Welcome,
This is Allison with Mindful Pause Center,
And today I'd like to share an elemental practice related to air.
Air reminds us that we don't always perceive our benefactors,
But that we do find evidence of their influence if we pay attention.
Wind can be known by its tossing of branches and leaves.
Breath can be known by the rise and fall of the chest.
Thoughts can be known by the body's reproduction of stress or ease.
Relating to air requires a receptive approach.
It cannot be manipulated or forced.
But if we open to its rhythms and allow ourselves to sense its movements,
We cultivate the trust required to ride the wind.
For this practice,
I recommend either seated or standing posture,
And you'll want some room,
At least initially,
By your side for your arms to rise and lower.
So we'll be beginning with inhalations that bring our arms above our head,
And then on the exhalation,
We will bring our arms down the midline of the body.
So to begin,
You can either have your arms at your side,
Palms up,
Or you can have your arms open in front of you,
Palms up.
And for this movement,
You should modify instructions to meet your body's needs.
So if your arms don't go comfortably above your head,
You can stop at any point and simply bring the palms together in front of the body.
So beginning now by inhaling and lifting the arms,
Palms up,
Palms meet above the head,
And on the exhalation,
Draw the palms down the midline of the body.
Back to their starting point.
Inhaling again.
Exhaling the palms down the midline.
And a few more breaths like this at your own pace.
Raising the arms one last time.
And now on the exhalation,
Separate the hands above the head and let the hands slowly,
Almost imperceptibly,
Drift downward.
This is a very slow,
Soft,
Gentle movement.
And if you can bring your awareness inside the hands,
Just to sense what it feels like the hands to drift down slowly like a leaf in the fall,
Coming off a branch.
And then letting the hands come to rest,
Palms up or palms down.
Taking a moment to feel the effects of this simple breathing practice.
And then bringing your awareness into the felt sense of the body breathing.
Just letting the body breathe at its normal rhythm,
Whatever that is at this point in time.
Feeling the movement of the body breathing,
Wherever that might be strongest for you.
At the belly,
At the ribcage,
Perhaps over the lip and through the nose.
And you might notice how the mind drifts away.
And for today's practice,
Allowing that.
Allowing thoughts,
Emotions to tug and pull.
Sensing thought and emotion as the mind at play,
In the same way that an air current will tug a kite to and fro.
Observing a thought as it unfolds,
Hardly of your own doing.
And pausing and bringing awareness back to the felt sense of the body breathing.
Noticing again the movement of the body breathing,
Until the mind is once more pulled away.
And you can repeat this cycle of watching the mind at play and coming back to the body breathing over the next minute or two,
While I hold silence.
And where is the mind now?
And to close this practice today,
Bring a smile to the mouth and face.
It's okay if it feels mechanical or forced.
Allow the corners of the mouth to lift.
The inside of the mouth to smile as the tongue drops to the lower palate.
Feel this smile in the eyes as the corners lift.
And this is not to cover over anything that may have come during this practice.
But it's to make space for the experience,
To honor and acknowledge your experience's influence on your life.
With a bit of kindness,
With some very simple care.
In a moment,
You'll hear the bell.
And as the sound begins to fade,
Moving the body in a way that begins to feel good.
Perhaps working out any knots or kinks.
And opening your eyes as you feel ready or lifting your gaze and reorienting to the space you're in by taking in some of the forms,
Colors,
Shapes.
This is a way to directly let our nervous systems know that the practice is complete.
Thank you for your practice.
