body that is holding stress.
If you aren't sure,
Which is completely okay,
Place your hands over your heart.
Feel the content.
Warmth.
Unwarmth.
Stay here for a couple of minutes.
Nice,
Sweet inhales.
Longer,
Slower exhales.
Do you notice any subtle changes?
A slight drop in the shoulders.
Take a deeper breath.
Maybe an inner softening.
If nothing changes,
That's okay.
Presence itself.
Tuning into your body,
Being aware of sensations.
And taking conscious breathing.
Supports nervous system regulation.
Let's take one final slow inhale together.
And a long steady exhale.
Gently open your eyes.
And start to widen your awareness.
Noticing the room around you.
Feel the support beneath you.
You just practice responding to stress with care.
Instead of resistant.
And that is a powerful ship.
Return to this practice anytime you feel tension building or sense your body holding more than it needs to.
Thank you for meditating with me today,
And I look forward to seeing you next time.
