Welcome to this brief somatic practice.
An opportunity to pause in the midst of your day to centre and soothe yourself.
By connecting with your body and your environment.
So often we spend our days dashing from task to task.
Lost in the busy mind and disconnected from the world around us.
Trying to think our way through our stresses and difficult emotions.
But the body provides a wonderful resource for supporting us through these strains.
When we drop out of the thinking mind and into the wisdom of the body we can send supportive messages to the brain.
Messages of calm and ease and comfort that can soothe the nervous system and support us to relax.
Which is what we'll be doing in this short practice.
So let's start by finding a comfortable position.
Sitting or lying in a way that honours your practice and how your body feels today.
Allowing you to feel alert and yet relaxed.
And if you feel comfortable to go ahead and close down your eyes or you could lower and soften your gaze.
Allow yourself to settle in here.
Quieten.
Soften.
And connect with your breath in its current natural flow.
Breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
Watching the breath as it ebbs and flows.
And just get curious about the breath.
Whether it's fast or slow right now.
Low or deep.
Flowing smoothly.
Or in a more rugged way.
Knowing there are no right or wrong answers here.
We're simply observing the breath in a gentle,
Kind,
Non-judgmental way.
And in doing so checking in with ourselves.
Attending to our internal state.
Connect through the portal of the breath.
Now if you feel comfortable to inviting the breath to just lengthen and deepen.
Taking longer,
Slower,
Deeper breaths.
To cue relaxation to the nervous system.
And as you breathe grounding yourself in the physical sensations of the breath.
Feeling how the body rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
And enjoying this moment of connection with your breath your body and with yourself.
And now just releasing your focus on your breath to connect with your wider body.
Scanning from head to toe for any places of tension and holding.
And just inviting it to soften.
You might like to imagine being in a warm shower or bath.
The soothing water supporting the muscles to release.
The brow to unfurl and clench.
Shoulders relaxed down.
Belly release.
And the legs to be soft and heavy.
Sinking in to the surfaces below.
And just noting all those places where your body connects with the bed or the chair or the floor.
And really feeling into these connections.
And how the ground holds you.
Supports you.
Always offers an anchor.
Next we'll be connecting with our environment by tuning in to our senses.
First by curiously noting any taste in the mouth.
Perhaps there's some coffee or mint lingering.
And any aromas in the air.
From a recently cooked meal maybe.
And any sounds in your environment.
Maybe it's the gentle whooshing of your breath.
Or the whirring of a nearby machine.
Or you might like to tune in to the background music.
And just noticing any ways in which your body responds.
And now connecting with your sense of touch.
Perhaps feeling the air on your skin.
Be it cool or warm.
Touch of a soft pillow or blanket nearby.
You can even rub two body parts together to really activate that sense of touch.
Perhaps your fingertips.
Belling on those sensations.
Really letting them land.
And help you feel more present and connected.
And now coming back to the sensations of the breath.
Feeling as it enters and exits at the nostrils.
And expands your chest and your belly up and out.
Following the breath all the way into the body.
And all the way out.
And now rounding out our practice by breathing in a way that nourishes the nervous system.
Letting your out breath be longer than your in breath.
So you might breathe in to a count of four and out to a count of six.
Or any similar pattern that feels comfortable.
And if it feels right placing your hand on your heart to send yourself some compassion.
Knowing that you are always doing your best.
And that you are always learning.
Today may I go easy on myself.
May I let go of those things I can't control.
You might even visualize that letting go as you exhale.
Coming back to the room now by feeling where your body meets surfaces below.
And inviting any movements that feel good.
You might want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Pull back your shoulders.
Stretch out.
And when you are ready open your eyes.
Thank you for your practice today.
I sincerely hope it offered you a sense of calm and ease and comfort.
The body offers a portal to the nervous system.
By connecting with the body and to the world around us we can support a shift from an activated state to a more regulated one.
I would love for you to return to this practice whenever you need to soothe and center yourself.
I wish you comfort.
I wish you ease as you go forward with your day.
