April Sadhana

Hello, hello our beautiful somatic sangha! 

We hope your transition into this Spring season has felt slow, nourishing, and grounded. We are so grateful for this growing and evolving community of practitioners and humans seeking to live a more embodied life -- embracing the complicated nature of being human every step of the way. 

This month we will be focusing on the somatics of co-regulation and connection. As we (maybe) know -- there are three ways to regulate: self regulation, co-regulation, and external regulation. Most of us, at different times in our lives, perhaps have relied quite heavily on external regulation. A.k.a the support of something outside of ourselves (alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex, tv, social media, videos games, etc) to feel connected and calm. Our focus in this Somatic work is learning to trust in and rely on self regulation tools and to find quality, reciprical, mutual relationships for co-regulation, so that we no longer have to seek as much external regulation.

Supportive, nurturing, attuned care and connection with another human being is invaluable. Who do you have in your life that you feel you can be your full self around? Who regulates your nervous system? 

Here are two practices to explore:

1.) Eye Gazing

Choose someone in your life: Your partner, a friend, a family member. It can also be a nice experiment to try it twice, once with someone you are very comfortable with and once with someone you are growing comfortability with. 

Set aside ten minutes or so for eye gazing and processing. Ideally sitting knee to knee with your partner and with no words at all sitting in silence and gazing into each other's eyes. Notice what happens in your somatic experience as you do this.

Reflection Questions -- 

What makes you uncomfortable (if anything) about this experience?

What types of thoughts popped into your head?

Were you able to stay present and in your body?

What insights (if any) did you have about your partner/your connection?

2.) Giving & Receiving Touch

Choose someone in your life: Maybe it's the same person as the above exercise. It can also be a nice experiment to try it twice, once with someone you are very comfortable with and once with someone you are growing comfortability with. 

Set aside ten minutes or so to exchange loving, consensual, non-sexual touch. Maybe this is a shoulder/head/neck/foot rub. Maybe this is slow, intentional hand holding. Notice what happens in your somatic experience as you do this. 

Reflection Questions --

Did you feel more comfortable in one of the roles versus the other? (giving vs receiving) 

What makes you uncomfortable (if anything) about this experience? 

Were you able to stay present and in your body?

What insights (if any) did you have about your partner/your connection?

*These practices may provide us with a lot of information about our capacity to rely on and lean into safe connections with other people. Try not to judge yourself if anything about these exercises is challenging. We can learn a lot about ourselves as we meet our edges in these ways. It is usually a process of reclamation and taking your time to find who your people are to do this type of work with.

Feel free to let us know how it goes. We appreciate you all. Happy co-regulating! 

With love,

Jeanine