Welcome to Day 11 of the Nervous System Reset here on InsideTimer,
Where you'll learn how your nervous system responds to stress and how to calm it when life starts to spiral.
Let's jump into today's session.
Hello and welcome to this new day of the challenge.
I am Kelly Smith and I am so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to lead you through today's practice.
Today we will be exploring rhythmic movement as a tool to soothe and settle your nervous system.
We'll be doing a little bit of gentle rocking,
Swaying,
Some small repetitive motion,
Just as a way to really support your nervous system through rhythm rather than stillness.
For many of us,
Stillness can feel challenging when the body is activated,
Restless,
Or overwhelmed.
Rhythm offers a different way in.
Moving in this way helps to create a sense of safety,
Of steadiness,
Without needing to quiet the mind or force any relaxation.
And today we'll let the body lead,
Knowing that there's no right way to do this practice.
You're just welcome to move as much or as little as feels good to you.
So let's begin.
Find a position that feels comfortable.
You might be seated,
Standing,
Or possibly even lying down.
Allow your body to feel supported by the surface beneath you,
And if it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through the nose,
And an easy breath out of your mouth.
Doing that again,
And one last time.
Now,
We'll begin to introduce this very gentle movement.
You might start by slowly rocking side to side,
Or swaying forward and back,
Or perhaps making small circular movements with your torso.
And just let this movement be subtle,
Almost effortless,
And see if you can find a rhythm that really feels natural,
One that your body wants to return to again and again.
And as you continue moving,
Notice the sensation of rhythm,
The predictability,
The repetition,
The sense of flow.
And if it feels helpful,
You can imagine your movement almost like a slow wave,
Rolling in,
Rolling out,
Rolling in,
Rolling out,
Or like you're being gently rocked,
Supported and steady,
Forward and back,
Forward and back.
And as you move,
Know that if your mind wanders,
That's completely okay,
But each time that you notice,
Just simply return to the movement.
Let this rhythm be your anchor in this present moment.
Now bring your awareness into your body.
Notice how your muscles respond to this gentle motion.
Notice if anything begins to soften or respond,
Even slightly.
You might feel warmth,
Or a sense of ease,
Or maybe you just feel neutral as you move.
There is no one experience that you need to have.
Rhythm works quietly.
If at any point you want to change the movement,
Make it faster,
Slower,
Bigger or smaller,
Trust that instinct.
Your nervous system knows what it needs,
And if it feels comfortable,
Allow your breath to sync with the movement.
Inhale as you sway one direction,
And exhale as you sway the other,
Allowing breath and movement to meet.
Allowing this combination of rhythm and breath to create a sense of steadiness in your body.
For the next few moments,
Just continue moving in this way,
Intuitively being in the rhythm,
Allowing your nervous system to find its own balance.
When you are ready,
Begin to slow the movement down,
Let the motion get smaller and slower until it naturally comes to a pause,
And just notice what remains,
Perhaps a sense of grounding,
Or calm,
Or just awareness.
We will end our practice by taking a big deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Gently reawakening and ending your practice.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
