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This week, mindfulness instructor and recovery coach Emily Jane leads a practice aimed at creating a sense of security in our bodies, especially when feelings of trauma, fear, or anxiety make us want to escape or dull our discomfort.
When we experience significant stress or are on the path to healing from trauma or addiction, we might often find ourselves in a state of fight, flight, or freeze. This can lead to feelings of disconnection or insecurity within our bodies, making it difficult to remember, At this moment, I am safe. This exercise is intended to gently nurture a sense of safety and establish a physical reminder (rooted in our awareness of bodily movements) that helps to build a lasting sense of security that your body can recognize.
A Meditation for Cultivating Safety in the Body
Read through the guided meditation script below, taking a pause after each paragraph, or listen to the audio version.
- Start by settling into a comfortable position. You can sit or lie down, allowing your body to guide you as to what feels most nurturing in this moment.
- Once you’re settled, close your eyes or lower your gaze. Take a moment to notice how your body feels connected to the surface beneath you. Spend a little time feeling that support and grounding. Focus on your breath, simply observing its natural rhythm.
- Without judgment, let your breath be as it is. Relax the muscles in your forehead, ease your jaw, and allow your shoulders to drop. Let’s take a couple of deeper breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, filling your belly. Then exhale with a long sigh. Allow a sense of ease to fill your body. By taking deep, mindful breaths, we signal safety to our nervous system. Take another deep breath in, filling your belly, and exhale, letting go.
By taking deep, mindful breaths, we signal safety to our nervous system.
- Begin softly scanning your body. As you do, take note of any areas where there’s tension or heaviness, or where you may feel discomfort or pain. Acknowledge what you’re feeling with a kind and curious awareness. Then, take a deep breath and direct it to those areas. You might find this creates a feeling of ease or openness. If not, that’s perfectly fine. Every experience is valid.
- Continue your scan. Look for a part of your body that feels safe, calm, or relaxed. If those terms don’t resonate, pick one that does. You might find a spot that feels neutral and less activated. Gently observe where that is in your body—it could be in your chest, hands, belly, or feet. Tune into that sensation.
- Focus your attention on that area. Notice its characteristics. Does it have a specific color, shape, or texture? Allow yourself to fully connect with this part of your body, embracing that feeling of safety, calm, or neutrality.
- Now, broaden your awareness to the rest of your body. You might still feel some discomfort or tension elsewhere. If so, notice the difference between the tension and the sense of safety while holding both in your mind. Then, redirect your focus back to that feeling of safety. Take a deep breath in, allowing that sensation to grow. As you exhale, let it permeate through the rest of your body. Observe what it’s like to dwell in this feeling of safety.
- Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Apply just enough pressure to feel supportive. This touch serves as an anchor, a bodily cue for your mind to remember. The more you engage with this meditation, the more your body will link this touch to feelings of safety. Let’s take two more deep breaths, inhaling safety, calm, and ease, and exhaling that same feeling into the space around you.
This touch serves as an anchor, a bodily cue for your mind to remember. The more you engage with this meditation, the more your body will link this touch to feelings of safety.
- If you now feel more balanced, comfortable, and secure in your body, acknowledge this. Recognize that you have the power to consciously manage your nervous system. If nothing has changed, that’s okay too. You haven’t done anything wrong; sometimes, it just takes practice and patience to feel safe. The best approach when dealing with our nervous system is to embrace acceptance and let go of resistance.
- When you’re ready, gently open your eyes. Thank you for dedicating this time to meditating with me. I hope the rest of your day carries that same feeling of safety, ease, and calm.
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