(#96) Guided Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation: A Somatic Healing Practice for Grounding, Safety and Presence

In this calming and supportive episode of Somatic Healing for Wellness-Focused Women, Rae guides you through a gentle, trauma-informed breathwork practice designed to help you regulate your nervous system, find inner safety, and return to a state of grounding and presence.

This episode builds on the concept of the window of tolerance and is ideal for anyone experiencing anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm. Through a soothing blend of orienting, mindful breath cues, and somatic awareness, Rae helps you reconnect with your body and shift back into a sense of peace, wholeness, and self-trust.

Whether you're new to breathwork or a seasoned practitioner, this is a beautiful nervous system reset you can return to anytime you need it.

🌿 In this episode, you’ll experience:

• A guided somatic breathwork practice (4-1-6 breath)
• Orientation and body-based grounding techniques
• Support for regulating stress, anxiety, and overwhelm
• Gentle reminders that your emotions are valid and you are safe
• Breath cues for self-soothing and releasing tension
• A felt experience of connecting mind and body

⚠️ Please do not listen to this practice while driving. Find a quiet, comfortable space where you can be fully present.

💌 Sign up for the Somatic Healing Newsletter to access Rae’s free resource library with 20+ breathwork + meditation recordings and somatic tools.

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Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast is intended to inspire, educate, and support you on your personal journey. It does not substitute for professional mental health advice. I am not a psychologist or medical professional. If you are experiencing distress, mental health challenges, or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified professional.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the podcast.
If you are new here, I'm Rae,I'm a somatic coach and
breathwork facilitator, and ifyou aren't new here, welcome
back.
I'm so glad that you are tuningin for today's episode.
So, for today's episode, Ireally wanted to provide a
guided practice that will buildon this idea of the window of

(00:23):
tolerance and being able toregulate our nervous systems.
So being able to self-soothe,being able to self-regulate and
being able to use, you know, allof the tools that we have in
our resource library, one ofthose being our breath.
So we all have our breath.

(00:44):
It's something that we alwayshave right in our back pocket,
something that we can alwaysreturn back to, doesn't matter
where we are or what we're doing, and so I would love to provide
you with this practice,something that you can return
back to at any time.
And so today, our practice willbe really around supporting you
in regulating your nervoussystem, finding a place of

(01:08):
safety, finding a place ofgrounding, connecting the mind
and the body, and this is superhelpful for relieving anxiety,
relieving stress, finding asense of inner peace, a sense of
wholeness.
So, of course, you cannot dobreath work while you're driving
, so if you are driving or doingsomething else that you know

(01:30):
might not be a moment where youwant to close your eyes and drop
in.
You can pause this audio.
You can come back to it later.
This practice will also beedited out and added to the
resource library, which is afree resource, and you can gain
access to that by signing up forthe somatic healing newsletter

(01:53):
in the show notes.
So, yeah, I hope that you enjoytoday's practice and let's dive
in.
So, as you start to get settledinto your space, I want to
invite you to take a look aroundyour space, and this is called
orienting.
So what you can do is look atthe walls that are surrounding

(02:15):
you, so look in front of you,look to both sides, make sure
that you also look over both ofyour shoulders and look above
you and also look below, sonotice, as you're looking around

(02:40):
and just observing your space,that you are safe and just
observing your space, that youare safe and there is a
surrounding here for you that ishere to help you feel grounded

(03:01):
and present.
And then gently, when you feelready, beginning to close your
eyes and starting with threedeep breaths.
So taking a deep inhale throughyour nose and exhaling through
the mouth, taking a deep inhalethrough the nose and exhaling

(03:23):
through the nose and exhalingthrough the mouth and taking one
more deep breath, just likethat, at your pace and as you

(03:53):
begin to land in this moment,allowing, however, your mind has
been showing up today or thispast week, allowing that to be
present, knowing that nothingneeds to change or be different,
and checking in with the bodyas well, and noticing how the
body may have been showing uptoday or this week, and noticing

(04:14):
and knowing that nothing needsto change or be different.
You can place your right handon your heart, if that feels
good for you, and your left handon your belly and before we

(04:36):
begin to breathe, noticing,right at the bottom of your seat
, right at the base of yourspine, there is a structure
underneath you supporting youand holding you in this moment,
so you are safe, you aregrounded, and noticing what that

(04:58):
feels like for your system, foryour body to be held.
And then, when you feel ready,I'm going to invite you to start
with a four-second inhalethrough your nose.
We're going to pause at the topfor one and we're going to take

(05:19):
a deep exhale through the mouthfor six.
So, starting with that firstinhale through the nose 4, 3, 2,
1, pause.
Exhaling through the mouth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
One, two, three, four, pause.

(05:52):
Exhaling six, five, four, three, two, one.
Inhaling through the nose One,two, three, four, pause.
Exhaling through the mouth Six,five, four, three, two, one.
And continuing that cycle ofbreath at your pace.

(06:31):
And with each inhale you arebringing in a sense of peace and

(06:53):
with each exhale there is agrounding, there is a letting go
and this breath, quiteliterally, is helping you to
ground and self-regulate yoursystem.
And continuing with that breathyou're doing great.

(07:30):
And on these next few exhales,introducing a sigh, so you're

(08:11):
going to have that inhale forfour seconds pause and the
deepest exhale that you've taken, sighing, really allows the
body to release.
It allows the body to exhale andto regulate.
So, taking that deep sigh andthen gently, on this next breath

(08:43):
, beginning to release thatactive breath pattern and
bringing your natural breathpattern back online.
Maybe the body wants to move,maybe you want to roll out the
shoulders or the neck or shakeout the arms, and beginning to
notice what has shifted for you,noticing what it feels like to

(09:09):
be in your own energy, your ownbody, your own space, really
allowing your mind and your bodyto know I am safe.
I am safe to be here in my body, my mind is safe to be here
with me, I am connected and I amwhole.

(09:32):
And then, when you feel ready,coming back into your space,
being gentle with yourself today, being kind with yourself today
and bringing this feeling withyou into the rest of your day, I
hope you have an incrediblerest of your day, I hope you
have an incredible rest of yourweek and I will talk to you soon

(09:52):
.