Knee Settling: Listening Without Fixing (5–10 minutes)
- Julie Jewels Smoot
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
Before you begin
Sit or lie down in a position that feels neutral, not “proper.”
Your knee can be bent or straight.
If it helps, place a pillow, towel, or blanket under or around the knee.
If touch feels okay, rest one or both hands on or near the knee. If not, let your hands rest elsewhere.
Nothing else is required.
Minute 1–2: Arriving without demand
Gently notice where you are right now.
You don’t need to scan your whole body.
Just notice:
the surface supporting you
the temperature of the air
one sound nearby
Say silently or out loud:
“I’m here. I’m not being asked to do anything.”
Let that land.
Minute 2–3: Contact without pressure
If your hands are on or near your knee, let them be heavy but soft.
Not pressing.
Not fixing.
Just present.
Imagine your hands are saying:
“I’m here with you. You don’t have to change.”
If you’re not touching your knee, imagine the space around it being gently held.
Minute 3–4: Separating sensation from danger
Bring gentle attention to the knee—not to analyze it, just to notice.
You might sense:
pain
tightness
heat
dullness
or nothing clear at all
Whatever is there is allowed.
Now quietly say:
“This is sensation, not a command.”
You are not being instructed to act. Your body is communicating, not demanding.
Minute 4–6: Containment imagery (key part)
Imagine the knee is surrounded by something supportive and neutral.
Choose one image (or make your own):
warm sand holding the knee in place
a soft brace made of light, not pressure
hands cupping without squeezing
a thick, steady blanket
This support does not correct alignment. It does not force relaxation.
It only says:
“You are contained. You are not alone.”
Let the image stay for a few breaths.
Minute 6–7: Micro-choice
Offer the knee a choice.
Silently say:
“You can soften if you want. You can stay exactly the same. Either is okay.”
Then do nothing.
Often pain eases when it is no longer required to perform.
Minute 7–8: Breath as background
Let breath happen without shaping it.
If it helps, lightly track:
the inhale arriving
the exhale leaving
On the exhale, you might quietly add:
“I don’t have to carry this right now.”
If the breath feels uneven or shallow, let it be.
Minute 8–9: Re-orienting to safety
Gently widen attention back to the room.
Notice:
something solid
something neutral or pleasant
something unchanged
This reminds the nervous system:
I am here. The threat has passed.
Minute 9–10: Closing without urgency
Before ending, check in gently:
Is the pain different?
Is it the same?
Is something else present?
There is no right answer.
Say:
“Thank you for letting me listen.”
Then slowly return to whatever comes next—without rushing.
Important reminders
Relief is not the goal.
Reduction of pain is welcome but not required.
Even 5% more ease or space is meaningful.
Stopping early is part of consent, not failure.
This exercise works best when repeated without expectation.
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