Gina LoCascio

Reset your nervous system through gentle somatic exercises, soothing vocalizations, and a comforting visualization of global caregiver solidarity.

English

To all the caregivers out there, I know firsthand that the stress, exhaustion and burnout are very real. Please take the next 10 minutes to ground and receive. During this video I'll offer you simple and calming exercises designed to target the vagus nerve and return the body to a more centered place of homeostasis. I especially hope you enjoy the musical surprise at the end.

Nervous System Reset for Busy Caregivers

Welcome, busy caregiver. These next few minutes are for you. So start by getting in the most comfortable position that you can right now. Hopefully you're able to sit down or even lie down. We'll begin by bringing ourselves out of the mind. and into the body. So taking a moment to scan through the body for temperature. I want you to try to locate the warmest place in your body right now. And now bringing your attention all the way down to the very bottoms of your feet. Notice whatever sensations you can feel there, tingling, heaviness. numbness. Now bring your attention to an area in your body that's holding some tension. Imagine breathing a sense of spaciousness. into that area. perhaps allowing it to relax. Just a little bit more. We're gonna take our eyes and we're going to look around the space that we're in. And we're going to try to draw our eyes in a circle in their orbit. So starting by looking over to the right. Notice what you can see there. We don't need to add a layer of judgment or analysis. Just notice what you're looking at. If it helps, you can even name it mentally, like chair. plant. And then starting to circle the eyes upward, noticing what you can see there. over to the left side. circling the eyes downward. And if you can, even looking above you and behind you. This is just one way that our nervous system tells our brain that we're in a safe place. Bringing your eyes back to a neutral gaze. See if you can soften your gaze. Perhaps the eyelids can feel a little bit heavier here. taking your two pointer fingers. I'm going to have you put them into your inner ears. Now, if that doesn't feel good, you can always take your fingers and place them on your temples. and rub the temples in slow circles if that feels better for you. Otherwise, join me taking your two pointer fingers. and just gently placing them in your ear canal, not too far. and then add a little bit of pressure downward. You can even pinch the earlobes with your thumb. We're going to start to draw really slow circles around the ear, moving that finger and pushing it in a circle around the interior. of the ear canal. And as we do that, We're going to take some deep breaths and on the exhale, making a sound in the voice box. It might sound something like this. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Try it with me. Inhale. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr You can gently remove the fingers out of the ears or off the temples. And take that breath again. This time keeping the lips closed. and humming on the way out. Inhale. Mmmmmmm. Now bring a hand. and place it on your belly. or on your chest. and start to do... A gentle, slow rubbing motion with the hands. If that doesn't feel good, you can always take your four fingers and tap. on the chest instead. or tap on the breastbone or even tap on the belly. Choose whatever feels good for you right now, rubbing or tapping. And as you do those motions, Feel the breath slowing down. Maybe swaying the body a little side to side. Maybe allowing the eyelids to get heavier. Mmmmm. Start to slow down the rubbing. Slow down the tapping. And just hold the hand there on your belly. or your chest. or maybe both. holding yourself in stillness. Letting the body and the mind get more and more quiet. And as you rest here, I want you to imagine. the millions of other caregivers around the world. who understand exactly what you do. The sacrifices. that you make. the energy and time that you pour out. Imagine all those caregivers standing right beside you and behind you. Like an army. or a village. Imagine them offering you. their compassion. their strength. their resiliency. reminding you that you're not alone. Breathing that truth in. Ah, slowly letting the hands go wherever comfortable. finding a restful position. And we'll just rest here. for about one more minute. Slowly begin. Blinking your eyes just a little bit more open. Hmm. inviting small movements into the body. gently waking it back up. I hope that you feel. just a little bit more refreshed. as you go back into your day. Thank you so much. for all the care that you give. The world is so much better with you in it.