Hi,
I'm Miriam Amavi and welcome to this ground and release exercise.
This is a modification of the ground and release exercise by Elizabeth Stanley and it helps the nervous system to discharge any survival energy.
For example,
If you're really nervous or if you've been really stressed or overwhelmed.
This practice helps the body locate itself in space and therefore giving it a sense of safety because when the nervous system feels safe,
It automatically discharges the survival energy as it's not needed anymore.
You can do this exercise lying down or even sitting up in a chair but having a firm surface under you is best.
But of course,
It also works on a bed or a couch.
This is also wonderful to do when you're in public and you want to regulate your nervous system and discharge some of that activation energy.
For example,
If you feel stressed or anxious on a train or a plane or even at dinner.
Wherever you can sit,
You can do this exercise.
If you want your own calming background music or background soundscape,
You can choose that in the Insight Timer player.
I would highly recommend it but if you just want to do it as is,
That is also completely up to you.
So find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and first take a deep breath.
And notice that you're here,
Sitting here,
Lying down here.
And we're going to go through all the contact points that your body makes with the ground.
So if you're lying down,
You can go to the contact point of the back of your head.
And if you're sitting in a chair,
You can just feel the back of your head.
See how it feels.
And in this exercise,
We're going to describe the feeling of how our body feels as it's making contact with the ground,
With the surface that is holding you.
But we're not going to describe it with judgment words like good or bad.
But we're going to use descriptive words like dry,
Soft,
Or bumpy.
So how does the contact point of the back of your head with the surface feel?
Can you feel if there's a temperature or texture?
Is it soft?
Is it hard?
Is it bumpy?
And just describe to yourself as if you're feeling this contact point for the first time ever.
Now we can go to the contact point of your shoulders and upper back.
How does it feel as your shoulders touch the surface you're lying on or sitting against?
Can you feel how the surface is really holding you?
Is there any texture to the surface?
Does it feel different than the surface point of the back of your head?
Is it warmer?
Is it colder?
Is it softer,
Smoother?
Or is it firmer?
And as you're describing these contact points and really noticing them and being present with your attention on them,
You may feel like you're spontaneously taking a deep breath or that you have to yawn or a wave of emotion is flowing through you.
You may just feel a general sense of relaxation.
You may feel your digestion start to work a little bit.
And these are all signs that your body is discharging the survival energy,
Is releasing the stress,
That the nervous system is regulating itself back into balance.
And if you don't feel that right now,
That's totally okay.
Just continue doing this exercise because depending on how activated you may feel,
It may take a little bit longer until your body feels safe enough to discharge.
And now you can go to your arms and hands and feel where they are making contact with the ground,
With the surface.
What's the temperature of where your hands make contact with the surface to the temperature of where your arms make contact with the surface?
Do your arms make contact with the ground or with your body?
Can you feel if there's any tingling in your hands?
Is there any tingling in your arms?
Do your hands feel more dry or clammy?
Now you can move to the contact point of your lower back,
Your buttocks,
Against the surface.
Can you feel the firmness of the surface or the softness?
Are you sinking into your surface or do you feel like you're being pressed up against it?
Is this area warm or cold?
Is the surface smooth or is it bumpy?
Can you feel how this surface,
How this chair,
This bed,
This couch is holding you?
How you do not need to do anything to be held up.
You can just sink into it.
And if you're lying down,
Can you feel this little arch in the lower part of your back or is it touching the surface?
Maybe you can even feel this in a chair.
Notice if you have any releases like yawning,
Taking a spontaneous deep breath,
If your breath is slowing down,
If your heart rate is also softening and slowing.
You may also feel a little bit more tired,
Which also means that your body is moving into a rest state and only then you're noticing how tired you actually are.
Now you can move to the back of your thighs and feel how they are held by the surface,
The contact point.
Does the surface feel soft or firm?
Is there any tingling or numbness in your thighs?
Does the contact point of the left thigh feel a little bit different to the right one?
Or is it the same?
And now you can move to your lower legs and feel if they're making contact with the ground.
And maybe you can feel some pressure on the contact point.
And if you're sitting and your lower legs are not making any contact with a surface,
Maybe you can just feel the quality of how the fabric of your clothes touch your lower legs.
Or if you can feel how the air meets your lower legs.
And now you can move to your feet.
Move to the point wherever they make contact with the ground.
Is there any tingling in this contact point?
Or does it feel numb?
Do your feet feel heavy?
Or do they feel light?
Notice any releases that you feel along the way.
Does the surface feel flat?
Or is it soft?
Is there a particular texture that you notice?
And then you can feel into your whole body,
Into all the contact points that we went through.
And notice which contact point you feel most strongly.
Now once again,
Describe this contact point.
What's the temperature?
What's the texture that you can notice?
What is the strongest sensation in this contact point?
And how does it feel compared to the other contact points?
And now you can just melt into the surface that is holding you.
Feel how this bed,
This couch,
Or this chair is cradling you.
Holding you.
This surface is just for you.
And now you can either stay here and rest for a bit longer.
Or you can slowly start to move your fingertips,
Your toes.
And bring more energy into your body.
Open your eyes as you feel ready.
Maybe you want to take a stretch.
And just notice how you feel compared to when you started this practice.
Come back to this anytime you need.
And please let me know your experience with this practice in a review.
I'd love to read from you.
Have a wonderful day or night.
And see you soon.
Bye.
