Introduction

Ever wondered how animals in the wild stay so alert yet so calm? Their secret? Orientation. 🌍👀

This natural response of mammals involves scanning their environment to assess safety – and guess what? Interestingly enough, humans have this innate ability too!

Specifically, let’s unpack “Orientation” and how it can transform your sense of security and self-awareness.

The Essence of Somatic Orientation

First off, understand that Somatic Orientation is your body’s built-in radar for safety. It’s the process where we unconsciously check: “Is this place safe? Can I chill here, or do I need to bolt?” 🚀🐾 Importantly, this happens automatically in many cases. Of course, you can also do this quite consciously, but it happens first without our awareness. We just “feel it.” 

To clarify, this primal check-in experience can lead to your body having one of three types of responses: fight/flight (sympathetic), freeze (dorsal vagal), or friend (ventral vagal).

Why It Matters

In today’s hustle and bustle, our internal “radars” often get jammed, or even misread danger and misfire. Consequently, we might overlook or invalidate our body’s signals, leading to stress, anxiety, and disconnection. As a result of this, we “miss” important signals and “lock on” to non-threatening ones. Relearning to orient can help us re-engage with our environment in a healthy, grounded way, enhancing our nervous system processing and self-regulation. 🌱🧠

Daily Practices for Somatic Orientation

The good news here is that orienting is a skill you can practice and refine. Here are some practices for orienting both at home and “in the wild.” 

1. At-Home Tool – “Allow” – this is something my somatic practitioner repeated for me over and over again: “allow, allow, allow” in terms of my body signals and sensory information. 

• Find a comfy chair in a quiet spot.
• Notice your body: the back against the chair, feet on the ground.
• Observe the body, noticing any tension and allow your senses to roam for about a minute, absorbing your surroundings. Allow your eyes to see what they will, noticing colors, objects, textures, sound, or shapes. 
• Allow your eyes and senses to rest and receive without “doing anything” 
• Allow and observe any sensations or calmness that arises by engaging with your environment in this way. 
• Move your head in all directions, noticing what is near the ground and what is near the ceiling, are you able to see outside along the tree tops? Notice what is to your sides and even behind you. 
• Notice and allow your breath as you experience ease, softening, centeredness and peace. 

2. Out-in-the-World Tool – “Receive”:

• As you step out into the world, stand or sit in your environment and consciously check in with your body and surroundings.
• Receive awareness of your feet and your “back body” 
• Soften your gaze and let your senses gently scan the environment, resting on anything that catches your attention.
• Receive what your senses provide you without locking into it. 
• Move your head in all directions, noticing what is near the ground and up high, along the tree tops or tall buildings? Notice what is to your sides and even behind you. Can you see into the horizon?
• Let your eyes rest and your awareness to recede back into the center of your brain (like when you rest your eyes and your vision blurs slightly). 
• Key mantra: “Receive” – not “retrieve” – just taken in what your body and eyes absorb the world without judgment.
• Notice the peace, fullness, safety, or presence that emerges.

Enhancing Your Orientation Practice

If feeling grounded is tricky, tweak your practice this way:

• Mind the Space Between: When breathing deeply, notice the “space between” your inhale and exhale. 🍃👀 
• Space Between Objects: Instead of focusing on objects, explore the spaces between them. This can cultivate a shift in your perception and deepen your present moment awareness. 🔍🌌
• Naming Objects: As you look around, name objects and describe them – out loud. This can help ground your attention and shift your internal state. 🗣️🌸
• Naming Safety: As you observe around you, notice what feels safe (locked doors or windows, the presence of doors or windows, the distance between you and other people, street lights, etc.) 

The Benefits Unfold

By practicing Somatic Orientation, you might notice a shift toward more peace, presence, and groundedness in your daily life. It’s about tuning in, not tuning out, allowing you to navigate the world with a renewed sense of stability, safety and self-awareness. 🌈💪

Work With Me

Feeling intrigued? Want to dive deeper into Somatic Orientation and discover how this and other somatic skills can create subtle shifts can lead to profound changes in your life?

Click here to see if we might navigate this path to healing together, one degree at a time. 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

In Health & Wholeness,

Shannan