nervous system snacks: 3 essential components for releasing tension
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
Most of us believe that the way to relax is to step away from our lives. To drop down on the couch and zone out.
However, avoiding our challenges with escapism doesn't address the long-held tension in our body—tension that creates the pain and disease we chase after with therapies and medication.
Releasing tension is the act of consciously making space for whatever it is we're holding. Making space is not complicated, but it's not something most of us are used to. In fact, we're used to doing the opposite—contracting and protecting. So, making space is a skill we must practice.
There are a few essential components to releasing tension:
We need to feel safe and grounded.
We need to be present enough to notice where our tension is.
We need to allow what arises and not add on.
And we need to do all of this in such a gentle, kind, friendly way that our body and mind feel like it's all okay.
Releasing tension starts like this: "Hmmm, there's that tightness in my right shoulder. Look at that, here it is again." Whatever shows up, we simply notice it, then send it a little more space with our breath.
using soundscapes to tap into spaciousness
Listening meditation is a simple practice to support us in training to be open and receptive, and anyone can do it anywhere. Eventually, listening meditation becomes an opportunity not only to cultivate a spacious attitude but also to rest in presence. This way of being can be especially useful when we’re anxious about the unknown.
Plus, we can enjoy additional healing benefits when we use nature as our subject. Tuning in to sounds in a natural environment can help enliven our own natural rhythms and rekindle our feelings of connection to the world around us.
Enjoy this short 60-second snack-sized nervous system practice to demonstrate how this meditation can work in the real world—with not only sounds from nature but noises from traffic, construction, neighbors, and more.
As a reminder, my new practice series focuses on 25-minute nervous system practices to support the psoas, vagus nerve, and diaphragm. You'll dive into the “anatomy” of rest and digest and work with stress and relaxation. Learn more here.
