Hello,
I'm looking forward to settling in together.
I created a somatic tracking advanced version because by now I think we've had a chance to practice and we know how important it is for our brain to become safe and that our body will give us all kinds of normal signals and we're practicing not interpreting them as dangerous just acknowledging it's a way of saying hello but it's not necessarily a crisis.
By paying attention to your pain and your physical experiences through a lens of safety and calm you can gradually rewire your brain turn off the pain and begin to experience more positive enjoyable experiences and emotions in your life.
So let's take a moment and just breathe in a couple of times just to center ourselves.
Settle in and make sure you're comfortable.
That can be sitting,
It can be lying down,
It can be however you feel best.
Oftentimes just slowing down a little bit we can notice our breath coming in and out of our nose.
This is a good way to center ourselves and ground ourselves.
Just slow that breathing down a little bit.
See if you can feel it coming in through your nose and out through your nose.
Take a moment and just kind of notice your body and see if you can bring your attention to the dominant most noticeable physical sensation in your body right now.
Whether it's in your back or your chest or if it's in your arms or if it's in your left hand.
Wherever you feel it the most right now just let your attention go there.
If you're feeling a sensation in more than one place just choose one.
I want to see if you can focus on the physical sensation itself.
So choosing just one is important.
Now gently breathe into that physical sensation.
Wherever it is,
Whatever it feels like,
Give it a little air.
You have a little space there and let's just see if you can notice it.
Oftentimes when we have a physical sensation,
If it's unpleasant,
We tend to distract ourselves from it or a focus on something else.
See if you can stay with that physical sensation.
Just see if you could observe it.
You're not trying to do anything to it.
You're just noticing it.
You're not trying to get rid of it.
You're just trying to familiarize yourself with it.
You're just exploring it.
So as you breathe in and you attend to this physical sensation,
Notice is it pleasant or unpleasant?
Is it neutral?
You are just gathering information.
One isn't better than the other.
You're just assessing it.
You're just noticing it.
Is it widespread or is it localized to a smaller point?
Again,
You're just noticing it and assessing the characteristic and seeing if you can watch the sensation from a truly detached curiosity or interest.
Just notice it.
It's a safe sensation.
It's perfectly safe,
Not dangerous at all.
All you're doing is noticing it and allowing your attention to rest with it.
You're just getting to know it.
Just check in and notice.
What does the sensation feel like?
What are the characteristics?
Is it a tightness?
A clenching?
A squeezing?
Is it a warm feeling?
Does it tingle?
Is it pulsing?
Is it fluttering?
You're just gathering information.
You're noticing and paying attention and assessing.
You're not criticizing or judging.
You're just noticing,
Allowing your body to communicate.
You're paying attention and actually seeing if you can appreciate just looking in on it,
Mindfully gathering information about the sensation,
And just noticing what's going on.
Really,
Just see if you can be curious as you pay attention to the sensation.
Notice that your body is capable of generating these really interesting and unique sensations.
As you pay attention to the sensation,
Just see if you can notice what happens.
Knowing that whatever happens is okay.
Does it intensify?
Does it subside?
Does it move around?
Does it change in consistency?
Does it stay exactly the same?
You're just gathering information and just noticing what happens as we attend to the sensation.
Knowing that as you pay attention to this physical sensation,
You're actually communicating to your brain that this really unique,
Interesting sensation is safe.
That it's okay,
And you are just getting to know it.
Right now,
In this very moment,
You're developing the neural pathways to pay attention to this physical sensation without any fear,
Without any judgment,
Without any goals.
As you breathe into the sensation,
Just notice what happens.
If it intensifies,
That's fine.
Just follow it and ride that wave.
If it subsides,
That's okay too.
You're just getting to know it.
It really doesn't matter what it does.
We are outcome independent.
And what that means is it's about the right now.
We are okay right now.
If it moves around,
It's okay.
If it stays exactly the same,
It's okay.
You're just strengthening those brain muscles and the communication to your body that you are safe.
You're learning to pay attention mindfully,
And that whatever that sensation does,
It's okay.
Because we're learning to listen with interest and curiosity.
The only thing that does matter is that you watch and you notice it.
As it moves,
Just see if you could really almost enjoy perhaps not the sensations themselves,
But even just the act or the process of paying attention mindfully and communicating such a nice loving message of safety to your body and brain that these sensations are okay,
That you're still calm,
That you are still safe.
Enjoy the process.
It's like you're lying back in a field watching as the clouds pass by,
Just noticing the shapes that pass by,
And just attending and watching,
Observing,
And just feeling it out.
And take a couple more moments to breathe in to the sensation gently,
Following it wherever it goes,
If it goes,
And leaning into it if it changes or moves in any direction.
In a moment,
I'm going to ask you to open your eyes,
But before you do,
Just take a couple more breaths to reconnect with yourself,
To re-ground yourself and stabilize.
Just take a breath.
Good.
Remember your good intentions.
Good.
Feel the physical sensation of the breath coming in and out one more time.
That's good.
Now when you're ready,
Open your eyes and you can end this exercise for now.
