Hello and welcome.
My name is Nila Steele and I'm happy to be here with you right now.
We're going to take a few moments to ground ourselves using our senses.
Remember,
This isn't about doing it right or following exact instructions.
It's an invitation,
An offering,
And you get to choose how you engage with it.
Some of us find certain senses more grounding than others.
Some of us feel safer with eyes open and some with eyes closed.
Some of us need to move and some need to be still.
All of that is welcome here.
As we go through this,
I'll offer possibilities for each sense.
You get to choose.
You can choose all or you can choose none.
You might discover that one sense feels like home for you today.
If so,
Remember you can stay there for the whole practice.
And if at any point,
Closing your eyes or focusing in where it feels unsafe,
You can open your eyes,
Look around the room,
And just notice what's here with you.
That's grounding too.
So let's begin.
We will start with the sense of sight.
The invitation is to look left or right,
Up and down in the space that you currently are in.
What colors do you notice?
Is anything drawing your eyes to their attention?
Notice any colors,
Shapes,
Or objects.
You might also choose to look down at your hands.
Notice their shape,
The lines,
And how they rest.
If sight feels grounding for you today,
You're welcome to stay with it here.
Go ahead and take a beautiful breath in and then release the exhale.
Now the invitation is to shift from sight to sound.
Notice the sound of my voice.
What can you hear?
You might notice sounds that are close to you.
Might be your own breath or sounds where you currently are.
You might also notice sounds further away.
If sound feels grounding to stay,
You're welcome to stay with it.
Offering you some space now to either connect with sight or sound.
Is it okay if we explore the sense of touch?
If your body feels safe enough to turn attention inward,
Ask yourself,
What can I feel?
Where can I feel my body in contact with something solid?
Touch can be a powerful anchor.
You notice your feet on the floor,
Perhaps your back against the chair,
Or your hands where they are currently resting.
Another option is to press your palms gently together.
Notice the pressure,
Perhaps the aliveness,
Or any other sensations you can identify in your hands.
Another moment,
An offering for you to connect with any of the senses.
Sight,
Sound,
Or touch.
Transitioning to smell.
Smell is a quieter sense.
What can you notice,
If anything?
Is there a scent in the air?
Perhaps coffee,
Tea,
Toast,
Or rice.
Maybe perfume.
Maybe just the smell of the space.
Or perhaps you notice the absence of strong smells.
Finally,
We come to taste the very subtle sense.
You might notice the taste in your mouth right now from something that you previously ate or drank.
Maybe it's neutral.
You might notice if your mouth is dry or wet.
Remember,
We're just noticing.
Now that we've moved through all five senses,
I invite you to reflect.
Which sense felt most grounding to you?
There's no wrong answer.
You know what your system needs.
Know that you can return to this practice anytime.
Later today,
Tomorrow,
Or whenever you feel unmoored.
Remember,
You have this tool.
You have these senses,
And they're always with you.
To close the session,
Allow yourself to take a very energetic breath,
Drawing the breath in,
And then releasing the exhale.
Thank you for your attention.
