Moving Through Fear

Take a few moments to notice your breath....

To notice the way the Earth is supporting you...

To notice the way your clothes happen to be connected to your skin.....

To notice your spine and allow each vertebrae to float ever so slightly in different directions....

Bring an extra millimeter of relaxation to your upper body, mid body, lower body and down through the Earth below you....

Upper body, mid body, lower body and down through the Earth.....

See if you can become so gently aware that you are able to possibly sense the movement of your heart.....

To notice your pulse within your body......

Holding any of these suggestions or others as a focus for now, I invite you to reflect on a moment in your life that you felt very supported, confident, generous or alive. As you hold this memory, see if you can also notice the sensations in your body as you recall this moment - upper body, mid body, lower body and down through the Earth. See if you can catalogue for yourself any sensations or desires to move or to be in a certain alignment or posture.

Sometimes when we are afraid, our sympathetic nervous system directs us to fight, flee, freeze or fawn to protect ourselves. It tries to keep us safe by giving us the options of violence, simply leaving, total inaction or people-pleasing in order to diffuse. To some extent, this fear may become a regular part of our days keeping us locked in this response system.

In order to 'rest and digest,' we must switch into our parasympathetic nervous system that can offer a way to both recharge and offer another option for dealing with fear - we can try to move through fear.

Simple breathing practices can stimulate our vagus nerve that can invite us to switch into this calmer, relaxation mode. Another practice to perhaps try now (and keep as a tool for the next time we need it) is to again notice your spine and allow each vertebrae to float ever so slightly in different directions. Perhaps your upper spine can experiment with floating ever so slightly forward and back, then side side to side - a gentle circle. Your mid spine - can experiment with floating ever so slightly forward and back, then side side to side - a gentle circle. Your lower spine - can experiment with floating ever so slightly forward and back, then side side to side - a gentle circle.

Some options to say to ourselves along with this practice are:

With each breath, I am smoothing away my fear. With each movement, I am smoothing away my fear.

With each breath, I am becoming calmer. With each movement, I am becoming calm.

Take a few moments to tap back into the sensation or postures from your moment of support, confidence, generosity and aliveness....

Notice the way the Earth is supporting you...as we all move through fear in order to reconnect and reconnect and reconnect to ourselves, to each other and to our big, beautiful, complex world.

Take Care......

This Take Care Card was inspired by Kristy Kuhn. Copyright @Gina Gibney Dance, Inc. All rights reserved.