This is a slightly revised excerpt of an email that i shared with my clients yesterday. I hope that at least one of you will find what I share helpful to you in your process of staying healthy and fully alive in this unusual of times. - Victoria
Today is day 28 for me in this process of keeping to my home, physically distancing when I am out and connecting with other humans only on-line or across a 6 foot trail! There have been challenging moments and rewarding moments: I can share with you that I have felt the experience of ALL of the zones a person can live in (according to Tom Senninger), and have been finding all sorts of opportunities to practice my tools of self-soothing - the very same tools that I share with all my clients, whether in private movement sessions, private clinical sessions or moving together in my group Embodiment classes.
The process of what I call “The Check-in” has been crucial for me in my pursuit to find some sense of the Comfort Zone throughout the day. When Comfort, Security, Safety is not really to be found, it is the Check-in that helps me keep my feet and head in the Learning Zone.
Sometimes I need to do a full-blown, time-out sort of check-in, giving myself 15 - 20 minutes of breath, grounded support, orienting and constructive thinking.
Sometimes it is a mini-bringing-myself-back-to-the-present-moment kind of check-in of one breath, one shift of focus, one jiggle of my Upper body into my Lower.
And sometimes it is simply reminding myself that I am free to notice where I put my focus.
Regardless of the length of time in the Check-in process, I have found that daily, hourly, sometimes moment-by-moment the practice of Checking-in to the "right now" of where and how I am has been crucial for me.
How about you?
To support you in your process of Checking-in, I have shared below some of my writing about my practice this past week.
(I’d like to acknowledge that I learned the value of the phrase “I am free to…” in my training and conversations with Imogen Ragone, and have enfolded it into to my Embodiment practices because I have found it to be powerful in supporting change!)
I am free to notice the experience of my breath. I am free to choose the speed and depth of my breath.
As I notice my breath I think about these more than 650 hours of quarantine and the changes I have experienced and witnessed in that time. Crocuses and daffodils have bloomed and then waned. Tulips and spring beauties (the small white & pink flowers that have been blanketing Stewart Park) have emerged as well as the leaves and buds of various types of trees. (And although the frost may have done some damage, I can still see the pink explosion of the red bud trees out my window so I have hope that this week I will still be able to find and enjoy color in nature!) I notice a loosening in my chest and gut as I choose to focus on my memory of what I have seen of spring blossoming. I notice my breath deepens and slows. Joy. Peace.)
I am free to notice the experience of my body being supported by the Earth. I am free to accept and allow myself to be fully supported.
I am free to orient in the environment that is outside of me right now. I am free to notice my sense of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, temperature and texture of my Outer environment as they come into my Inner environment. I am free to notice the experience of my Inner environment: my Back body and Front, my Right body and Left, my Upper body being supported by my Lower body.
As I settle my awareness and my Weight into my feet I think about all the walking I've done this week. In those walks, with the Earth rolling its support through the heel, balls and toes of my feet, I've had the opportunity to witness so much wildlife - seeing swans and muskrat at the Cosmos-Bethel lake; observing the sights and sounds of herons standing in stillness, ducks floating in pairs muttering to each other, geese flying and honking their air-traffic control calls, frogs hopping and several baby snakes slithering their way across the trail at the wetlands of Forum Nature Area, and hearing the multi-faceted and omnipresent calls of the tree frogs at Stewart Park, Forum Nature Area and Grasslands Trail. Remembering these things, I recall the sense of excitement with a widening in my chest, the power of recuperative energy rising into my leg bones, and the satisfying experience of being a physical body present and supported in this moment. Satisfaction.
I am free to notice ease. I am free to notice where it seems a little easier right now. Where else? Where now? I am free…
If this felt valuable to you or piqued your curiosity about Embodiment, I invite you to check out my website. For a schedule of online movement events visit here. To find our more about private sessions visit here.
The Monday and Tuesday Easy Movement Breaks are 30 minute seated or standing explorations of embodiment tools and easy free-style movement.
The Thursday Mindful Move Groove is a 1 hour class that can be standing or seated. The first 30 minutes focuses on boosting immunity and soothing nerves, followed by easy choreographed movement and ending with a gentle cool-down.
The Friday On the Floor Movement Break is 30 minutes of exploration of grounded support and movement at the lowest level possible: we are currently focusing on Constructive Rest!
In everything I offer professionally, we practice Checking In in some way: taking the time to notice, choose, finding ease and support, practice living life more fully! I believe this is all so important, and especially in these challenging times we are living in together right now. Let’s keep our combined energy recuperated and alive! Live life more fully with Embodiment!