Welcome.
This is a somatic meditation.
To help the body.
Shift from fight or flight.
To rest and repair.
Before we begin.
Know that there is nothing you need to fix.
Or force.
If your body has been in fight or flight.
It's been trying to protect you.
And that response is not wrong.
It's intelligent.
And loyal.
Today.
We're not shutting anything down.
Or simply teaching your nervous system.
That in this moment,
It's safe to soften.
Find a position.
That feels genuinely supportive.
Seated with your feet on the ground.
Or lying down.
Letting gravity hold you.
Let your shoulders drop a few millimeters.
Your jaw,
Unclench.
Ever so slightly.
Take a slow breath.
In through your nose.
And gently exhale.
Through your mouth.
Again.
Inhaling.
And exhaling.
There's no dramatic breathing or performance necessary.
Just enough to signal to your body.
That something is shifting.
Before we move toward.
Rest and repair.
Take a moment to notice.
Where you are starting.
Is there subtle tension in the forehead?
A tightness behind the eyes.
Or buzzing in the chest.
Maybe there's a readiness in your muscles.
Or your body feels alert.
Scanning or prepared.
Fight or flight can feel like bracing.
Or like leaning forward internally.
Waiting for something to happen.
There's nothing to judge here.
Just observe.
When the nervous system has been activated for a long time.
It can forget what settling feels like.
So today we are gently reintroducing that feeling.
Without moving much.
Let your eyes softly open if they are closed.
And slowly gaze around the room.
Notice three neutral.
Or pleasant object.
Maybe the wall.
A window,
Or a plant.
And let your gaze rest on one of those objects for a few seconds.
Notice its color.
Shape.
The way the light touches it.
And as you look,
Allow your neck to move slowly.
And naturally.
This is called orienting.
It tells the ancient parts of your brain.
There is no immediate threat.
Take a gentle breath.
Inhaling and exhaling.
And notice.
If anything inside shifts.
Even just a little.
A tiny exhale.
Maybe a small drop in the shoulders.
These are micro signs of settling.
Let your eyes gently close again.
If it feels comfortable.
And bring one hand to your chest.
That that feels okay.
Or simply bring your awareness there.
To notice your heartbeat.
Knowing you don't need to change it.
Just feel its rhythm.
Fight or flight increases heart rate.
To prepare for action.
Rest and repair.
Allows the heart to slow when it can.
Take a slow inhale.
To a comfortable count of four.
Pause briefly.
And exhale to a count of six.
Allowing that longer exhale than the inhale.
Inhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale.
6.
5…4…3…2…1… Again.
Inhale.
Four.
.
.
3… too.
And exhale,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
2.
One.
As you extend the exhale.
You're stimulating the vagus nerve.
And signaling.
Parasympathetic,
Nervous system activation.
Not with force.
But with your own rhythm.
After a few of these breaths,
Notice if your heart is slightly steadier.
Or maybe you notice there's more space between the beats.
There's no need to chase any dramatic drop.
You're just teaching the body what repair feels like.
Fight or flight often pulls blood.
Into large muscles.
Hands and feet can feel cool.
And the body prioritizes action.
Rest and repair.
Allows warmth to return.
So bring awareness to your hands.
And notice their temperature.
Without moving them.
Imagine a gentle warmth.
Spreading through your palms.
Not bright.
Or intense.
Just a soft.
.
.
Steady warm.
Maybe it feels like holding a warm mug.
Now bring awareness to your feet.
Imagine warmth.
Slowly filling the soles of your feet.
If it helps.
Gently wiggle your fingers or toes.
And then let them be still.
Notice if there's any tingling.
Softness or heaviness.
Warmth and heaviness are signs of parasympathetic settling.
Let your body feel supported by gravity.
Knowing you don't have to hold yourself up right now.
That the ground is doing that for you.
The jaw is one of the first places tension gathers.
Let's gently bring awareness there.
Are your teeth clenching?
If so,
Allow a tiny bit of space between them.
Let your tongue rest heavy in the bottom of your mouth.
Unfurrow the brow.
Let the muscles around the eyes soften.
Fight or flight.
Often means vigilance,
Scanning.
And monitoring.
But right now.
There's nothing to monitor.
So see if you can feel the skin of your face soften.
Even just a little.
And notice if your breath changes.
When your jaw softens.
Often it deepens automatically.
That is rest and repair.
Beginning to activate.
Now bring awareness to your belly.
Let it expand gently on the inhale.
No sucking in or bracing.
And let it fall on the exhale.
Rest and repair supports digestion.
Restoration.
And cellular repair.
Imagine your internal systems.
Shifting from Protect to restore.
You might picture tiny workers inside you.
Finally able to focus on healing.
Muscles are unclenching.
Cells are replenishing.
And inflammation is decreasing.
No need to visualize clearly.
Just sense the possibility.
And take another slow breath in.
And when you exhale,
Allow it to be longer than your inhale.
Notice any micro signs?
A swallow or a sigh.
Or a deeper drop into the surface beneath you.
These are not small things.
They are your nervous system updating.
Fight or flight feels activated.
Rest and repair.
Often feels heavy.
Heaviness is not laziness.
It's safety.
Let your body grow heavier.
Feel your back sink more fully.
And your legs relax.
If there's still tension somewhere.
It's okay.
You're not forcing relaxation.
You're creating conditions.
Where it is allowed.
Imagine your muscles receiving the message.
You do not need to contract right now.
Notice your breathing.
Is it quieter?
Lower… or less effortful.
Allow yourself to experience.
Even a brief moment.
Of doing nothing.
No problem solving or anticipating.
Just being supported.
Now silently repeat to yourself,
In this moment.
I am safe enough to rest.
Nothing is chasing me.
And repair is allowed.
Notice how your body responds to these words.
Sometimes the nervous system needs repetition.
So again,
It is safe to soften.
Safe to slow down.
And safe to repair.
Let those phrases land in the body.
Not just the mind.
Now?
Bring awareness back to your heart.
Back to your hands.
Ciao.
.
.
And breath.
Compare this moment to when we began.
Is there even a subtle difference?
Just a few percent slower or softer.
Know that that's enough.
Rest and repair.
Does not need to be dramatic.
It's often quiet.
Marked by a softened gaze or a steady breath.
Sometimes a warm palm.
Or a jaw that's no longer clenched.
These are the signs.
That your parasympathetic system.
Is online.
And you can return here.
Not by forcing calm.
But by noticing safety.
Extending the exhale.
Softening the jaw.
And allowing heaviness.
Take one more slow inhale.
And a long,
Unhurried exhale.
And when you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Let your eyes open slowly.
Carry this subtle settling with you.
Your body knows how to repair.
Your nervous system knows how to rest.
Sometimes it just needs a reminder.
And you just practiced giving it one.
Know that you can come back here.
Anytime you like.
And thank you so much for joining me here today.
Namaste.
