Nervous System Reset Day 1

Observe

Hello and welcome to your 7 Day Nervous System Reset program! Today is DAY 1. The intention for today’s class is to OBSERVE. Throughout this practice, you will have opportunities to observe your physical connection to the earth. This practice will invite you to notice which parts of your body are connected to the ground and which parts are lifted away. You’ll have opportunities to observe body patterns. For example, is more weight being placed on one side of your body versus the other side in certain poses? Or what happens to your physical body when you explore a more challenging pose? Do you shake, hold your breath, clench your teeth? How do you move from one pose to the next? Do you notice which parts of your body touch the ground first when moving from a seated position to all fours? Which muscles support you in the poses and transitions? Can you sense the subtle movements in your body, even in stillness?

Day 1 of our Nervous System Reset program encourages you to approach your practice through a lens of curiosity. You have opportunities to notice body patterns and habits without passing judgment. With that said, you may choose to make adjustments to your patterns in order to deepen your connection to the surface beneath you. I invite you to look at these patterns as interesting and good information. Maybe you begin to observe how the patterns you identify on the mat are similar to your patterns off of the mat. For example, when standing in line at a store, are you placing more weight on one foot versus the other? Do you shift your weight from one side to the other? Is one hip lifted more than the other? Are your shoulders feeling tense? Is your breath shallow? Can you feel any tension in your face, especially your jaw and brow bone? How does the ground feel beneath your feet - hard, soft, firm, bouncy?

This type of practice enhances body awareness, encouraging us to be more present in our body. We explore shifting our focus from the external environment to our internal landscape.

Once again, I invite you to approach today’s class with curiosity. Do your best to focus less on, “Am I doing this right?” and instead ask yourself, “What do I notice?” You can even use the following prompt: “I observe ____________” throughout your practice. For example, “I observe that my right leg wants to lift up when doing a side body stretch.” “I observe tension in my lower back when sitting upright.” Or “I observe that when I spread my fingers wider in tabletop position, I feel more steady in the pose.”

It is my hope that you enjoy the first day of our program!