Welcome.
I invite you to get super comfy wherever you are.
You might sit or lie down.
There's really no perfect way to step into stillness.
You get to choose what feels good for your body.
If it feels okay,
Sit upright to allow your spine to lengthen so your breath can move deeply and easily.
And I invite you to close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin to notice your breath,
The rise and fall of your chest and belly.
Notice how your breath connects you to your body.
Breathe deeply and let yourself arrive here.
Remember there is nothing you need to do in this moment.
Just breathe.
Now,
Notice what is holding you,
The chair,
The floor.
With each breath,
Let your body soften.
Let your feet ground you on the floor.
And we'll start by taking a moment to fully arrive with a brief grounding practice.
So I invite you to place both feet flat on the floor.
You may be sitting or standing,
But as we inhale,
You will lift your feet to your toes as we hold roll your feet down till they are flat on the floor.
And as we exhale,
Gently press your feet into the floor.
And we will do this three times.
Inhale,
Lifting your feet to your tippy toes.
Hold,
Roll your feet down to the floor.
And exhale,
Gently pressing your feet into the floor.
Again,
Inhale,
Lifting to your toes.
Hold,
Roll down to the floor.
And exhale,
Gently press your feet into the floor.
And one more time,
Inhale,
Lifting to your toes.
Hold,
Roll down to the floor.
And exhale,
Gently press your feet into the floor.
Now step seven invites us to humbly ask a power greater than ourselves for help.
This step is not about giving up.
It's about carrying on with support.
It's about being honest about what we can carry.
It's about having the humility to ask for help with both the small and the heavy things we carry.
It does require us to take the blinders off of everyday life,
The everyday hustle,
And reach out to a power greater than ourselves to simply ask.
So let's take a few breaths together as we begin our journey within.
So I invite you to use a simple three count breath with me.
And inhale through your nose for three counts,
Hold for three counts,
And exhale through the mouth for three counts.
With each inhale,
Invite in a loving presence.
And with each exhale,
Release deeper into stillness.
Let's begin.
Inhale,
Loving presence for three,
Two,
One.
Hold for three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for three,
Two,
One.
Good.
Inhale for three.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
As you settle into your breathing,
Let your body relax.
I want you to imagine sitting in a place that brings you joy,
A place that feels safe.
Trust whatever comes to mind.
Maybe it's outside by the ocean or sitting in the forest.
Maybe you are indoors,
Sitting on a comfy couch or drinking something warm at a favorite cafe.
Just notice what you see,
Hear,
Smell.
Take it all in.
You notice that there beside you is a giant bag.
You know it's yours.
You try to lift it,
But it's too heavy.
You try again with no success.
So you sit back down and return to breathing.
You decide to look into the bag beside you.
Untying the bag,
You peer into its contents.
There are lots of packages,
Too many to count.
All wrapped in plain brown paper.
There are small ones and large ones.
You realize you've been dragging this bag around longer than you can remember,
But never thought to look inside.
You pick up a few with varying weights.
Some you can't even lift.
But somehow you've been carrying the whole bag.
Each package is labeled in big bold print.
And you quickly realize the packages hold the burdens,
Shortcomings,
And obstacles you face.
You think about getting up and just leaving that bag there.
But you know these are unique to you.
You recognize them all.
Continue your breath and notice what your personal bag holds.
They are specific to you.
Just notice and breathe.
Maybe some packages hold a relationship or childhood memory.
Just notice what you see and breathe.
Some may hold things you cannot control.
A health issue,
A decision,
A behavior.
Take note of what rises to the surface for you.
What do you see?
Which are the biggest packages?
And breathe.
Some packages may hold a limitation,
A mistake you made,
Self-doubt or limiting belief.
There's no need to fix anything.
Just notice what surrounds you.
Which ones are the heaviest?
What do they hold or represent for you?
Now I invite you to allow your higher power in,
To sit with you.
A loving presence that sees you and understands you.
Breathe and allow them in.
Your higher power patiently waits beside you as you take it all in.
They sit with open arms.
They will not force their help on you,
So they wait.
Take a moment to notice any resistance that's coming up for you and breathe.
Feel the loving presence staying right there with you.
Ask for help with the load you carry.
Breathe and notice what asking for help feels like in your body.
And start to hand over packages.
Notice what you are able to release and what you hold on to.
Notice how it feels to release.
Do you feel lighter?
Remember there is no right or wrong here.
If you are able to release some,
Notice how it feels to release.
You may hear your higher power speak or feel them remind you.
All you have to do is ask and you will receive.
Continue breathing and sit with your loving presence.
Take a slow breath in.
You may have just discovered a burden you didn't even know you were carrying.
Step 7 invites us to ask for help.
And even asking requires humility.
What if you don't have to carry your bags alone?
Take a moment to notice.
Are you willing to ask for help?
Let's return to our breath.
And I invite you to breathe deeply and naturally.
If it feels helpful,
You can repeat silently in your mind,
I ask and I receive.
If your mind wanders,
Know that that is okay.
Simply allow your thoughts to drift by and return to your breath.
I ask and I receive.
Now I invite you to say goodbye and thank your higher power for relieving some of your burdens.
Step 7 reminds us that we are not alone.
It invites us to be unburdened.
We are encouraged to ask and receive.
I invite you to notice what you are currently holding and know you do not have to carry it alone.
So trusting and knowing you may always return to this stillness within.
I invite you now to notice the surface beneath you.
You may want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Step 7 encourages us to be humble enough to ask for help.
Thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and privilege.
