Hello,
I'm Casey Sage.
Thanks for joining me for this short nervous system regulation practice.
You can turn to this practice as a resource whenever you're feeling activated or triggered to help you begin to tap into your body's innate capacity for self-regulation.
Your system is wildly intelligent and holds everything you need to heal and come home.
If at any point during this practice you feel too overwhelmed,
Or even if it just feels good,
Feel free to place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly,
Noticing the rise and fall with your breath,
Or call upon another resource that works well for you.
Allow whatever emotions that want to surface to do so during this practice,
Simply being present with what arises without judgment.
Find a position that feels comfortable to you,
In a space that feels safe,
And before closing your eyes,
Take a look around the space.
Bring your awareness into the present moment by noticing the objects,
Textures,
And colors around you.
Notice beneath you,
And notice above you.
Notice the intensity of the lighting,
And whether the air feels warm or cool on your skin.
Now that you're oriented,
Ask yourself,
Does this space feel safe to me?
Listen within for an honest answer,
And if it does,
I invite you to close your eyes.
Inhale slowly deep into your belly,
And briefly hold at the top if that's accessible to you.
Slowly release like you're exhaling through a straw,
And draw out the exhale as long as possible.
One more time,
Inhale slowly through the nose,
Expanding the belly fully with a brief hold at the top.
Exhale slowly through the mouth like you're blowing through a straw.
Return to your regular breath,
And notice any sensations present in your soma,
Your body.
If there's discomfort somewhere,
What does it feel like,
And where is it located?
You can whisper or silently describe it to yourself,
Allowing the sensation to simply be,
No judgment,
No resistance,
No wrong answers.
Now is there somewhere in your body that feels different from that space of discomfort?
It doesn't have to be good or bad,
Better or worse,
Just noticing a place that holds different sensations.
Allow both of these parts of you to exist.
There are no bad parts here.
All of you is welcome,
Even through the discomfort.
Place your palms against each other and push them together using as much pressure as feels comfortable.
Notice from the inside of your body what it feels like to feel your own force between your hands.
Notice the power here,
The momentum of energy that stems through from your core,
Into your arms,
And gives power to your hands to press against each other.
Notice the point where they meet,
Skin to skin.
What does that feel like?
Now gently release pressure and begin to rub your palms together in every direction,
Creating warmth and friction.
Notice what it feels like from the inside to experience them generate heat and to feel the energy you're creating between them.
As you continue generating energy and warmth in your hands,
Return your awareness to that space of discomfort within you,
Only to the degree that you feel capable.
When you're ready,
Squeeze your hands into tight fists.
Feel the energy you've created here magnifying and intensifying in your hands and sense what that feels like from the inside.
Now open them and place them gently on the location of your discomfort.
Feel their loving warmth and healing energy radiate into your body.
What does it feel like to extend loving touch to yourself in this way?
Take a few deep breaths here fully immersed in the sensations within your soma with full breath.
Move your right hand to your heart and your left hand to the crown of your head or the back of your neck and let this part of you receive this healing energy.
Take your fingers and gently massage the tragus,
The little piece of cartilage that extends from your face in front of your ear on both sides.
Take another internal inventory now,
Noticing any shifts or changes in how you feel now compared to when you started the practice.
Take a few more deep breaths,
Lingering in any part of this practice that feels good to you for as long as you'd like.
And when you're ready,
You can bring your awareness back to your solar plexus,
Inhabiting every inch of your body,
Noticing the feeling of safety in the room,
And gently open your eyes.
