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(BONUS EPISODE) Autumn Equinox Attunement: A Somatic Practice for Balance and Center · Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul

• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to today's bonus episode on the Healing Her Story podcast.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's funny, I realized as I was recording this batch of episodes that I hadn't yet spoken to the Autumn Equinox.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I was going to let it go because I know that you will probably be seeing things about the Autumn Equinox all over your Instagram feed.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you follow some astrologers, maybe you're on some mailing list where you receive these astrological updates and insights.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And because I know that, and because I honestly don't know that I have anything different than what you'll likely be reading, I knew that I didn't want to just bring you more information about the autumn equinox.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: And it reminded me of this thread I've been following for a while.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: And the thread seems to have more pieces being woven in this idea of insight not being enough.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And this is part of the beauty and the magic and the potency of somatic work is that it brings us out of the thinking, the analyzing, the pathologizing, the intellectualizing, and instead begins to bring us more into the felt experience.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought today I would offer you something different.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: On the day of the autumn equinox, which is today, this is a perfect point of balance, no matter what hemisphere you're in.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And it's an opportunity that we have to explore the balance of the light and the dark, not just in our outer world, but in our inner world as well.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so following this overarching thread of balance as we're moving through Libra season and also now starting to bring in the balancing opportunity that the autumn equinox offers us.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: I thought today we could explore the felt experience of balance.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: And there might be a few other themes that get woven in here as well.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm going to be offering a guided somatic practice.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: And to give you a little example of working with my rhythm, I'm recording the batch of Libra season episodes right now.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And right now it's late in the evening.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm at my desk.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: I've got really dim lighting.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I just got out of the shower.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: And this is usually not a time I would record.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: However, I've got Laura jumping in tomorrow to help with this batch of episodes.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And it's important to me that I have all of my end taken care of so I can turn it over to her.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm reaching the end of my day.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also moving into the later part of my pre-menstrum.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: My energy is waning.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't have the focus and the motivation to put together the episode that I had planned.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I took a break, I ate some dinner, relaxed, took a shower, and to land on this idea, this offering that I'm bringing you today.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Not only will this add value to you, it's also a way for me to show up in a way that really honors where I'm actually at, versus pushing through and working really hard to put together another intellectual-based episode.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: So just wanted to share that that can hopefully be a little example for you of what it means to work with your rhythm.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's not always about completely cutting things out.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: It can sometimes be about just getting creative and finding a way to move forward in a way that really honors where you are.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why we're here.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: How we ended up here today.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: And for today, you might want to set yourself up in a comfortable place where you can be undisturbed.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe if you're driving, maybe you're able to make your way to a park and park your car for a little bit.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you're at home doing some chores, maybe taking a break from those chores.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're doing anything other than that, that maybe doesn't allow you to really drop in, the invitation is to step away from that.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because today's episode is what I'm going to be calling a autumn equinox attunement.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be talking more about this time and the cycle in the coming episodes.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: But if you've been here for a while, and if you track your own cycle, then you'll likely know that this can be a really sticky point in the cycle.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: It can bring up a lot.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: And just how it can be a sticky point in the menstrual cycle, it can also be a sticky point in the seasonal arc that we move through.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Autumn is a time where the pace of life begins to slow down.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: We begin to let go of things, people, places.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes grief can surface during this time of the year.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: The days get shorter, it gets darker earlier, there's less light.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: And we also might begin to experience that lessening of light within ourselves.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: So for many, this can be a really challenging point in the year, especially as we get deeper into the season of autumn.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: So my intention with today's practice is to help you and your system begin attuning to this slower pace that we're all going to be moving into here in the northern hemisphere.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, most of the friction that we experience in the cycle comes from our resistance to what is.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So rather than being frustrated about the slowing down, or rather than trying to fight it by still maintaining that really active energy of summer, what would it be like here to give ourselves permission to ride that rhythm without causing any unnecessary friction?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna slowly begin that process here today.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you've never done somatic work with me before, this is where you'll also get a little taste.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: In your right time and way, making your way to whatever comfortable position you've chosen for today.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And as you make your way there, perhaps we could take a couple of breaths in through the nose, followed by an audible exhale.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Breathing in, sighing out, breathing in, sighing out, breathing in, sighing out, and then returning to your natural breath in and out of the nose.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe allowing the points of your body that are making contact with the support underneath you to relax into those points of contact a little bit more.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Almost as if you were making an imprint in the sand, allowing that imprint to become a little deeper.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: And as you start to bring more awareness to that physical support underneath you, also starting to become more aware of the support of gravity.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe noticing how gravity keeps you weighted here in this moment.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe noticing how gravity, this invisible force here on earth, keeps us grounded, connected to the earth, and keeps us from floating away.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe seeing what it would be like to soften into the support of gravity here.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And also starting maybe to sense that support of the earth.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you can sense the earth rising to meet you here with each breath in and each breath out.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And as you do, maybe, just maybe, you can begin to sense this greater intelligence of the earth.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: The greater intelligence that allows the earth to move through her seasons with without any forcing or striving or pushing or forcing.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: The seasons seem to just magically change.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: And when they do, the earth knows exactly what to do.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: And just as the earth knows exactly what to do, your body, I believe, knows exactly what to do too.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: For this same intelligence lives inside of you.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is the intelligence that allows our hearts to beat and our lungs to breathe without any forcing or striving or pushing.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: All of it just seems to happen.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: Then perhaps you can begin to soften into this greater intelligence that knows.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: And in your right time and pace from this place of support, I'll invite you to begin bringing your awareness to your breath.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Beginning to notice the breath flowing in.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe noticing the constant expansion and contraction of the breath.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: The inhale being the springtime, the fresh energy, the inspiration, the filling up, the expansion.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: The breath out being the descent, the letting go, the contraction, the returning to self.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Seeing this cyclical wisdom also in the breath.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so you see our bodies know exactly how to expand and exactly how to contract as the seasons ebb and flow and change.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: And to attune deeper to this cyclical wisdom, I'm going to invite you to spend a few breaths bringing your awareness to the exhale.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: So taking that inhale through the nose.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then beginning to slowly exhale, maybe out of the mouth, maybe out of the nose.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: And can you make your exhale longer than your inhale?
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: Breathing in.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: Exhaling out slowly.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: And noticing what that's like to exhale slowly.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Noticing what that's like to have the belly and the body contract as you release the air.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Taking maybe three to four breaths, just like that.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: Breathing in.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Slowly breathing out.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Breathing in.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Slowly exhaling out.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe one more breathing in.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: And slowly exhaling out.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then just returning to your normal breath and your right time and pace.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: And just taking a moment here to notice.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Noticing what it's like to slow down.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: To connect with your breath.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: To bring more awareness to the support underneath you.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: This is what the season of autumn is inviting us into.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: This slowing down, this letting go, this beginning to make space.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: And when I think of balance, when I feel in to balance, I sense into the center of my being.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm gonna invite you now to begin exploring this idea of the center, being in your center.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: So as you feel ready, I'll invite you to bring your awareness to your left hand.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then over to your right hand.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then over to the left hand again.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: Over to the right hand again.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then letting it go.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: Allowing your awareness to flow wherever.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: And bringing your awareness to the left shoulder.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: The right shoulder.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: The left shoulder again.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: And the right shoulder again.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then letting it go and allowing the awareness to float forever.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: Bringing your awareness to the left leg.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then the right leg.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: The left leg again.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: And the right leg again.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then letting it go and allowing the awareness to float wherever.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: As you feel ready, beginning to bring your awareness to the entire left side of your body.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then bringing your awareness to the entire right side of the body.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Entire left side of the body again.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: The entire right side of the body again.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then letting it go and allowing the awareness to float forever.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then beginning to find what we call the midline.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Finding this imaginary line that goes down the center of the left side and the right side.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then starting to bring more awareness to the front side of the body, the back side of the body.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then finding that middle point between the front body and the back body.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: And once you've found that center point, I'll invite you to take three or four breaths there.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: And as we slowly begin to reach the end of today's practice, noticing, well, you're noticing in this moment.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's been a shift or a change in your inner world.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's an insight or a word or a felt experience that you're taking away today.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe this was new for you.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe this was a little different.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's the case, that's okay too.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: Taking in whatever might have arose for you in as good information.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: If any of the tools I shared with you today felt useful, feel free to take them and integrate them into your own practice and into your own day-to-day.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: The first tool that we used was called bilateral stimulation, Liz Lemon entering the chat.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: And the second tool we used was centering.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: As you feel ready, you can begin to invite movement back into the body, wiggling the toes, the fingertips, maybe taking a full body stretch.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: And just taking your time to transition from this practice.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want to spend a few minutes journaling and maybe exploring today's autumn equinox a little bit further.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you enjoyed today's practice, I'm really excited with a change of seasons to be bringing something new to my community.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: Starting this month, I'm going to be offering what for now I'm calling a monthly attunement call.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I may play with that name a little bit more.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: The intention will be the same, though.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: It will be a space that offers exactly what we did today.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: A space to move away from gaining more insight, not because insight is not helpful, but rather moving towards more embodied, more tangible experiences of what it is that we're wanting to maybe create and change in our life.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: As I said, when we started, insight alone is not enough.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of the deeper, long-lasting healing and change happens in the nervous system and in the body.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you're interested in joining these calls, you can find the link with more information in the show notes.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: And the first one's actually going to be happening this week.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not really giving you a ton of notice.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be happening this Thursday, September 24th at 6 o'clock p.m.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_00: on Zoom.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're not able to join us for Thursday on such short notice, that's perfectly okay.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to be offering this every month.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: So the link will take you to not only this month's gathering, but next month's and the next month and the next month as well.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: So you can find the link to register for that in the show notes.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that you enjoyed today's bonus episode and I'll look forward to seeing you on Friday.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: And Friday, you're going to be getting a solo episode from me.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be our gentle introduction into Libra season.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I very much look forward to connecting with you then.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: Bye for now.