You are safer than you think!
On Monday, I wrote to you about cultivating connections - one of the keys to calming your overstimulated nervous system. The message here is YOU ARE NOT ALONE and my upcoming course will help you feel that in your body.
Another key to nervous system regulation is cultivating calm - hence, the name of the course:)
Moving into a state of calm requires that we feel safe. We all need a "safe space" - a place where we can relax, let down our guard and feel restored. But this requires that we are safe - not just rationally/cognitively but physically and emotionally.
We’ve all had experiences when we look around and know that we’re not in danger and yet, there’s that discomfort in the belly and a slight racing in the heart. And sometimes, that even becomes our baseline so that we’re barely aware of it this bodily experience of danger.
Living in a world with so much information at our fingertips, we internalize both the personal threats around us as well as the global threats that are happening worlds away. All of it comes into us in a way that makes us believe and feel, in a bodily way, that we’re not safe. And that has a huge impact on how we engage - or disengage - with the world.
Which is why this course is hugely focused on growing states of calm and connection, so that we can move through the world with curiosity versus fear, checked in versus checked out.
Maybe this course should be called, A Blueprint For Living An Engaged, Approach-Oriented Life! Survey says???
But I digress…
So, how do I use mindfulness practices to cultivate these states? Here’s a very abbreviated answer:
I start with awareness. Try this with me if you have a moment.
Notice how you are breathing (slow, full, and steady or fast, shallow and uneven).
Notice your state of mind (focused and calm or running amok, ruminating and worrying).
Notice the physical sensations in your body (relaxed muscles, happy belly or lots of tension and an anxious belly).
Notice whether you feel connected or disconnected. How do you experience that?
Awareness is the first step in embodied mindfulness. We “take stock”.
Once we’ve done that, we can choose a practice to help us work with what’s there instead of checking out or distracting ourselves.
I have a huge toolbox of practices to explore depending on what you find. This is where curiosity and exploration comes in. Together and with the support of the course community you’ll find out what works for your nervous system.
This is not a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. This is an individualized, body/mind/brain approach to wellness and I hope you’ll join me!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to hear from you!
So much love,
Rachel
P.S. In the spirit of community, this is a wonderful course to move through with a friend.
Join with a loved one and receive $75 off. Just type 75off in the discount box.