Begin by noticing yourself arriving into a room or a conversational space by consciously using your sense of sight (if that is available to you). What is going on visually? Look around the space you’re in and notice what draws your attention. Are there colors and textures that engage you? Let your gaze rest for a few moments on an object or item that is meaningful to you. Then allow your gaze to soften or even close your eyes as you turn to another sense.
You might notice your soundscape becomes more prevalent when the visual realm is softened or closed off. What can you hear? Allow your own voice to soften and invite yourself and others with you to notice “sounds beneath sounds” — what are the quieter, less obvious sounds? See if you can let sound wash over you rather than necessarily having to attribute every sound to a source.
Then allow other senses to come forward. What is in your surrounding smellscape? Notice smells, scents, and odors – again, without necessarily having to identify them. Are there layers here, like there were with sound? Are there “quieter” smells?
Finally, allow yourself to blink your eyes open. Sometimes, in a bright setting it can help to cup your hands over your eyes and open them inside your cupped hands. You can even gently massage your temples with your fingertips, engaging your sense of touch.
How do you know you have arrived? Notice your feet inside shoes or socks, perhaps planted on the floor. If you are seated, notice your legs in the chair. Try swaying from side to side to find your sit bones in the chair. Notice the back of the chair against your lower back, notice where your arms and hands are resting and the sensation of the clothes against your skin.
Do you feel more fully present? This type of “basic hygiene” of the nervous system can go a long way.
As we co-regulate with others, it can be helpful to remember that all learning is “stressful” — the trick is to differentiate good, productive, exciting stress from dis-stress, such as anxiety, disengagement or burnout. When we sit with each other, whether on a video or telephone call, or in person, we can engage our own resilience. The flow of resilience grounds and stabilizes.
Ultimately, as Simran Jeet Singh notes, “Resilience is not about gritting your teeth and suffering quietly ….. Resilience is about our ability to find hope and agency amid difficulty” (Harvard Business Review, March 22, 2023). Let’s orient ourselves and those we interact with, not just to survive these times of tumult and uncertainty, but to return ourselves to ground in order to thrive.
Dr. Mitra Emad is the associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She teaches and writes about cultural constructions of the human body, especially in terms of how the body functions as a site for cultural translation and trauma resolution. She is also an established somatic educator, yoga teacher, and yoga therapist. Her blog is located at medium.com/@MitraEmad