Today we are exploring the somatic experience of safety.
Learning to recognize what safety feels like allows you to more easily tap into those feelings to support your regulation and even to create those feelings yourself when you become dysregulated.
Before we begin please pause to create a little den of safety for yourself.
Maybe that means lighting a candle or grabbing a very cozy blanket.
There are so many types of safety to be experienced.
Physical,
Emotional,
Financial,
Energetic.
Each of these might feel different in your body,
Might reveal itself through different sensations.
Some of the things that pose potential dangers to our sense of safety are large,
Existential,
Environmental,
Political.
Others might hit closer to home,
More personal,
Intimate,
And pressing.
If you are dealing with those dangers,
I am sorry and I am grateful that you've chosen to be here with me.
No matter what type of safety you're looking for more of,
I want to focus on one true fact.
In this moment,
You are safe.
No matter what happened this morning,
No matter what awaits you tomorrow,
In this moment,
You have carved out time to meditate.
Which is proof that at least for now,
You are experiencing safety.
So what does that feel like?
Maybe you are in a room with four strong walls protecting you from weather.
Or maybe you are outside,
Breathing in fresh,
Clean air.
Take a look around you and notice the ways that your body is protected right now.
Then notice how your belly responds,
Your breath,
Your jaw.
When we hear bird song,
Our stress responses are reduced,
Including a drop in cortisol levels and a slower heart rate.
This is because birds only sing when there are no predators around.
So our brilliant human nervous systems have evolved to react to this cue from the birds.
If the birds are singing,
We are all safe.
What other sounds indicate your safety?
Maybe it's silence or music.
Maybe it's your boss saying you did a good job,
Suggesting that your income is stable.
Maybe it's someone saying I love you,
Meaning that you belong in your community.
Maybe it's your own voice reminding you that you are safe right now.
Try telling yourself that and see what shifts in your body.
Safe.
I am safe.
I am safe.
How else can you offer yourself safety?
Having enough food to eat is a measure of safety.
If you bring that awareness to your next meal,
Notice how your shoulders respond,
How your tongue takes in the food.
If you are a member of this community,
If you believe in the power of meditation,
At least within this circle,
You are spiritually safe.
The expression of your spirituality,
Of your energy,
Is recognized and appreciated here.
In what ways does your energy and your spirit indicate safety?
Just like anything else,
This is a practice.
Catch yourself feeling safe throughout the day and notice what sensations are present.
How do you hold your hands?
Is there a softness around your eyes?
Is there a sturdiness in your spine?
The more you familiarize yourself with the somatic experience of safety,
The more you will be able to call on it when you really need to,
And even to create it for yourself.
Thank you.
