Supported Rest Exercise (takes about 15 minutes)
First, find a quiet spot. This might be resting on your bed, lying down on your sofa, or sitting in your most comfortable chair. If you’re not sure, give yourself two options, and internally ask your body which it prefers right now. It’s easy to do (and very normal!), but try to not over-analyze this part. Just go with your first response.
Now, take some props (pillows, blankets, small towels, stuffed animals, eye pillow, etc.) and arrange them on, under, and around your body as necessary to ensure your maximum possible level of physical comfort. For example, if you know that your low back gets cranky when you are lying down, stack a pillow or two and then lie down with them positioned in the area under your knees. This will release the strain on your hips and lumbar spine. If you know you tend to get chilled, place a light blanket on top or have it ready next to you. If you more readily relax with light music playing, turn some on. Now rest for a few moments in this initial position, feeling into your physical form.
Then, self-assess. Ask yourself, on a 1 - 10 scale (with 10 equaling “I could not possibly be any more comfortable” and 1 equaling “I am not at all comfortable!”), how comfortable is my body? (With the somatic work, we are pausing to pay attention to and to really notice physical body sensations which are present.) Again, not too much mental analysis here, just pick a number. Let’s hypothesize that you feel you are a 4 or a 5. Maybe even a 6, 7, or 8! All of these values are perfect. And, let’s see if we can move your number up even a little bit higher toward more comfort.
To do that, gently scan your body from the inside (beginning at the top of your head and slowly moving your awareness down), noting if there are any physical areas which are currently attracting your attention. You may feel, for example, that your left shoulder is a bit achy. So perhaps you can fold a hand towel or two and place those behind that shoulder, offering it some additional support. Then, mentally check in, and note any shift. If it seems to feel even a little better, great! If not, remove the towels and perhaps try placing a small pillow underneath, or perhaps a weighted item (beanbag, sealed one pound bag of rice, etc.) on top, and again noting how that feels. Take no more than another minute or two to reposition and/or add these additional supports. The goal is comfort, not perfection.
Now, rest in this position for 10 minutes. Feel free to set a timer. Once the 10 minutes is over, you’re finished!
**It’s okay if your mind wanders during this exercise. The idea is to allow whatever wants to show up to do so. I believe this signals our body that we are listening, and are respecting its "language,” without trying to change it or fix it.
**You may not notice any large shifts, especially at first. But by committing to this simple daily routine, you will reinforce a pattern of rest that will build nervous system resiliency (the expansion of your body’s organic capacity to effectively manage stressors).