Body Re-entry: Hands + Feet + Pressure

Dissociation, Numbness

Hi, I'm Beth, and this is a practice for coming back into your body. And if at any point during this practice it would be more comfortable for you to close your eyes and just follow my words, that is totally available. So let's start here by finding a comfortable position. That could be sitting, it could be standing, it could be lying down. And just notice what it feels like to bring the palms to touch in front of the body. Good. And as we're here, let's begin to pull so the hands are gently moving closer together, feeling some gentle pressure. Good. And if it works for you to close the eyes, go ahead and do so, letting your energy and attention drop into the connection between your palms, the gentle pressure of the hands connecting in this way. Good. And then hold the pressure steady. And let's take a breath here. Full inhale, full exhale. Good. And again, full breath in, full breath out. Can you keep the attention anchored in the palms? Last cycle of breath here. Inhale. Exhale. And if the eyes are closed, go ahead and gently open them. And the invitation now is to find the hands on the thighs. So whether you're seated, standing, lying down, bringing your hands to the thighs and taking a look at them. Good. And just noticing how it feels to bring a little pressure there into the thighs. So beginning to press. You can stay close to the kneecaps or move towards the hips, whatever feels more comfortable for you. And then finding one place on the thighs, we're going to hold some pressure. Okay? Finding one place, letting the hands land, and then gently pressing the hands into the thighs. If it's comfortable, you can close the eyes and letting the attention anchor on that connection between the hands and the thighs. Let's take a few breaths here. Breath in. Breath out. Good. Last one here. Full inhale into the hands. Full exhale into the thighs. Good. And as you're ready, you can gently reopen the eyes if they're closed. And invitation here, if it's comfortable for you, you can begin to squeeze down into the lower legs. Okay? So depending on if you're seated, standing, lying down, you can squeeze into the upper legs as well if that's preferable. Letting your attention anchor on the contact your hands are making with your own body. And this is our invitation to feel a sense of presence, to feel a sense of safety being in our body. All right. Now, as you're ready, you can release the hands. Good. An invitation now to shrug the shoulders up towards the ears. And then on an exhale, let them fall. Good. And again, breath in. Good. Inhale, lifting the shoulders. Exhale, letting them fall. Good. And again, invitation to close the eyes if that works for you. And notice, is there one place in your body that feels particularly safe, grounded, connected? Could be the hands, the feet, the thighs, the shoulders, somewhere else. Good. And at the very least, noticing if you can connect to a place that feels neutral. Good. And wherever you've landed, go ahead and place a hand there. And let's take a few breaths together. Breath in. Last full inhale here. And even fuller exhale. Good. And repeating to yourself, "In this moment, I am safe. I am present. I am connected to my body." And as you're ready, you can reopen the eyes if they're closed. And just know that you can use this practice any time you're trying to ground back into your body and need to feel that connection between you and you. The forms of light pressure, the pressing, the squeezing, the shoulder shrugs, it all allows pent-up energy to slowly discharge. And practicing this in an environment where you feel safe can redirect those signals in the body to say, "Okay, I'm safe. My nervous system can downshift."