Welcome to this somatic tracking practice for anxiety.
Anxiety isn't just in the mind,
We feel it in the body too.
It can range from a subtle unease to a really overwhelming wave of fear.
In this session we'll take a gentle brave step towards observing these sensations of anxiety with a sense of curiosity and openness.
With practice we can begin to loosen anxiety's grip,
Shifting from a state of chronic fear to one of greater calm and steadiness.
Settle into a comfortable position and you can close your eyes or just relax your gaze down.
We'll start with a brief scan of the body just to find a sensation that's neutral or somewhat pleasant.
Anxiety can sometimes take us away from our bodies so we're going to explore a few anchor points you can kind of pull yourself back to.
So firstly see if you can feel the ground beneath you providing support,
It's firm and steady.
Next take a few conscious,
Slow,
Calming breaths in and out,
Just noticing the rhythm and the sensations of your breathing.
And know that if things ever get a bit intense as we perform this somatic tracking,
Or at any point really,
You can always back off and return to these anchor points,
So the comforting rhythm of your breath or the feeling of support from the ground.
But also at the same time don't push through the exercise if it feels too intense.
We're aiming to have a corrective experience which is more likely to happen when our symptoms are mild to moderate.
So remember that you can back off at any time,
There's no shame in that.
Gently turn your attention now to any sensations of anxiety or worry in your body.
It could be a tightness across the chest,
Fluttering unease in the stomach,
It could be a racing pulse,
A restlessness in the limbs,
Even a ringing in the ears or a buzzing in the head.
Whatever feels most prominent to you,
See if you can lightly focus your attention on that sensation without judging it,
Without labelling it as bad or good.
Just lightly observing it with a sense of curiosity and ease.
We can also try and kind of get a sense of scale.
So is the feeling in one particular area or is it throughout the whole body?
Notice your reaction as you turn your attention towards these sensations.
You might feel further sensations of fear coming up perhaps.
Sometimes there can be another layer of fear on top of the anxiety,
A fear of fear in a way.
We're trying our best to acknowledge that fear but not be completely consumed by it.
So notice it as just another thought,
Another sensation.
And this isn't always an easy task but we're trying our best not to add judgment or a story on top of the sensations.
I know firsthand how debilitating it can feel to have those sensations of anxiety.
Like there's electricity flowing through every cell of your body or a whole swarm of butterflies flying around in your stomach.
One thing that has helped me is reframing some of those sensations so they're a little less scary.
So instead of that electricity buzzing I maybe joke about how my spidey senses are tingling or the army of butterflies are lining up heading out to practice.
We don't have to enjoy the sensations at all but reframing with a sense of lightness can sometimes go a long way towards teaching the nervous system that we're safe.
Back to our tracking now.
Is the sensation static today or is it moving around the body?
Can you lightly follow it if it does move?
Does it have a color associated with it or even a form?
Some people might like to imagine the sensation of anxiety as a sort of avatar,
Maybe a younger version of themselves or another entity that's scared and could do with some comforting.
If an image does come up what would you say to that being,
That version of you or that entity?
Would you perhaps inquire about what they needed to feel safe?
What would they say back to you?
It might be nothing today but that's okay too.
And remember if things start to feel overwhelming you can always gently return your focus to the breath or to the ground beneath you.
So that's always there for you to remind you that you're safe.
Whatever's going on today,
However intense the sensation or the mental chatter,
You're still safe in this moment.
Those sensations are just signals from the nervous system.
They're not inherently dangerous.
And those racing thoughts are just thoughts,
Stories.
They can't hurt you.
Your mind is just doing what it thinks is best to keep you safe.
It races because that's the pattern it's always turned to,
To help you figure things out.
But just like we can practice sitting with uncomfortable sensations,
We can practice observing the mental chatter.
Watching the thinker without identifying with those thoughts.
They're just cars passing by on the road or clouds drifting through the sky.
You don't have to have all the answers figured out before you can start to relax.
You don't have to stop the traffic or clear the skies of clouds before you can start to feel safe and secure.
I'll leave you with some quiet just to go back to lightly observing those sensations or thoughts with that lens of safety and curiosity.
As we observe sensations and thoughts from this place of neutrality,
Sometimes emotions might start to bubble up to the surface.
Underneath that anxiety might be fear or rage,
Guilt or sadness.
If anything does start to rise,
Allow yourself to feel it from the place of safety.
Emotions aren't dangerous.
Let them flow through,
Observing them with that same curiosity.
Has anything changed since you started observing the sensations and feelings in your body today?
Is anything lessened or intensified,
Remembering that either is okay?
Just noticing those sensations or feelings for a few more moments now in quiet.
You can let go of that focus.
Start to bring yourself back into your body and the surroundings.
You can open up your eyes or lift your gaze.
Well done,
My friend.
Anxiety can be a scary,
Terrifying experience and it takes a lot of bravery to turn your attention towards that discomfort when your nervous system wants you to look the other way.
Just know that every time that we practice somatic tracking and we view that anxiety through a lens of safety,
It's another brave step towards recalibrating the nervous system.
Take care.
