NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION EXERCISE: External orienting/naming (10MINS)

HEAL – EXTERNAL ORIENTING & NAMING | GROUNDING & NERVOUS SYSTEM SUPPORT When you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious or disconnected, focusing on your breathing or what's happening inside your body doesn't always feel helpful. Sometimes it can feel safer to look outwards. In this HEAL nervous system practice, Kelly guides you through external orienting and naming – a simple grounding exercise that brings your attention to what you can see and notice in the environment around you. Rather than trying to force yourself to calm down, you're invited to look around, notice your surroundings and name what is actually present. This can offer your attention an external focus when thoughts, memories, emotions or internal sensations feel overwhelming. You remain in control throughout. There is no need to close your eyes or focus internally, and you can pause or stop whenever you need to. IN THIS PRACTICE 00:00 – Introduction to External Orienting 00:55 – Why Looking Outwards Can Help 01:50 – Beginning to Notice Your Surroundings 02:50 – Naming What You Can See 04:00 – Exploring Your Environment 05:20 – Slowing Down & Taking in More Detail 06:35 – Continuing the Orienting Practice 07:45 – Noticing How You Feel 08:40 – Final Reflection & Closing 09:31 – End BENEFITS OF THIS PRACTICE 🌿 Introduces a simple external grounding technique. 💛 Directs attention towards your current surroundings. ✨ Offers an alternative when internal body or breath awareness feels difficult. 🌸 Encourages present-moment awareness without needing to close your eyes. 🤍 Provides a practical tool for moments of stress or overwhelm. HOW TO USE THIS PRACTICE ✔ Keep your eyes open and gently look around you. ✔ Notice and name neutral objects, shapes, colours or details. ✔ Let your eyes move naturally rather than forcing your attention. ✔ Skip anything in your environment that feels uncomfortable. ✔ Move, change position, pause or stop whenever you need to. You can also use external orienting without this video – simply taking a moment to notice and name what is around you. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT KELLY Kelly Thistlethwaite, BSc (Hons), is Co-Founder of FLY Mama, a Trauma-Informed Matrescence Coach, Perinatal Yoga and Breathwork Teacher, and Nervous System Education and Regulation Specialist. Kelly supports women through pregnancy, birth, motherhood and difficult reproductive experiences using coaching, breathwork and trauma-informed practices. Explore Kelly's current work: 🔗 https://linktr.ee/kellythistlethwaite SAFE CLINICAL GUIDANCE Grounding and orienting practices can feel supportive for some people but not everyone. Following trauma or loss, aspects of your surroundings may themselves bring up difficult memories or emotions. You remain in control. Choose neutral or comfortable things to focus on, move your attention elsewhere, pause or stop if needed. This video is an educational and supportive resource and does not replace individual psychological, medical or therapeutic care. If you are experiencing significant distress, intrusive memories or trauma symptoms, please seek support from an appropriately qualified healthcare or mental health professional. LIABILITY & ARCHIVED CONTENT STATEMENT This video forms part of the FLY Mama Legacy Library and was originally recorded while the FLY Mama platform was live between 2020 and 2026. The information was created in good faith and, to the best of our knowledge, reflected appropriate evidence and professional guidance at the time. This content is for educational and general wellbeing purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Healthcare guidance may change, so please seek appropriate professional advice for your circumstances. FLY Mama, Kelly Thistlethwaite, Michelle Norton-Hughes and individual contributors accept no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from participation in or reliance upon this content. MUSIC NOTICE Some sessions may include background music captured naturally during filming. This music is incidental and remains the property of the original copyright holders.