Blog:Body Low Slow Loop

BLSL is a process which helps regulate the nervous system through enabling it to find movement and therefore discharge held tensions, stress, trauma and built up emotions.

When practiced regularly it helps us to re-discover and build upon the natural capacity of the nervous system to do this automatically, which can be inhibited through our upbringing, social conditioning and past experiences, as well as current stressors.
Body Low slow loop is a practice devised by John and Anna Chitty…who in turn were informed by trauma researchers, most notably Peter Levine, who… in turn …was informed by the natural world and animals (and how they effectively shake off trauma). A lot of modern day ‘branded’ so called cutting edge and NEW treatment approaches have actually been used in many indigenous cultures and spiritual traditions for many centuries. Thank you to all our teachers, animal and human and other, who made this possible 🙂
Generally areas of high intensity, trauma and stress will be found in the areas through which the vagus nerve runs: areas of the face, throat, chest, abdomen and belly. When we move our awareness between an area of high intensity to an area which is neutral, we titrate (a term coined by Peter Levine in his trauma work) our experience. In doing so we learn how to both enter into and out of charged experiences that previously were scary, overwhelming and engulfing. This means we learn how to bring awareness to the body in a way that not only feels -but is – safer and more supported, structured and helpful, and take steps to regain the natural motility of the nervous system, helping restore its natural function of processing and releasing held charge within the body.

Here is a rather tinny echoey version with a few spring sniffles! I am just getting used to recording technicalities! (I will make a better version soon). You will only need to listen to it a few times until you get the hang of it; then you can guide yourself (and others) without the recording. You can find a written version (with adaptations for those for those without an internal safe place yet too) by clicking on this link: Body Low Slow Loop script.

Side note.

Some people initially may not find an area of safety or neutrality within the body. If this is the case, I would strongly encourage to find support to build this safe/neutral place up as an initial practice. Movement, change and healing comes from a base of safety. However if you still want to do the Body Low Slow Loop exercise and don’t have access to professional support to build a base of safety, you could instead pendular your awareness by shifting between a (non charged) place in your body to the following:

A) Oscillating the attention between inner and outer: for example, looking around the space and choosing five green or square (etc) items that draw your attention.

B) Through building up a felt or visual resource through practicing a body posture that feels safe and grounded, for example the triumphant victory pose!:

or C)  creating a safe place in one’s imagination to go to.

It is important to remember that entering the body and really being with sensation is something that we have avoided because it did not originally feel safe, or even bare-able/do-able.
Be gentle and kind with yourself.
If you are feeling blocked, see if you can let go of any rigid expectations. Often you will find that they may contain a subtle violence: I should not be stressed, I should be able to do this easily, I shouldn’t get upset or space out. With learning any new practice, we are not just learning the practice, we are practicing how to learn! I hope that learning can be an enjoyable, easy and kind experience for you.

See if you can do this as a daily practice to help the nervous system relearn its fluidity and capacity and strength! John used to say that practicing for 21 days in a row will go a long way in helping reboot your autonomic motility.

Thank you very much for sharing your practice and path with me. Please email me with any questions or feedback,

Warmly,

Elise