A Moment to Breathe
3 Tools for Soothing the Nervous System (in the midst of chaos)
A few things to help settle into a bit of calm during this tumultuous era we’re living in:
In order to navigate through extreme exhaustion and uncertainty, I know I must tend to my nervous system.
I wanted to share some things that are a source of calm and comfort for me in the hope that something might resonate with you as well.
Guided Breath and Movement Exercise:
This is a gentle, guided practice to check in with your body and breath.
I find it helpful for connecting to my breath and warming up my body in an accessible way, and feeling more grounded.
At the end, I offer prompts for journaling/creative expression.
Inspiring Art:
A practice I learned from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is “filling the well”
“Filling the well involves the active pursuit of images to refresh our artistic reservoirs…
When we work at our art, we dip into the well of our experience and scoop out images. Because we do this, we need to learn how to put images back.”
One way I have been implementing that practice is quite literally pursuing images; searching through public domain art has proven to be a wonderful source of inspiration.
For this month’s newsletter, I looked for pieces that felt refreshing to my soul.
Soft Winter Playlist:
Starting with some romantic jazz classics, moving into the 60s and 70s, a brief interlude of nostalgic 90s instrumentals, then finishing with some modern artists.
Each section ends with an ambient track, a chance to check in with your breath.
What does your body need in this moment?
I hope you found something - a song, an image, a practice - that resonated with you or gave you some inspiration to find a method of soothing your nervous system that works best for you.
What helps you feel calm? Grounded?
What does your body, your nervous system need from you today?
Be extra kind to yourself this week
Until soon,
~Riv