Practice; Contact Points

Helpful for: Anytime you want to drop back into your body and the present moment.

Make yourself comfortable, seated or lying down. Take a breath and soften your gaze or close your eyes. Draw your attention to your feet, notice where they make contact with the floor. Notice where the pressure is, and where it isn’t; any differences between the left and right, or any temperature noticed. If your mind wanders, allow it to and gently guide it back to your feet.
Noticing now your legs and where they make contact with the chair. Notice areas of pressure or no pressure, any differences between the left and right. Notice any textures of the chair or your clothing on your legs, any sensations you are aware of. If your mind wanders, allow it to then gently guide it back to the back of your legs.
Now, bringing your attention to the base of your pelvis or your sit bones on the chair. Notice the support you feel from the chair underneath you. Be aware of any areas of pressure or lack of pressure, a difference between the left and right side, or temperature. If your mind wanders, allow it to then gently guide it back to your sit bones connecting with the chair.
Moving to your spine, notice your back pressing against the chair. Notice if your spine is straight or rolled forward, the pressure you can feel as you push your back into the chair, recognising that the chair is supporting you. Notice areas of pressure or lack of pressure, any difference left to right, any temperatures or other sensations you are aware of. Again, if your mind wanders, gently allow it then guide it back to your spine.
Noticing now your hands where they rest, whether on your lap or touching each other. Notice the textures on your hand, any warmth or coolness, skin touching or pressure on your legs. Taking in these sensations with curious awareness.
Now notice what happens to your nervous system as you keep your awareness on one point. From these points, notice which feels easiest or most pleasant to focus on and rest your awareness there, as an anchor point. When thoughts come up, let them, notice and let them go. As sensations in the body arise, notice them with curiosity and then being your focus to your anchor point. If you notice any areas of tension or resistance in the body, try to see if you can soften those for a moment then return to your anchor contact point. Soften your brow, relax your eyes, loosen your jaw, let your shoulders fall away from your ears a bit, then come back to your anchor contact point, and stay there in your grounded connection as long as you’d like before returning to your day.

Practice: Body Scan

Helpful for; reconnecting with your body, rebuilding communication with your body. The Body Awareness Inventory may help you identify and express various sensations experienced in the body.

Making yourself comfortable, close your eyes, release your breath and soften your body. You’re about to do a scan of your body, just like you’re waving a metal detector wand everywhere, checking in with what the body may be telling you.
Bring your attention to your feet, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Moving to your calves and shins, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Moving your scanning attention slowly to your knees, thighs and hips, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Slowly scanning to your stomach, your ribs, your chest, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Moving your attention to your lower back, mid back and upper back, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Now shifting your attention to your shoulders, your upper arms, and elbows, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Moving to your forearms, wrists and hands, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Slowly bringing your attention to your throat, your neck and the base of your head, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Finally, drawing your attention to your forehead, brows, temples, eyes, cheeks, mouth and jaw, notice how they feel and the sensations there.
Reflect on what you noticed, consider anything your body may be telling you or need it may have, send your body warmth and gratitude, and meet that need as best you can.

Practice; 1:1 Breathing, moving to 1:2

Helpful for; Anchoring into your body and present moment; proactive nervous system support
Make yourself comfortable, seated or lying down. Alternatively this can be done anywhere.
Start noticing your breath, not to control it, but just to allow it to be as it is. We are not trying to control the breath here, we want to breathe naturally, allow air to flow into our stomach. Forcing breath can create tension in the neck, stimulating the nervous system rather than calming it. Slowly watching your breath move, start counting each inhale and exhale, noticing if the lengths match, or if one is different to the other. As you breathe and count, see if you can extend whichever breath is shorter by one count to bring them closer to matching. If that is comfortable and there is still a gap, continue slowly increasing the shorter breath by one count until both breaths are the same count. If it is uncomfortable, step your breathing back to whatever was comfortable. Stay here breathing with matching counts in and out (1:1) for a while.
If this is comfortable and you would like to extend to 1:2 breathing, slowly increase your exhale by 1 count, ensuring to stay with easy breathing, not forced or uncomfortable. If it becomes uncomfortable at any point, shift back to the count that was comfortable. Continue slowly extending the exhale by one count until you reach a count that is double your comfortable inhale (i.e., 4 in, 8 out), then continue this for a while, following your breath in and out.

Practice: Myofascial release with fascia balls

Helpful for; daily body care, proactive nervous system support and disrupting stress cycles by changing the information going from the body to the brain.