Ground Yourself in the Good (A Quick Glimmers Practice)
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Ground Yourself in the Good: How Glimmers Help Regulate Your Nervous System
Glimmers are those little moments of beauty, comfort, and connection that can help soothe our nervous systems and bring us back to the present moment. And the wonderful thing is that they're often available to us throughout the day, even when we're feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
But often we're not even noticing them.
Maybe we're lost in thought, distracted by everything going on in our lives, or just moving at the hectic pace of the world around us. There's so much competing for our attention that we can go through an entire day barely registering the little things that might bring us pleasure, comfort, or a sense of connection. And the more absorbed we become in everything that's demanding our attention, the easier it is to lose touch with what's actually happening around us.
And when we're stressed, anxious, or dysregulated, this tendency can become even stronger. Our nervous systems are constantly taking in information about our environment, and when we're feeling overwhelmed or unsafe, our attention naturally becomes more focused on potential problems and threats. We can become so attuned to what's difficult that we barely register the pleasant, comforting experiences that are also part of our lives.
This is why the practice of noticing glimmers can be so helpful.
What Are Glimmers?
Glimmers are small, ordinary moments that evoke a sense of safety, ease, pleasure, or connection. The term was popularized by Dr. Deb Dana, a clinician and author known for her work with polyvagal theory, who describes glimmers as the opposite of triggers.
While triggers can activate our nervous system's protective responses, glimmers are little cues that help us recognize moments of safety and well-being.
A glimmer might be the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the sound of birds outside your window, the softness of your favorite sweater, or the sight of something beautiful. It might be a photograph that reminds you of someone you love, a familiar scent that brings you comfort, or a small moment of connection with another person.
And glimmers are deeply personal. Something that brings one person a sense of peace or pleasure might not have the same effect on someone else. Part of the practice is learning to recognize what feels good, comforting, or meaningful to you.
How Glimmers Help Soothe and Regulate Your Nervous System
When our nervous systems are dysregulated, we can become so focused on stress, discomfort, and potential threats that our bodies remain in a heightened state of vigilance, even when there's nothing immediately threatening us. And because so much of this happens automatically, beneath our conscious awareness, simply telling ourselves to relax or think more positively often doesn't do much to change how we feel.
But our nervous systems are also responsive to experiences of safety, comfort, pleasure, and connection. When we encounter something that authentically feels good to us, it can provide sensory and emotional information that helps our bodies begin to settle.
This is part of what makes glimmers such a lovely way to support nervous system regulation. By gently orienting toward experiences that feel pleasant or comforting, we're giving our nervous systems an opportunity to respond to something other than stress or threat.
And we can take this practice even deeper by slowing down and noticing how those glimmers actually feel inside of us. Perhaps something beautiful brings a little warmth or openness around your heart, or the softness of a familiar blanket helps your body relax. When we pause with those feelings and allow ourselves to really experience them, we're giving our nervous systems a little more time to register and respond to that goodness.
Grounding Yourself in the Good That's Already Here
One of the most important things about working with glimmers is that the experience needs to be authentic. We're not trying to convince ourselves that everything is wonderful or force ourselves to feel grateful or positive when that's not how we actually feel.
Instead, we're becoming curious about what genuinely feels good to us in the present moment, even if it's something very small. And when we discover something pleasant, comforting, or meaningful, we can take a little time to notice how that experience affects us internally.
This is an important distinction because our nervous systems don't necessarily respond to what we think should feel good. They respond to our actual experience. Something as simple as enjoying a beautiful color, feeling the warmth of your favorite mug, or looking at a photograph of someone you love can evoke a subtle but real shift in how you feel.
When we're stressed or overwhelmed, we can become so absorbed in our discomfort that it begins to dominate our experience. But when we gently make room for something that feels good, we're allowing our bodies to experience a little more ease, comfort, or connection alongside whatever else we're feeling.
The more we practice noticing and experiencing these small moments, the more familiar they can become. And over time, this kind of awareness can help us develop a greater capacity to recognize and enjoy the goodness that's already woven into our everyday lives.
Try This Quick Glimmers Grounding Practice
In this week's episode of Somatic Healing Meditations, I guide you through a short, gentle somatic practice to help you ground yourself in the good that's already here.
Together, we'll slow down, connect with our bodies, and begin noticing the little moments of beauty, comfort, and connection that are available to us right now. We'll also take some time to notice how these experiences feel inside, allowing ourselves to enjoy them and giving our nervous systems an opportunity to settle.
It's a simple practice you can return to throughout your day, especially when you're feeling stressed, distracted, or disconnected from yourself. Even a few minutes of slowing down and noticing your glimmers can help you feel a little more grounded, present, and connected to the goodness in your life.
Listen to Ground Yourself in the Good (A Quick Glimmers Practice) now!
Episode timing:
00:00 - How Glimmers Soothe Our Nervous Systems
01:37 - Quick Guided Glimmers Practice
10:41 - Conclusion and Reflections
How was that Quick Glimmer Practice for you?
How do you feel now? And which part was your favorite?
Please let me know in the comments!
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And please join me every Friday on this beautiful journey out of your head, and into your more embodied and authentic self. 🩷🩷🩷
Thanks so much for joining me today!
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Enjoy more like this: Regulation Exercises, Short Somatic Practices, Glimmer Exercises
About me
Hey, I’m Karena!
I’m a somatic healing coach who helps people deepen their healing through somatic emotional processing, so they can finally heal unresolved wounds and move beyond the old patterns that have been keeping them stuck.
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