Unfiltered from the heart

as pieces within
settle in
into a peace of me
the energy moves back & down
more relaxed than heavy
giving a lightness to my breath
the chest expanding in new directions
beneath my flesh

the ventral vagal reactivated *
in bits & pieces
based on awareness & attention
in any given moment
there is no forcing
for to force is to shutdown
the system that keeps me
embodied & grounded in my being,
in this moment, in my surrounds

to be more fully embodied
is to allow the expansion while
observing the ripples of emotional
upheaval to spiral in & out
moving on their own accord
as eddies on a river twirl
whirling the waters back upstream
as if regurgitating the process
the eddy’s purpose
to overcome the obstacles
allowing the river to meander
& move forward just as it is meant to be

back & down
settling into
opening into
a peace of me

*the dorsal vagal reference here is to the poly-vagal theory, part of which theorizes that when the ventral vagal system is more active, we are settled into & aware of the back of our bodies. when this system is more active we are more connected to ourselves, our environment & others. in contrast, when the dorsal vagal system shutdown occurs, we move towards disembodiment, disconnection from our surroundings & others. in my own experience, my energy moves upwards and forward – as if moving out of my body.

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