Find a comfortable position,
Allow your body to settle into the chair,
The couch,
Or the surface beneath you.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale slowly and exhale gently.
Many of us spend much of our time in our thoughts,
Planning,
Problem solving,
Replaying conversations,
Trying to figure things out.
The mind is very good at generating thoughts,
But sometimes the mind moves so quickly that the body never has a chance to settle.
In this moment,
We are gently shifting attention from the mind back into the body.
Take another slow breath in and allow the exhale to be slightly longer.
As you breathe,
Begin to notice the physical sensations in your body.
Bring your awareness to your feet.
Notice where they make contact with the floor or the surface beneath you.
Feel the support there.
Now bring your attention to your legs.
Allow the muscles in your legs to soften.
You do not need to hold tension here.
Now bring your awareness to your hands.
Notice where your hands are resting,
Perhaps on your lap or beside you.
Allow your hands to be completely relaxed.
Now bring your awareness to your shoulders.
If there is tension here,
Imagine the shoulders gently melting downward.
Let them soften.
Take another slow breath in and slowly exhale.
Now bring your awareness to the movement of your breath.
Notice the rise of the inhale and then the fall of the exhale.
There is nothing you need to control.
Simply observe the rhythm.
As thoughts appear in the mind,
You might notice the urge to follow them,
To analyze them,
To solve them.
Instead,
Gently acknowledge the thought.
You might silently say to yourself,
Thinking,
And then return your attention to the breath.
Overthinking often happens when the mind believes it must solve something immediately.
But not every thought requires action.
Not every thought requires an answer.
Right now,
You are allowing your mind to rest.
As you continue breathing slowly,
Bring awareness to the center of your chest.
Notice the gentle expansion with each inhale and the softening with each exhale.
Your breath is steady.
Your body is supported.
In this moment,
There is nowhere else you need to be.
If your mind wanders again,
Simply guide it back to the breath.
Back to the body.
Back to this moment.
From overthinking to grounded.
From tension to steadiness.
Take a few more slow breaths.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out pressure.
Breathing in presence.
Breathing out mental noise.
Now begin to bring awareness back to your surroundings.
Notice the space around you.
Notice the surface beneath your body.
Gently wiggle your fingers or your toes.
And when you are ready,
Allow your eyes to open.
Take this grounded feeling with you.
Remember that whenever your mind begins to race,
You can return to the body.
One breath at a time.
If this practice helped you feel a little more grounded,
You're welcome to follow me here on Insight Timer for more nervous system regulation practices.
Namaste.
