Self-Soothing Massage For Gentle Reconnection

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Tune into the present moment and come back to your body, with this gentle self-soothing, body-positive massage. This meditation will guide you to reconnect with yourself as you reclaim all parts of your somatic experience.

Designed to support you and your emotions, this is a calming exercise for when you are feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, stressed or hyper-sensitive. Step into a state of relaxation and balance now.

Calming music by composer Chris Collins.

Transcript

Welcome to this gentle movement meditation for reconnection and self soothing.

Throughout this time you'll be giving yourself a gentle massage with your hands so you'll want to wear minimal coverings if you plan on using any types of oil or moisturiser.

You may even like to mix something like coconut oil with one of your favourite essential oils and have it in a bowl next to you.

Feel free to be fully clothed as long as you can feel your own hands through the clothing.

You may like a towel or hand towel beneath you or to the side.

Find yourself a comfortable space for this time,

A place where you can be private,

Uninterrupted if possible.

Where you'll be comfortable,

Like a bed or a couch or your yoga mat on the floor.

And feel free to use any supports you may need,

You may rest against a wall or find some back support.

You may like to set the mood by lighting a candle or diffusing some essential oils.

And set the intention now to just notice anything that you feel,

Any emotions that may arise,

Any sensations.

This may be comfortable at some times and uncomfortable at others.

Try to bring a curious awareness to whatever it is you're experiencing,

Remembering that you are perfect as you are.

And this meditation will help to build on your connection with yourself.

You may like to have a little notepad set aside to jot down any thoughts or set aside a mental note of what you experience.

This time is all about you,

So you may pause and come back at a different time.

You can move if you feel uncomfortable or stretch.

You're invited to keep your eyes open or closed throughout any part of this.

When you're ready,

We'll begin.

Taking a deep breath in and out of the nasal passage.

Notice if you feel comfortable in this posture and move as you need to.

With your eyes open,

Take a look around the space.

Notice what you can see.

Just taking it in slowly,

Noticing any light and shadow.

Notice anywhere that feels calm,

Anywhere you notice joy around the space,

Any colors,

Any symbols.

Just take it in and know that this is your space right here,

Right now.

And if you like,

You may close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath,

Noticing it flow naturally.

You may feel at ease or restricted and that's okay.

Just notice.

Is it more comfortable to breathe through your nose or through your mouth?

And if you feel comfortable,

Take three deep breaths in through your nasal passage,

Breathing into your lungs,

Noticing your tummy and your chest rise and fall gently,

Exhaling and noticing the warmth of the air.

Notice how you feel with this breath.

Expanding your awareness to notice any smells,

Anything you can taste in your mouth,

Noticing what you can hear inside of the room,

Outside of the room.

Allow all of these sensations,

All of these noticings to fade into the background and wash over you,

Becoming a part of your meditation,

Noticing any thoughts that arise and thanking them for being here.

Thinking your mind for protecting you.

Just come back to your breath.

Come back to the movement of your body and how you feel at any time and allow it to anchor you here.

Coming back to your body.

Notice the supports beneath you.

Notice what you can feel in the connection of your body,

Your feet,

Your sit bones,

Feeling into that support.

What's the texture like beneath you?

Is it firm,

Soft?

What does it feel like as gravity pulls you closer to the centre of the earth?

Can you notice the weight of your body?

Can you connect to this,

Allowing your body to feel heavier,

Sinking in,

Allowing your body to drop into the space.

With each exhalation,

Allow yourself to relax a little more.

Continue to trust the earth to hold you with all of this support.

With each breath in,

Remember you're breathing in that beautiful support from another nature.

It's travelling all the way through your body,

Your heart beating all the oxygen around your veins to every single cell.

Notice how that feels in your feet as we begin to really sense into our feet.

Are they growing heavier?

What can you notice in your feet?

And begin to gently massage,

Bringing your feet closer to you,

Just one foot at a time.

Massage around your ankles.

Notice how that feels with your own fingers.

Can you feel the bone,

The skin,

The muscles at the bottom of your leg,

Your feet,

Your heel?

Notice how it feels,

Press into the muscles.

This is your foot,

Your beautiful foot that carries you and holds you.

Massage this foot,

Feel it with your thumb,

Press in gently,

Press in a little firmer.

Notice how it feels on the base of your foot.

How is the skin feeling?

How are the muscles?

Is your foot enjoying this touch?

How are your toes in this,

Each toe?

Same with your big toe,

Your little toes,

Just moving along gently,

Noticing each one,

Touching between each one.

Beneath and below,

Side to side,

How does each toe feel?

These beautiful toes help you stay balanced.

These feet guide you as you wander through life.

These beautiful feet offering you the freedom of movement,

Carrying you anywhere you may want to go,

Reaching up to high places,

Dancing,

Running,

Driving.

Your feet feel many things,

The softness of carpet and grass,

The firmness of the concrete,

The wood beneath you.

And right now,

They're feeling your hands as you gently move your hands around your feet,

Over the top and the bottom,

Really feeling into the soul,

Swapping to the other foot at any time.

Just really appreciate these feet,

These are your feet,

Your precious feet.

You may even like to say that aloud,

These are my feet.

How does it feel to say that?

How does it feel to acknowledge them?

Really begin to work your way up the leg,

On either side,

Just one at a time.

Feeling the bottom of your leg,

Around your calf and your shins,

Gently massaging.

This is my leg,

All mine.

Notice how that feels to own that space.

This is your beautiful leg.

Notice that skin to skin contact from your hands to your leg,

Working your way up,

Noticing your knee,

Behind the knee,

Different parts of your leg feeling muscly,

Bony,

A little more wobbly.

Just notice what you feel.

Some places the skin moves more than others,

Working your way all the way up the thigh.

What sensations can you feel as you do this?

Is it comfortable?

Is it relaxing?

Notice any discomfort also.

Take a deep breath in to this leg,

Allow it to flow all the way down.

Feeling and releasing,

Allowing your leg to soften where it needs to,

Wherever it's ready.

And change sides whenever you're ready,

Starting all the way down at your ankle,

Noticing the bone,

The muscles and fat.

Just noticing the places that feel tighter,

Looser,

Where the skin can move around more.

This is your leg,

Your precious leg.

And slowly work your way up,

Noticing what feels good as you gently massage.

Does anything feel tight?

Is there anything uncomfortable?

Continue working your way up,

Around your knees,

Noticing the different curves and grooves.

These legs are so beautiful,

You've had a whole life with them,

They've taken you on so many journeys and now you're sending them this loving energy and gratitude.

Notice the strokes of your hands and that skin to skin contact.

Seeing your way up your thighs.

This is my leg,

My leg.

Notice what you can feel in your fingertips.

Does this feel different massaging yourself in this way?

Does it feel good,

Comfortable,

Uncomfortable?

Taking a deep breath in,

Allowing this energy to go all the way down your leg to the tips of your toes.

Gently sigh with the exhalation.

Using your legs to release anything that's ready to move on with another breath in and a sigh out.

Just taking a moment to pause with the massage and notice your legs.

Notice how your legs feel,

Feel the weight of them sinking into the support.

Notice any energy flowing through them.

Do they feel different now than they did before?

You may like to stretch them.

You may like to wiggle your toes.

Roll your ankles.

Gently feel them,

Acknowledge them.

These are your beautiful legs and feet.

Moving your awareness now to your hands.

Begin to gently massage one of your hands,

Noticing the palm.

Notice how it feels in your thumb.

Notice the back of your hand with your fingers.

What does the skin feel like?

What does it feel like all the way along your pinky?

In between your fingers,

At the end of your fingernail.

Does it like to feel squeezed?

Move on to the next finger.

How does it feel?

Starting at the base of the finger,

Massaging all the way to the tip.

How does it feel,

That skin to skin contact,

The pressure of your other hand?

Try it more gently now.

Gently gently and subtly touching your own hand,

So soft,

So light.

How does it feel?

This is your hand.

How does it feel?

What sensations are coming up?

Move along to your next finger,

Gently at your own time,

Going through each finger.

All the way through your thumb.

Notice what you like,

What you don't like.

Experiment with the firmness.

Hold your hand for just a moment firmly and say out loud,

This is my hand.

This is my hand.

This is my hand.

And feel that.

How does the energy feel when you say that?

When you reclaim your own hand.

Gently move your way up,

Up the wrist,

Up your elbow,

Your forearm,

All the way to your shoulder.

Gently massaging the full length of your arm.

Notice where the skin feels different,

Tighter,

Looser,

Where you can feel muscle,

Bone,

The different shapes and movements of your own arms.

Your arms are incredible.

They give you so much freedom each day with your arms,

You hug,

You love,

You carry,

You eat,

You gather,

You work.

These beautiful arms do so much for you.

Notice now how you feel with this skin to skin contact,

Taking long strokes all the way from the top of your arm down.

Notice the pressure you like.

Notice any sensations.

Feel the skin moving with the pressure.

Feel the different places where muscle begins and ends.

Your arms are so strong.

And when you're ready,

Move your awareness to your other hand,

Focusing again on the palm and fingers.

These beautiful hands,

The back of your hands,

Around your wrist.

Notice how the skin feels.

Notice where it feels soft and supple,

Where it feels dry.

Notice the creases and folds of skin.

What do your fingers like to feel?

See what it feels like if you touch them so softly,

Like you're hardly touching them at all.

What sensations do you feel when you do this?

Is it pleasant?

Is it ticklish?

Just notice whatever comes up.

Notice what you prefer.

Hold this hand gently.

Remember this is my hand.

This is all my hand.

This beautiful hand.

And slowly when you're ready,

Begin working your way up.

Notice how it feels.

Notice places of coolness and warmth.

Notice how your skin feels so different.

Notice how your elbows feel,

Where muscle begin and end.

This is my arm.

How does it feel to say that?

This is my arm.

Notice any emotions,

Any sensations.

Remember you are so perfect as you are.

This is your perfect experience.

Notice how it feels to move these arms,

Continue massaging and moving them gently.

Raise them above your head,

Stretch them high,

With your hands continuing to move around them.

How do your arms want to move right now?

What feels good for your arms and your shoulders?

What feels good for your back?

Gently allow yourself to move your shoulders,

Your arms,

To stretch.

Do you want to continue massaging?

Do you want to be dancing and moving?

And allow your hands to gently massage the front around your neck,

Around your shoulders,

Around the back of your neck and shoulders.

How does it feel in there?

And what feels good?

These are your strong shoulders.

Notice how it feels in your joints,

Around the muscles,

Along your bones.

Notice where the skin is firmer and softer.

And notice how your body wants to move now.

And allow it to move now,

Gently and slowly.

Notice how it feels.

Notice where it feels good.

Stretching,

Maybe even gently dancing.

Just allowing your body to move freely.

And allow your hands to return to wherever is ready for some tension.

Just gently massage or hold.

Feeling softly or applying pressure.

This is my body.

This is my beautiful body.

This body that is good to me,

Protects me,

Keeps me safe.

This is my body.

Allow yourself some time to continue moving,

Massaging,

Dancing.

Just moving however you need to right now,

Noticing how your hands touch you.

Noticing any other body parts which are touching.

Noticing what feels good.

Noticing what feels good.

Notice how your breath feels again.

How does it feel to breathe into these spaces inside your body?

This is your breath,

Your powerful breath that connects with life force energy.

Notice what you can smell,

What you can taste,

What you can hear.

And as you feel ready to gently come back to the space,

You can continue to move how you want to.

You can continue to massage.

Just gently come back to the space.

Notice what you can see around you as you gently open your eyes in your own perfect timing.

Notice how your body feels if you feel different than before.

Continue this practice for as long as you desire.

And send yourself gratitude for being here in reconnection,

This beautiful loving space you've offered yourself today.

You and your body is perfect exactly as you are.

And your body is so lucky to have you in this loving way.

God bless.