Softening Hypervigilance Through Somatic Awareness

If you often feel on edge, hyper-aware of your surroundings, or focused on everyone else's experience before your own, this meditation is for you. Together we'll gently explore hypervigilance through somatic awareness and practice returning to the body, the breath, and the present moment.

Transcript

Start by placing one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Take a slow breath in. And a slow breath out. Now I invite you to repeat after me. Out loud or silently say to yourself. Body. Thank you. For trying to keep me safe. Thank you for watching over me. I know you learned this a long time ago. You don't have to carry this anymore. I am here with you. Now bring to mind a situation. We are the feeling of hyper-vigilance. Is prominent. Perhaps in a restaurant. A family gathering. A social event. A store. Or even at work. And allow yourself to gently imagine being there. Notice the sights. The sounds. The smells. Who was there. Even what you're wearing. And become aware of how hypervigilance shows up in that situation. Notice where your attention goes. Notice how much awareness how much energy is moving out. Watching. Monitoring. Scanning. . . And without judgment, Simply notice. Now begin bringing that awareness back. To yourself. All that outward energy. Back home. Back into your body. Back into your heart center. You back into the present moment. Feel your feet planted firmly on the ground. Feel the support beneath you Allow your weight to settle into the chair. Allow your spine to be supported. Allow your shoulders to soften and notice what it feels like to stay with yourself Not ignoring what's around you. Just simply remaining connected to yourself. You're welcome to take a few slow deep breaths And notice what changes when your attention returns to yourself.