Both Yoga and Somatics ask us to become more aware of ourselves while also being aware of our surroundings. Basically, presence.

Resourcing

I think of resourcing as a way to come back to my own source of support. The way I was taught, through Yoga and Psyche training, was described as "a set of tools that teaches us to grow space, pleasure, well-being and self-love as a pragmatic experience in our body."

We can do this by finding, within the body, something that feels okay or a sensation that feels good. If there doesn't seem to be either, we can recollect our favourite sight, sound, smell, taste or felt sense to help balance the nervous system with a pleasurable experience. This doesn't mean painting over our experience with positivity. It means that we can find the opposite when our attention is on what we might not want.

Making it Real

Here's an example that I have used myself. While driving in traffic, I begin to notice the feel of the steering wheel under my fingers and even drag them slowly along the grooves to feel a gentle tingly sensation from the slow friction. 

There are many ways to practice this, really. At the moment, I notice a warm sensation from the laptop, under my hands, and the feel of breath that helped my shoulders move and release, rather than be stuck while typing. 

On the Mat

While in an asana practice, you could notice the sensation of your mat when your hands and feet move across it. You can feel your clothing touching your skin. Listen more intently to a song that you enjoy. Find your pulse somewhere or a warm sensation that intrigues you. Sometimes, an area labeled as painful includes another sensation that is somewhat pleasurable. I've noticed this in the warmth of a tender muscle. 

All of this is about presence and perspective. To decide where to put your focus and even why. Am I looking for a sensation in my body to resource support for myself or to judge it harshly? Am I on auto-pilot in some way or consciously deciding what my energy goes to? Both Yoga and Somatics offer tools and reminders for me to keep coming back from the abyss of the thinking mind or runaway train of thoughts.

I hope this is supportive to you as well,

Alissa