A Simple Practice - Asking The Body

This technique uses a gentle body scan to connect to the body's needs and sensations. When we feel numb & overwhelmed (dorsal vagal state) spending a moment with ourselves and acknowledging even the smallest of sensations, can help to move our nervous system into a better place.

If you enjoyed this technique, you might also find these helpful:
A Simple Practice - Noticing
A Simple Practice - Connect To Your Senses

Everyday Mindfulness - Less Stress, More You.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this simple practice of asking the body. Our body gives us so many sensations, Emotions and experiences and we often don't connect into it. But when the world can feel a little bit overwhelming or stressful, Checking in can be really powerful. So allowing yourself to settle, Get comfortable, You can do this sitting, Standing or lying down, Whatever feels good to your nervous system right now. Gently close down the eyes if that feels supportive. Find stillness, Find space for this moment. And then just take your attention to your toes and ask your toes, What do you need? You might get lots of sensations, You might get no sensations at all and that is all perfect. We are here just checking in with the toes and acknowledging anything they may or may not need. Move up into your feet, What do you need? Listening, Acknowledging. Ankles, What do you need? If there's something that they want that you can do in this moment, Allow that to happen. If not, Make a mental note to do it after this session. Shins and calves, What do you need? Knees, What do you need? And know that as you're listening in to these body parts, Listening to the sensations and experiences, That your mind will get distracted with stories. That's normal, Just bring it back to the body part that we're on, The knees, And just see what else you can observe and acknowledge that they might need in this moment. Thighs, What do you need? Hips, Pelvis, Buttocks, What do you need? Again, Just acknowledge any sensations that come up, Allow your body to move if that's what it's asking for, And if it's something you can't do right in this moment, Take it away with you after the session. Abdomen and lower back, What do you need? Ribs and mid-back, What do you need? Chest and upper back, What do you need? Shoulders and neck, What do you need? Remember just to observe and acknowledge and allow whatever it needs to be honored in this moment the best you can. Fingertips and fingers, What do you need? Hands and wrists, What do you need? Arms, Elbows, Upper arms, What do you need? Shoulders and neck once more, What do you need? Just listen, Allow all the sensations to arise, Perhaps you need to roll them down away from your ears, Perhaps there's a tightening or a tension you want to squeeze, Perhaps you want to massage your shoulders. Whatever comes up, Just acknowledge and allow it to be. Face, What do you need? Head, What do you need? And of course, Mind, What do you need? And how about heart, What do you need in this moment? Beautiful. Now just allow your mind to scan over your whole body, Acknowledging any areas that want a little bit more attention, Perhaps a little bit more attention to your heart. It's somewhere I didn't include on this body scan, Like the sides, Or perhaps it's somewhere that didn't feel it got long enough and has more to say. Just allow your mind to scan over and connect with these parts. Amazing. So when you feel ready to, I encourage you to start to bring some gentle movement into the body if it's not already there. Stretch and blink your eyes open if you decided to close them. And take this moment now just to honor any of those needs that you couldn't acknowledge during the session. Perhaps that's going out for a walk or doing some stretches. Just allow them all to come true now, Acknowledging what your body needs. Thank you so much for sharing your time with me. I'll see you again very soon.

Reviews

wonderfully effective - gave me time for a nice, gentle pause