The S Modality

One of my greatest gifts to humanity is the articulation of a practice called : The S Modality.

It is essentially a mixture of Yoga, Strength Training, and Ecstatic Dance. It is ideally practiced barefoot on Mother Earth. It is meant to be a Self-Guided practice to help you tune into and harmonize your BodyMindSpirit System.

I don't believe I invented this practice, per se, though I am being called to steward it, and give structure to it. I cannot overstate how powerful and transformative practicing the S Modality has been for me!

Sidenote - This whole article is a direct excerpt of a chapter from my book State of Being. If you enjoy this article and want to buy a physical copy of the book, you can get a signed copy by emailing me : KevinMayCoaching@gmail.com or you can CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON.

Here is some of the origin story for the S Modality. From 2011 - 2013 I was a regular at many Yoga Studios. There were certain aspects of practicing yoga in a studio that I Ioved ( like the community energy and encouragement ), but many things I didn’t fully resonate with. Here are two main areas that inspired me to move away from Yoga Studios and towards doing the S Modality on my own : 

1. I enjoyed having some structure within a Yoga Class, but I also desired to listen deeply to my body, and move however I felt intuitively inspired to move. Sometimes this meant holding a pose for a long time, or dancing around, or bursting out into song ( all of which I do while practicing the S Modality). 

2. I wanted to feel connected to the elements of nature, and being inside a Yoga Studio just wasn’t doing it for me…

So naturally, I began practicing yoga more on my own, usually out in nature. This felt more ideal to me, and would eventually morph into my personal daily practice of the S Modality. 

Over the years of my personal explorations, the letter S has revealed itself to be quite a magical letter and symbol. The clear download to call this practice the S Modality came through in March of 2018. Here are just a few reasons why the letter S is superb : 

The letter S is essentially one half of the Infinity Symbol ♾️ 

It is also the shape of our Spine, which is the foundation of our physical existence. S is shaped like a serpent, which has lots of mythology connected to the Divine Feminine and Kundalini energy, which moves up our Spine in a “S” shaped fashion (similar to a DNA coil). 

------ I have practiced the S Modality for an average of 90 minutes every day since 2016. I have received hundreds of intuitive insights related to this life-changing activity. I’m excited to share many of them here, and encourage you to explore and experiment with the various prompts :) 

Within the S Modality, the Core 4 principles are (in no particular order) :

Stretching

Strengthening

Sensing

Stabilizing

Beyond the Core 4, I invite you to exSplore and contemplate many other S-themed words, which are listed on the upcoming pages, each with its own invitation to exSplore. 

>>> So how exactly do you practice the S Modality? 

Ultimately it is meant to be a Self-Guided practice to help you tune into and harmonize your BodyMindSpirit System. With that said, here are some basic steps and tips which I recommend : 

1. Find an area outside where you can be barefoot on a natural surface. I prefer grass and to be close to at least one tree. ( It is absolutely possible to practice the S Modality indoors, I just strongly prefer to be outdoors, communing with the elements. )

2. Unless you are in a very secluded area, you will likely have to face off with the reality that some people will give you strange looks, may say bizarre things, or even approach you. I understand that everyone has their own level of comfortability with “strangers,” and I encourage you to explore caring less about what others may think or say. Also, you never know, you may be inspiring dozens of people every day if you are practicing in a public park. 

3. I highly recommend bringing a small notebook or piece of paper and pen, so that you can write down any ideas, songs, or thoughts that come to you. ( I prefer to not have my phone close by, so that it doesn’t distract me, but that is also an option to record in the notes app ). 

4. Next, I invite you to bring your palms and fingers together in front of your heart center at the center of your chest. Take 3 deep breaths, and let out a big SIGH on each exhale. 

5. Next, set 1-3 intentions for today’s practice of the S Modality. Perhaps choose 3 words from the list below to focus on. 

6. Choose an estimated time frame that you want to practice for, and set an alarm if necessary. 

7. I always recommend starting by warming up your body with some stretching, swaying, and swinging of your arms. When you feel ready, you can shift towards movements that engage your muscles more, like or dancing, or squats, pushups, and crunches, all which help to strengthen and stabilize you on all levels of your being. 

8. The key is to tune into where in your body wants some extra attention during your practice that day. If you feel called, you can explore some of the “Reclaiming Sensation” techniques which I articulated in the previous chapter. 

9. When closing your practice, I invite you to honor yourself, your intentions, and all the elements around you by bringing your palms and fingers together in front of your heart center, and doing 3 conscious breaths. 

As mentioned before, these are the CORE 4 principles to explore within the S Modality : 

Stretching - I recommend scanning your body to feel which muscles could benefit from some stretches. If you aren’t familiar with good stretches for that area, I recommend simply searching “stretches for “insert body area” on YouTube. And if you aren’t very familiar with Yoga, I invite you to learn some basic yoga flows on YouTube via Yoga with Adriene. Then once you feel comfortable with different stretches, you can incorporate them into your S Modality practice in whichever setting you find yourself in. 

Strengthening - There are countless benefits to Strength Training. Just a few include : enhancing bone density, supporting a healthy metabolism, improving overall resilience, causing you to sweat - which is great for detoxing. I encourage you to learn some basic body weight exercises for upper body, lower body and core from the countless free training videos on YouTube. Then you can incorporate these into your S Modality practice. Personally, I love leg lifts and squats for my legs, crunches for abs, and pushups, dips, and pullups for my upper body. I will do some of these strengthening exercises intermixed with stretches, dance moves, self-massaging, and many of the other S words listed on the following pages. 

Sensing - The Mainstream StrangeDream conditions many of us to be in go-go-go mode, which causes us to disconnect or become numb to our subtler senses. Practicing the S Modality is a way to prioritize time where you can slow down and tune in to all your senses. I like to say to myself “Now leaving Storyville and entering SENSATIONLAND!” Focusing on your present moment sensations is a great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level, and become more in tune with your true needs, feelings, and desires. 

Stabilizing - Stabilizing and regulating your BodyMind System at the beginning of your day, and whenever you feel called to practice the S Modality - can work wonders in your life. There are several simple ways to stabilize and ground yourself. One technique is to observe your breath, and aim to slow it down and deepen it a little bit. Going barefoot in the grass helps you to relax your Nervous System, reduce inflammation, draw in beneficial electrons, and harmonize to the frequency of nature, rather than the hustle bustle of modern society. Thirdly, doing some squats, and other leg and core exercises help you to anchor into the lower half of your body.

>>> If you feel called to explore the S Modality, then I would encourage you to first focus on these CORE 4 principles for about a month, so that you can deepen your connection to each focus area. Then I invite you to dive into more superb words / themes / concepts for exSploring within your S Modality practice : 

The next key practice I encourage you to incorporate is the Soothing Skin Technique, which helps to stabilize your energy in your physical body and regulate your BodyMind System : 

Soothing Skin Technique : The technique is to very gently caress over the skin on different parts of your body with your fingers or hand, and aim to only touch the hair follicles on the skin’s surface. If you’re practicing it optimally, then you or the recipient will get goosebumps :) 

This simple practice works wonders for relaxing the body and mind. You can do it on yourself or with another person. You can experiment moving a few centimeters away from the skin, or going closer and actually touching the surface of the body. The key is to move slowly and be very present with the sensations as you are giving or receiving touch. The goal is to catalyze goosebumps and a deep, peaceful state of relaxation.          ( Some people also call this technique “Feather Touch.” )

I truly believe that this technique can help to heal or lessen PTSD symptoms. As I’ve worked with PTSD within myself, I find that the Soothing Skin Technique dissolves my anxiety, and seemingly cools down my “fight or flight response,” which is usually overactive in people with PTSD. I pray that Holistic Techniques like this will grow in popularity and eventually partially replace pharmaceutical treatments for PTSD and other Mind-Body conditions.

Here is a colorful graphic I made with many more S themes to explore and incorporate at your own pace, followed by more info on most of them. Reading through the info describing all of the S words may not be the most exciting, so I invite you to just skim it at first. The real magic happens when you experiment with these different themes during your S Modality practice and see for yourself how transformational they can be : 

Stillness - How can you bring more stillness to your thoughts, and any chaos in your body? Sitting or standing still in a natural setting allows you to slow down and re-attune to the stillness that exists under all the hustle bustle. 

Singing - There are 1,000’s of songs that can add inspiration, focus, love and good energy to your BodyMind System. I list a bunch in Chapter 26 called “Musical Medicine” and also have many playlists on Healingiscool.com. I invite you to memorize some of the lyrics to songs that inspire you and sing them while you practice the S Modality. 

Sircling n Spiraling - I’ve obviously shifted the spelling of circling, mostly out of playfulness, though a kid may spell it this way, since it's phonetically accurate. Anyways, I invite you to move different parts of your body in sircles and notice what sensations you feel. I believe one factor causing Mainstream Society’s insanity is that we have put ourselves in too many boxes, both literally and figuratively. Boxes and completely straight lines are rarely found in the wilderness. It’s time to shift out of the linear and box framework into more squiggly wiggly spirals and sircles! The spiral is one of the most common patterns in the natural world. Many things including DNA, hurricanes, and galaxies move in a spiral pattern. I invite you to turn yourself into a galactic hurricane and move your body in spirals today! 

Shifting - After 8 years of practicing the S Modality daily, I have stacks and stacks of evidence that this practice can SHIFT my State of Being in extremely profound ways. As you do your practice more often, I invite you to notice what subtle and drastic shifts you experience. 

Slowing - Mainstream Society often promotes the go-go-go attitude and many people are overly caffeinated just to keep up with the stampede of society. In order to truly get in touch with how you are feeling on a deeper level, I encourage you to be like the turtles and slowwww dowwwwwnnn :) 

Silliness - Many adults are often overly serious and seem to have forgotten the importance of silliness. We can still be responsible adults while incorporating more silliness into our lives. I encourage you to move in ways that feel strange or silly, and let go of the worry of what others may think. 

Subtlety - There are millions of processes happening in your BodyMind System every second. I invite you to tune into the subtle sensations while you practice. Feel your hand slowly moving through space and time. Feel your fingers caress the hair follicles of your arm. ExSplore !

Spaciousness - Taking time to pause before or in between the busy activities of your day, allows you to tune into the element of SPACE. I invite you to notice the empty space that surrounds, and is in between every object around you. Contemplate - what is space? Then I invite you to tune into the space between the cells of your body, the space between your spiraling DNA, and then the space between the atoms that comprise your body. Receive a DEEP BREATH…haaaaaa, spaciousness is graciousness. 

Swaying - This is one of my most common movements when I practice the S Modality. I like to sway my hips and arms back and forth as I feel my bare feet in the grass. I will gently massage any sore spots while I sway and I sometimes go for up to 20 minutes. 

Spinning - The Ancient Sufi tradition knows about the power of spinning, and they do it for long periods of time in their sacred dances. You may get some strange looks if you are spinning around in a public area, but I believe we must work to become immune to strange looks! Spinning can help you to get a new perspective on life and peer behind the veil of “normal reality” to see the psychedelic and geometric nature of space-time. 

Slapping - Slapping different parts of your body with your hands may sound intense, and it certainly can be, depending on how hard you do it. This is a common practice in Qi Gong, because it helps move the lymph and chi throughout the BodyMind System. 

Softening - Mainstream Society often conditions us to harden ourselves in order to keep up with all the demands of a Toxic Culture. But the S Modality gives an opportunity for you to tune into your softness and feminine qualities. 

Sweating - Sweating has countless benefits for the BodyMind System. I usually don’t break a sweat while practicing the S Modality unless I am in warm weather in the sun or doing a lot of squats. Usually I use the S Modality as a warm-up before shifting into a full workout at the gym, where I really get my sweat on. 

Sounding - Giving yourself full permission to let any sound naturally emerge from you, is an extremely liberating practice. As kids, many of us were undoubtedly told to stop making so much noise in certain situations. In some cases, this causes us to shut down the flow of energy through the throat chakra. Finding a big open park where you won’t disturb anyone is a great place to let your sighs, sounds, moans and groans express freely! Even burping can be a potent way to discharge stuck energy from your body. Additionally, some fun realms to explore are singing, beatboxing, snapping, or whistling as you do your practice. Create your own theme music and entertainment!

Soothing Stiffness - There is an old quote that says “Motion is Lotion.” I am a firm believer in this. Intuitive movement through the S Modality is a great way to lubricate your joints, muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments. I also highly recommend making sure you are drinking plenty of high-quality water. Lastly, I like to put on some organic grapeseed oil, coconut oil or Sore Muscle Gel (from the company Narayan) to assist in loosening up tense areas. Additionally self-massage is a phenomenal way to soothe stiffness and get to know various parts of your body better. 

Shadows - When shadows manifest in the body, they often take form as numb areas, or places that carry an energy of shame, or shutdown from experiencing the Freeze trauma response. I invite you to gently breathe into, massage, and sense what areas in your body are still in a shadowy state. It is important to remember the concept of titration - which means only moving through one or a few layers of shame / numbness / shadow - at a time. 

Source Energy - I believe all energy in this Universe comes from the same Unified Field of Energy. Oftentimes we can feel separate or disconnected from this fountain of energy. During your practice of the S Modality, I invite you to imagine that Source Energy resides inside of you, and as you get into a flow-state, it can run more smoothly through your Body-Mind-Spirit. 

Shedding - Most snakes shed their skin every so often, and grow into a new version of themselves. I believe it is a smart approach for humans to also shed - but rather than skin, we can let go of old thoughts, beliefs, and outdated ways of being. As you practice the S Modality, I invite you to imagine that you are letting go of an old layer of yourself, so that you can blossom into a more empowered you, with an enhanced sense of life-force energy pulsing through you!

Squatting - I’m an absolutely massive advocate for doing body-weight squats on a regular basis. It is one of THE best exercises you can do to strengthen your whole BodyMind System. You gotta LEARN to love the BURN! The key is to keep your lower back straight and push into your heels. There are many simple instructional videos on YouTube. 

Suchness - I first heard the term such-ness from philosopher Alan Watts. It is similar to the term “is-ness.” It essentially means the irreducible uniqueness of each person, place, or thing. I invite you to tune into the suchness of each day that you practice the S Modality. Notice how the sky will never look exactly how it looks in that moment. Next I invite you to tune into all the unique beings (not just humans) that share the space wherever you practice such as insects, birds, trees, etc. 

Savasana - This is the pose that most yoga classes end with, where you lay flat on your back. Most yoga studios I have been to will guide you to lay in this pose for only 5-10 minutes, though you can move much deeper into relaxation if you stay in this pose for 20, 30 or even 60 minutes. I love laying in Savasana after practicing the S Modality. The only factors to consider if you are outdoors are potential bugs, or falling asleep. 

Symmetry - Most yoga practices encourage doing the same stretches on either side of the body to enhance the sense of harmony, balance, and inner symmetry. I support this philosophy. I invite you to contemplate the theme of symmetry, while also noticing what differences you feel on complementary parts of your body. 

Serpentine - Snakes are incredible creatures. Firstly, many of them have hexagonally shaped scales. The holy hexagon is a recurring pattern in sacred geometry. Also, snakes teach us to feel every little micro-movement and the subtle energy of every twist and turn. As you practice the S Modality, I invite you to move in serpentine ways with your arms, fingers or spine and see if you can feel all the nuanced sensation of each movement. 

Structuring - Life can be a chaotic swirl of to-do list items. But creating some time for yourself to harmonize your BodyMind System through the S Modality, can help bring more structure to your day. Also structuring your practice with a warm-up, then more intense movements, followed by a cool down is a great approach. 

Selebration - Don’t overlook your small wins! Selebrate them! Just the fact that you woke up alive today is reason to selebrate :) In addition to that, prioritizing time to practice the S Modality, is a cause to selebrate self-care. Beyond this, I encourage you to dance, sing, swirl with joy about anything in your life that you want to selebrate. 

Sacredness - Practicing the S Modality is a great opportunity to remember and celebrate the sacredness of every little piece of the Web of Life. I invite you to marvel at all the different domains of the natural world, from the smallest blade of grass, to the largest cloud in the sky. 

Spontaneity - One of my biggest qualms with practicing yoga in a studio was that it was nearly always a structured routine, with no freedom to BE SPONTANEOUS. I invite you to channel your Inner Child and move in new ways, do a cartwheel, jump for joy, move like a spider monkey. Do something you rarely ever do! See how it feels :) 

>>> I truly believe that people of all ages, body-types and abilities can benefit from exSploring the S Modality! I encourage you to try it out today :) Tune into your divine S-Sense through swinging, swaying, spiraling, and so many other ExSplorations. It is up to you to discover what manifestation of the S Modality feels aligned for you, and it will likely evolve over time. We are all pioneering / reclaiming this New and Ancient form of exercise and celebration. As mentioned before, it’s basically a fusion of Ecstatic Dance, Strength Training, and Yoga. 

To summarize, Ecstatic Dance is a free-flowing dance practice where you let your body be the guide, rather than your mind. It’s great for entering a “flow state” and leaving behind your normal linear way of being. Strength Training / Calisthenics is important for toning and strengthening the many muscles that make up your sacred Earth Vessel. I do this through body-weight exercises like push-ups and crunches. I also thoroughly enjoy utilizing many machines at the gym where I often workout. Lastly, I love to practice the flowing postures of Yoga (of which there are countless modalities), as well as some breathwork and repetitive movements from Kundalini Yoga. The key is to integrate many of the insights / values I just shared and feel out your own preferences. You can ponder these basic questions to get started with the S Modality :

WHO​ : Do you prefer to practice alone, with a partner, or with a group? 

WHERE​ : Do you prefer to practice outside with Pachamama, in your home, or perhaps at a studio / gym? 

WHEN​ : What time(s) of day are optimal for you to practice? 

WHAT​ : What amount of yoga poses / strength building exercises / free-form dance / meditation do you like to incorporate? 

WHY​ : What are your core motivating factors for practicing? Freedom? Flexibility? Overall Health? Joy? Connecting with Nature? 

HOW​ : How do you usually feel while practicing the “S” Modality, and how do you see yourself evolving as you continually practice? I recommend journaling about this and all these other questions :) 

Housecleaning And The Low Hanging Fruit

Whether you are practicing the S Modality, Reclaiming Sensation or any other form of Self-Healing, these two metaphors can be supremely helpful. The Housecleaning Metaphor explains that when you are cleaning your house, it doesn’t really matter which room you start in. You simply begin cleaning, and after a couple of hours / cleaning sessions, you’ve tidied up several rooms, if not the whole entire house. You can apply this metaphor to your healing process, in the sense that you’ve probably got several different “wounds” or “traumas” to work with. There isn’t some “perfect” or “best” way to integrate these wounds / clean your house. The goal is to simply make a little bit of progress each time you dedicate yourself to this intention. The big key is simply to START CLEANING. The metaphor is helpful, though the truth is that it’s usually much faster to clean a house than your Inner World :) 

When you are diving into the world of Self-Healing, it is often helpful to search for the “Low Hanging Fruit.” These are the issues / wounds which seem closest to the surface and are ready to be processed. Rather than metaphorically standing on a ladder and reaching for that unripe peach, why not go for the juicy one hanging close to the ground? I recommend closing your eyes, and doing some deep breathing. Then, place your awareness on your body. See which areas are carrying tension. ( It is often said that the ISSUES are in the TISSUES. ) Usually a sore or stiff spot is showing you that there is some energy that wants to be moved through that area. I invite you to investigate if any memories or traumas surface in your awareness as you breathe into this area. This can be quite a tender process, so once again, I encourage you to use titration - and only go layer by layer. Please to the Integration Tools in the 2nd half of Chap. 10 : Psychedelics And Entheogens in my book State of Being.