If you haven’t checked out Step 1: Nervous System Cleansing 101: Step 1 – Orientation, be sure to do so.

If you don’t, this won’t make that much sense. I’m going to keep this post shorter so you can catch up with the first step of orientation.

Part 3 is here.

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For Step 2, I’m going to add a supplement:  Body Awareness – specifically the sensorial and kinesthetic kind.

This means that while you are orienting to your surroundings, you also have an awareness on your body.

Since there are oodles of ‘body’ pieces you can bring your attention to, simply start with the easy ones:

If you are sitting,

  • Simply notice your butt on your chair. If your back is against the back of the chair, sense the pressure and contact you make with your back and the seat. There is no need to change how you are sitting, unless of course you sense the need to re-adjust to make yourself more comfortable….simply notice.
  • If your feet are on the ground, simply pay attention to the pressure of each foot.

If you are standing,

  • Bring attention to your feet. Shift your weight a little bit from the left to right foot. Perhaps even move a few steps forward or to the side, or take a few steps back. Move your toes a little bit.

Maybe even try both body orientations of sitting, and then standing.

Therefore, AS YOU ORIENT to your surroundings, you are putting a focus on yourself, but at a sensorial and kinesthetic level (meaning, the pressure against your skin – through your clothes – is telling your brain where you are in space).

Finally, I’d like to repeat the last paragraph taken from the first post in this series (Step 1: Orientation):

This little exercise is a good way to take a break in the middle of a work day and requires nothing special except the ability to pause and bring your attention to your surroundings (and now your body from a kinesthetic point of view). The more you can ‘break-up’ your day and time into these little snippets of orientation, the more you let your system know that you are safe.

Happy orienting plus…becoming aware of your body! Irene.