Welcome.
I'm so glad you're here.
This is a beautiful grounding practice designed to help you befriend your nervous system and gently expand your window of tolerance.
That sweet spot where your body and mind feel safe,
Connected and resourced.
When you're within this window,
It's easier to access self-trust.
Think clearly.
Get things done without feeling overwhelmed.
Set healthy boundaries,
And not feel so thrown about by others' emotions or perceptions of you.
This practice will support you in returning to that space,
Especially when you've moved into the mobilized energy of fight or flight.
Or the immobilized energy of freeze or shutdown.
And perhaps most importantly,
It offers a chance to meet yourself without judgment.
So let's begin.
Getting comfortable.
Closing down your eyes or inviting your gaze to rest gently on the floor.
Feeling your feet as they come in contact with the surface beneath you.
Your hips and pelvis supported by the chair,
Bed or couch.
Nothing to do.
No one to be in this moment.
You're safe to be here just as you are.
And together let's try a beautiful breath practice that feels deeply regulating.
It's a form of circular breathing.
I'll explain it first and then you can follow on in your own way and your own time.
We begin by inhaling and moving our awareness from our feet up the front line of our legs,
Hips,
Pelvis,
Chest,
All the way to the top of your head.
And then we exhale down the back line of our body.
Back of head,
Down the spine,
Legs,
Until we find ourselves at our feet once more.
You might like to try it now.
Inhaling from your feet all the way up the front line of your body to the crown of your head.
And then exhaling down the back line of your body all the way to the soles of your feet.
Leaving you to breathe in this way for a few rounds on your own now.
If you become distracted,
Don't worry,
Just come back time and time again.
Great,
Now let's continue with this circular breathing,
But this time layering in two pauses.
So we inhale up the front line of the body from feet to crown of head.
But this time we pause at the crown of the head for a moment or two.
Then we exhale down the back line of the body.
And pause a moment at the soles of our feet.
So the breath becomes a four-part process.
Inhaling.
.
.
Pausing at the crown.
Exhaling,
Pausing at the soles of the feet.
I'll leave you again for some time to try this on your own.
Remember,
No need to get it exactly right,
Just trust yourself.
Allowing that breath practice to fade now.
Really opening to the possibility that you just created a bubble or cocoon of regulation for your body.
And noticing how you feel.
Scanning your body for any signs of regulation.
Deeper,
Smoother breaths.
A yawn or a sigh.
A desire to stretch or reposition yourself.
Great.
Now let's move into the visualization part of this practice.
When we visualise in meditation,
There's no pressure to get a super clear image.
You can enjoy this practice as a feeling in your body.
As a story,
However you like.
So imagining,
Sensing or feeling that you are standing on a quiet path out in nature.
The air that greets your skin is fresh.
It carries the scent of wildflowers.
You walk down this path.
Feeling each foot meet the earth.
You begin to hear the gentle sound of moving water.
With each step,
The sound becomes more clear.
You arrive at a clearing and notice a river.
The water is calm.
It sparkles in the afternoon sun.
Trees lie in the riverbank.
Their branches moving with the breeze that cooled your skin moments ago.
To your delight,
You see a small timber rowboat.
You move towards it.
And a knowing sweeps over you.
You hop in.
You begin to float.
You notice how clear the water is.
The details of the riverbed below.
The banks on either side.
Your body feels relaxed yet alert.
There's a gentle sense of well-being washing over you.
You feel present and content.
This is what it feels like to be in your window of tolerance.
Where your nervous system is regulated and your mind is clear.
In this place,
It's easier to know what you need.
To trust your instincts.
To live aligned with your values.
As you float,
You notice how the river flows effortlessly around the river rocks.
Like the river,
You can meet life's obstacles with flexibility and ease.
Sure,
There's traffic,
Deadlines,
Changes in plans,
Hard conversations,
Responsibility.
But when you're regulated,
You can tolerate these aspects of life.
And not just tolerate but respond with grounded presence instead of reactivity.
This is where self-trust begins to really grow.
As you float down this river of regulation,
Sun on your face.
Dappled light through the trees.
Notice how you feel in your body.
How you feel in your heart.
Take a deep breath into this experience of being well within your window.
And then you notice that the river begins to narrow.
The current grows stronger.
The boat veers into the riverbanks.
Sometimes it bounces off.
Sometimes it hits hard and gets stuck.
You need to push yourself back into the middle.
And here you recognise this sensation.
This is what life feels like when you've left your window of tolerance.
Currents pulling in all directions.
Mind busy?
Thoughts scattered.
To one side anxiety,
Overwhelm,
Irritation.
To the other of flatness,
Shutdown,
Exhaustion.
Maybe this mirrors your recent life.
Days where you're easily rattled.
Over giving.
Overthinking.
Over planning.
Or days where you feel not much at all,
Like a flatness or tiredness you can't quite shake.
Breathing low and slow into the belly.
Still floating,
You realise you aren't judging the river.
You accept it can't always stay the same.
And so here in this moment you choose not to judge yourself either.
Each time you hit the bank,
You know how to return.
And that return,
That gentle,
Courageous recalibration is where the muscle of self-trust and inner friendliness gets built.
You don't need a story about how strong or how fragile you are.
One about whether or not you're coping with life.
You just need to come back.
And each time you do,
The river gets a little wider.
And through this moment of acceptance,
You notice the water calms down once more.
You can see the riverbed again.
The sun greets your face.
You smile.
You feel alive.
Grateful.
You feel like yourself again.
In your own way,
Thanking the river for showing you how life is not about always having calm waters.
It's about offering yourself kindness when you hit the banks and having the courage to return again and again to the centre of your river.
Bringing your awareness back into your body as it sits or lies here right now.
Awareness at your feet.
Your hips.
Your chest.
Opening your eyes when you're ready.
Thanks for sharing your practice with me today.
You might like to save this audio and come back to it anytime you're feeling wired,
Tired.
Or like you're judging yourself about how well you're coping or not coping with the demands of everyday life.
