This is a meditation for working with the freeze response.
The freeze response is a self-protective state that we enter when we feel overstimulated or overwhelmed by emotions,
Events,
Sensory inputs,
And more.
In a state of freeze,
We protect ourselves from further stimulation.
If you are experiencing freeze,
It might be hard to attune to your emotions,
To stay focused on what is happening around you,
Even if it is pleasant,
And you may feel disinterested,
Bored,
Or tired.
The freeze response is our body's natural way of letting us know it needs to slow down,
To rest,
And to integrate experiences.
In this movement meditation,
Everything is invitational.
Do only what is within your range of comfort and capacity to do.
I invite you to move slowly,
Gently,
And to be kind to yourself.
You may wish to lie down or recline in a chair.
Allow your body to be in a position where you can relax your muscles and feel supported.
You may want to put a blanket over your legs or use a weighted blanket over your body.
You may wish to place an eye pillow or a folded pillowcase over your forehead to cover your eyes.
These can help further reduce stimulation and support nervous system rest.
Notice your breath.
Breathe in and out in whatever way feels natural for you right now.
As you breathe in,
Notice the breath moving through your lungs,
Through your abdomen.
And with every exhale,
Invite your body to relax a little bit more.
With every exhale,
Allow your body to feel a little bit heavier.
You might imagine gravity holding you.
Breathe in,
Feel the breath expanding through your body,
Exhale,
And let yourself soften into gravity's hold.
If noticing and paying attention to your breath feels a little too stimulating for you,
Just focus your attention on the point where your breath begins and ends,
On the pause between the inhalation and the exhalation.
Or if that feels like too much,
You can focus instead on the sensation of your body resting on the chair,
Or of your blanket covering you with its gentle weight.
Allow your body to slow down.
If you feel any sensations or impulses from movement right now,
If you feel fidgety or you have an itch,
Give yourself a moment to let that movement out.
Take care of what your body needs.
Once you've taken care of your body's needs,
Again invite your body to soften,
To cocoon,
To be in this place of stillness.
In this place of stillness,
Know that you do not need to do anything.
You have permission to rest.
You have permission to stop and let go,
And spend this time with yourself.
You have permission to exhale.
If it feels good for you,
You can explore vocalizing as you exhale.
You may want to explore exhaling with a sigh.
Or you may want to exhale with an OM.
Or you may prefer to use the sound VU.
Practice exhaling with a sound three or four times,
And then let yourself be silent for a few moments.
If at any point you feel any agitation or anxiety,
I invite you to again vocalize on your exhale as a way to support your body to stay at rest.
Allow your body to rest here for a few minutes.
We will now be very gently moving out of the rest state.
The way that we do this helps us to come back into integration in our bodies.
I invite you to bring attention to the top of your head.
Very gently,
Turn your head from one side to the other,
Creating movement in your neck.
Move within your own range of comfort.
And then,
Slow down the movement.
What is it like to move your head from side to side at half the speed?
Continuing this movement gently,
Turning within your range of comfort.
And then go at half that speed.
Remember to continue breathing in and out.
Now allowing your neck and your head to be still,
Bring attention to the top of your spine and your shoulders.
Begin with just one shoulder,
Rolling it very gently.
Maybe rotate the shoulder inwards and then roll it back.
And again,
Repeat this movement at half the speed,
Slowing it down.
And then inviting your arm to open out from your elbow,
Extending your elbow,
Allowing the arm to be long,
And then bending at your elbow,
Bringing your hand in.
With each repetition of this movement,
Moving at half the speed as the previous one.
And then down to your wrist,
Very,
Very slowly and gently.
Rotating your wrist,
Stretching out your fingers,
And gently wiggling your fingers.
You might even imagine that your hand is running through the water or through warm sand.
Let that arm rest and bring your attention to the other side of your body and to your other shoulder.
Slowly rolling your shoulder,
Maybe rotating it inwards,
Rolling it back.
And repeating again,
With each repetition,
Slowing down to half the speed.
Then opening your arm out from your elbow,
Extending your arm long,
And then bending at the elbow to bring your hand in towards your body.
And then with each repetition,
Slowing down,
Moving at half the speed as the previous repetition.
And again,
Coming down to your wrist,
Slowly and gently,
Rotating at your wrist,
Slowing that rotation down,
And stretching all the way into your fingertips.
Maybe you imagine that your hand is running through the water or moving through warm sand,
Remembering to breathe in and out,
And then letting that movement go.
And now coming down to your belly and your lower back.
As you breathe in,
Notice how your belly might lift a tiny bit towards the sky.
As you exhale,
Notice how your belly button pulls in towards your spine.
And as you breathe,
Invite your pelvis to rock back and forth with your breath,
Moving at the pace of your breath,
Moving slowly.
You may want to explore shifting your hips from side to side,
Maybe moving your weight from one sit bone to the other.
And again,
As you move from side to side,
Slowing down with each repetition.
And now bringing your attention to one leg.
Rotate your leg so that your knee points inwards,
And then rotate the leg so the knee points outwards.
Remember to move slowly and within your range of comfort,
And with each repetition slowing down again to half the speed,
Rotating in and rotating out.
And then bringing your awareness down to your ankle,
Gently rotating the foot at the ankle,
Moving again within your range of comfort,
Maybe you rotate one way,
And then slow down as you rotate the other way.
Then if it's available to you,
Stretching out your toes,
Or perhaps pedaling your foot back and forth.
And then let that go.
Remember to breathe in and out.
And bring your attention to your other leg,
Gently rotating your leg so your knee points inwards,
And then rotating so the knee points outwards.
Move within your range of comfort.
Remember to slow down.
Remember to breathe.
And then bringing your attention to your ankle,
Rotating your foot at the ankle,
Rotating one way,
And then slowing down as you rotate the other way.
And then if it's available to you,
You can stretch out your toes,
Or wiggle your toes,
Or pedal your foot back and forth very gently.
And take a full breath in and out.
And now bringing both feet into movement together,
Maybe rotating both ankles,
Or pedaling both feet alternating,
Feeling that movement come through your knees and through your hips,
And notice what impulse you have for moving your body.
You might imagine an animal waking up,
How a dog or a cat might stretch when they awaken.
Invite your body to stretch out.
You might think of reaching your right foot away from your left hand,
And your left foot away from your right hand.
Give yourself a good stretch,
Maybe a yawn,
And then let go of this movement.
I invite you to place one hand on your heart and one hand on your abdomen.
Take a full breath in and out.
And if you would like to,
On your next exhale,
You can again vocalize with a sigh,
Or an ohm,
Or a vrooom.
If after completing this meditation,
You feel a rush of emotions or sensation,
Know that this is totally normal and is a sign that your nervous system was able to use this rest time well to integrate.
Please continue to be gentle with yourself for the next few hours.
Remember,
You always have permission to rest.
May your profound sensitivity be your superpower.
May your heart,
Mind,
Body and spirit feel supported to stay tender and present.
And may you come back from each moment of overwhelm into a liberating relationship with love.
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