Ceiling Practice
The image above is a reflection on my ceiling. I noticed it when I was on the floor doing Awareness through Movement and found it particularly pleasing. It looks like it could have been created by an artist from the Light & Space movement. Beth, who I’ve been working with in individual sessions, has turned looking up into a habit called “Ceiling Practice.” It developed out of our work with Orienting, one of the central practices from Somatic Experiencing (SE) for connecting to the present moment in support of nervous system regulation.
When Beth notices she’s getting stuck in a bad mental loop, her chest tightens, or it becomes hard to swallow, it’s time for her to get on the floor for Ceiling Practice.
When I notice my eyes getting heavy, my hip flexors feel like guitar strings, or there’s a growing presence at the base of my neck, it’s time for me to get on the floor.
I’ve been familiar with the power of getting on the floor for many years. It’s where most Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement lessons take place. Feldenkrais teaches you how to notice, describe, and shift bodily sensation.
But Somatic Experiencing has helped me to reach another level of well being. It opens me up to my environment—to take in the color, texture, sounds, and shapes that surround me. This additional layer has taught me to recognize that in every moment, somewhere in my environment, there is something beautiful. It’s there waiting for me to notice and to admire.
What are the sensations that let you know it’s time to take a break? The next time you notice them, I invite you to go to the floor and combine elements from the Feldenkrais Method and Somatic Experiencing so that you create not only a pleasant somatic experience for yourself but an aesthetic one as well. If you would like some guidance, I made a 15-minute audio recording here.
Begin by scanning internally for sensations, collect one positive for every negative one that you notice. You might roll your head gently side to side a few times and then pause and look up. What do you see? Maybe you’ll see something interesting, maybe not. Sometimes it takes time.
In addition to the reflection above, there were two long, delicate strings of dust attached to the ceiling. They were there the whole time but it took me a several minutes to notice them. But I’m so glad I did because it was mesmerizing to watch them sway back and forth.