10 Minute Nervous System Reset The Shield of Warmth

Hi there, and welcome to calming anxiety. If you are listening to this right now, chances are you're feeling the weight of the world a little more than usual. Maybe it is a sense of emotional fatigue or just the static noise of overwhelm that seems to be buzzing in the background of the day. The last few weeks have been loud, and when the world gets loud, our bodies naturally tighten up. We slip into that fight or fight mode without even noticing it. We start guiding ourselves, bracing for the next stressful thing. But for the next 10 minutes, you do not need to guard yourself. We are going to do something different. We are going to manually turn off that stress switch. We are going to use somatic release to soften your body, and then we are going to build a shield of warmth around you so that you can step back into your day, feeling protected, not exposed.

I want you to find a comfortable position somewhere where you won't be disturbed for a while. You can be seated or lying down, but just make sure your spine is straight so the breath can flow freely. Let us start by acknowledging the physical tension. Often, we try to relax the mind, but the body is still screaming danger. So let us speak to the body first. Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs, and then let it out with a long, audible sigh. Make a sound if you need to. Let the air fall out of you.

Again, a deep breath in, feel your rib cage expanding rise. Hold it for just a moment at the top, and now, sigh it out. Now we are going to hack the vagus nerve, the part of you that controls your calm. We will do this with the double inhale. You will breathe in once, then take a tiny sip of more air at the top, and now a long, slow out breath through the mouth.

Let us do that again. Big inhale in in a tiny sip more, and now a long, slow release. Feel your shoulders drop, feel them loosen, feel your jaw, and clench. Now just let your breathing return to its own wonderful, almost hypnotic, natural rhythm. But I want you to focus on the words "offening". With every in breath, imagine the muscles behind your eyes softening.

Imagine the back of your neck softening. Let your stomach, the center of anxiety, softening, and expand. There is nothing you need to fight right now. You are in a safe container.

Listen to the sound of my voice. You are safe here. If a thought pops into your head, maybe you'll worry about tomorrow, or are aggrieved from yesterday, just treat it like a cloud passing by a mountain. Do not grab it. Just watch it float. You are the mountain. You are still.

You are grounded. Keep focusing on your breathing. Smooth and rhythmic. It's telling your nervous system. We are safe. We are resting. And now that your body is becoming softer, we are going to build your protection. I wonder if you could visualize a small spark of golden light in the center of your chest. It is warm like a small ember from a comforting fire.

However you imagine will be perfect just for you. With every breath you take, the light grows brighter and warmer. It expands from your chest, moving down your arms into your hands, down through your tummy and into your legs and up to the top of your head. Now imagine this golden light expanding outside of your body. It wraps around you like a heavy warm blanket, comforting. It forms a shield about an inch away from your skin. This is your shield of warmth. Inside this shield, it is quiet. Inside this shield, the chaotic energy of the world cannot touch you. It just bounces off. Feel the heat of it. It feels like a hug from someone you love. It feels like safety. And as you hold this image, repeat these affirmations gently in your mind, visualizing them as you do. I am safe in this moment. I am protected from the energy of others. I do not need to react. I can simply observe. My peace is my shield.

I am warm. I am grounded. I am secure. Stay within this warmth for a moment longer.

Save the feeling of having a barrier between you and the turmoil of the world outside. You don't have to carry the weight of the world. You only need to carry yourself. Maybe notice how much slower your heart is beating now compared to 10 minutes ago. Notice how the frantic energy has steadied into a settled hum. This is your baseline. You can come back here any time. And as we gently bring ourselves back to awareness in the room, I want to leave you with three caring tips to keep this shield up for the rest of the day. One, the physical anchor. If you feel stress rising later on today, place your hand warm and flat on the centre of your chest. Press gently. It is a signal to your body that you are safe. Two, the visual boundary. When you are in a crowded place or a stressful meeting, quickly close your eyes and re-visualize this golden light wrapping around your shoulders. It only takes a second to put your shield back up. And three, sensory grounding. Drink something warm today, tea, coffee or just warm water. Feel the heat going down into your stomach. Allow it to remind you of the inner warmth we created here. Now wiggle your fingers and toes.

All the day coming back online. Take one final deep beautiful breath in and as you relax, stretch out the muscles in your arms and legs. Thank you for trusting me with your anxiety today. You are doing so much better than you realize. I'm Martin. This is calming anxiety.

If you are new to the show and you haven't already, please do subscribe. Give it a thumbs up or leave a comment if you are on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. And if there is an affirmation you would like to hear, let me know. Thank you my friend. Now, truly, plan the day for you. Smil as often as you can remember soon. Positive thoughts.

And then to your beautiful self. Be kind.