Course:
SHIFT Meditation Series
Start: 00:00
Numbness is not failure. It is the body’s pause button, the soul’s quiet survival strategy. But you don’t have to stay here. Noticing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can begin softly, with one breath, one sensation, one moment of presence.
Let your body rest in a comfortable position. Let your hands be open or placed over your heart or belly. Let your breath come as it will. Close your eyes gently, if that feels okay. And breathe in… and breathe out… No pressure to feel more than you do, just a quiet invitation to begin noticing.
Let’s breathe together. Inhale slowly through the nose… exhale gently through the mouth. And again: inhale… and exhale…
There is no right way to feel. There is only what is. Now imagine each inhale as a flicker of light, warming the edges of your awareness. And each exhale as soft space, letting go of judgment or expectation.
Inhale… I’m willing to notice.
Exhale… I release the need to fix.
Let breath begin the thaw.
Now, notice the areas of your body that feel distant, quiet, or absent. Maybe it’s a heaviness in the chest, a flatness in the belly, or a general fog in your awareness. Don’t try to change it. Just name it.
This is numbness.
This is protection.
This is okay.
You might not feel “much” right now. That’s not a problem. That’s just a beginning.
Ask gently:
What are you keeping me from feeling?
Is it safe to notice… just a little?
Trust that the body opens on its own time. You are not broken. You are brilliant at survival. And you are softening back into life.
Now imagine a soft ember glowing at the center of your chest. It’s not a flame yet, just a warmth, a quiet glow. It pulses with presence. With each breath, you feed that ember. You do not force it to grow, you just breathe with it.
Notice it warming your ribcage, melting a layer of numbness, awakening subtle sensation. Now feel it slowly move… down to your belly, out to your hands, up toward your face. You begin to notice. Maybe just tingles, maybe just breath, maybe the beat of your heart.
Inhale… I am here.
Exhale… I am noticing.
Inhale… Something is stirring.
Exhale… And I welcome it.
Say softly to yourself:
I do not need to feel everything right now.
It is safe to feel even a little.
I can be gentle with my awakening.
I trust what is returning.
I honor the pace of my noticing.
Let the breath hold you as awareness continues to rise. Feel your fingers, feel your toes, feel the ground beneath you. You are coming home—slowly, safely, truly.
Begin to bring gentle movement into your body. Stretch, yawn, or rock if it feels good. Let your awareness stay soft and curious. Take one last breath in… and slowly exhale it out.
Before you open your eyes, say inwardly:
I am noticing.
I am present.
I am gently coming alive.
When you’re ready, open your eyes and carry this quiet noticing with you into whatever comes next.
