Welcome,
This is Allison with Mindful Pause Center,
And I'm so glad to bring you this practice today.
What's the posture that you'd like for this 20-minute practice?
And then as we begin,
Noticing in whatever posture you chose,
What's here that can support you?
Some part of you chose this posture,
So just letting that question in.
What is here that supports me in this posture?
You might also take a minute to check in with how you're located in your room,
And you don't have to open your eyes to do this.
Sometimes we have ways of perceiving ourselves in space that don't require sight,
So just sensing where space feels big and open,
Where it feels sheltered,
Perhaps intimate,
Knowing the space that's in front of you,
Between you and a wall,
Or you and a ceiling,
Feeling into the backside of the body,
And how much or how little space is there.
Doing the same to the right side,
And to the left side.
And then again,
Dropping in a question,
What's providing safety for you in this space now?
And enough safety,
It doesn't have to be perfect.
And if it helps to open the eyes to take something in,
You're welcome to do so.
Just exploring what here offers me a sense of support and safety.
And you might open to gravity,
To feel a sense of settling the body into this space,
Into this support and safety that is here,
However much that might be.
And taking a moment for the face to see if there are places where little micro-muscles are feeling tight,
It can be around the eyes,
Be around the jaw,
Might be in the lips.
Without trying,
Knowing that effort might bring in tension,
Just seeing what feels smooth.
And if it feels available to you,
Bringing a slight smile to the mouth.
And if you can feel how the smile is not just at the surface,
But it's also inside the mouth,
Maybe it feels a little mechanical or a little forced.
There is a kind of brightness that comes with a smile.
If you can feel the smile in the eyes,
The corners of the eyes might lift.
And if you let the tongue rest in the lower palate,
That might bring some ease.
Just also noticing the shoulders.
If you happen to be holding them up,
Maybe you can let them go,
Not pushing them down,
But just letting them go,
Letting them drop,
Drop away from the ears.
It can help to slightly tilt the head forward with the chin down and tucked.
It might bring your awareness down through the arms and into the hands.
If it feels good,
If the hands feel available to you tonight,
Just noticing what it feels like to bring awareness through the arms and down into the hands.
Taking care of yourself in this moment and returning to another anchor if the hands aren't available,
Otherwise noticing tingling,
Vibrating,
Pulsing temperatures that are here in the hands,
Remembering at any time you can pause the practice,
Opening the eyes or shifting the posture.
Taking care of yourself is part of the practice.
Bringing the awareness down the torso and into the belly or around the belly button.
Whatever feels good,
If it's available to you to soften the belly,
This is a place we often tighten to hold ourselves up or if we're looking for core strength.
In this moment,
Just seeing if your core can provide the strength of softness,
Of relaxing,
Of being receptive and maybe that's even receptive to resistance,
No need to bypass any feelings or moods that are coming up.
Instead of following my words,
You can bring your observation to whatever is arising,
Just holding it with some kindness and curiosity,
Could even drop in the question,
Can I be with this and trust the answer that comes up.
The answer is no,
Taking some time to find a home base.
If it feels available,
If it feels good to place a hand at the belly or both hands,
You can explore breath,
Really drawing the breath down into the belly so it fills underneath your hands and as you exhale,
Feeling how the hands fall,
Drop away.
The belly is like a balloon here and we can release some of the air from the balloon and watch it get smaller.
Of course,
There might be some breath movement in the chest and ribcage,
It doesn't need to stop or go away,
But our awareness either through our attention or our hands can be at the belly,
Rising and falling.
Even experimenting if it feels good with the exhalation being out through the mouth,
You can purse your lips like you're blowing out through a straw.
This is one possible avenue for softening the entire body.
A way of tapping in directly with a parasympathetic nervous system.
This is the part of the nervous system that is the caregiver.
It's how we take care of others,
How we take care of ourselves.
It releases the positive hormones of oxytocin that bring a sense of happiness,
Relaxation.
Then if this feels good,
You can stay here.
Otherwise,
You might come back to the felt sense of the body.
So,
Returning awareness again to where you noticed a sense of support in the posture.
Softly opening the eyes if it helps to reset the practice.
If it makes sense,
You might name to yourself right now what it is that you are working on,
What it is,
What area you're seeking growth,
Just honoring the desire,
The need.
No matter how far or near it seems,
You can know that this is something that makes us human.
Need for growth,
A need for care,
Need for ease,
Need for presence,
Need for respect,
Need for commitment,
Contribution,
Need for compassion,
Whatever it is that's the area of growth for you.
There are others that share this longing and also made a commitment to do what they need to do to bring it more fully forward.
Because in truth,
Some seed of it is already here,
Planted,
Growing,
And your attention and awareness,
Ways of fertilizing and watering,
Warming,
Encouraging that growth.
Maybe you recognize as well others who support this,
Who help make it possible.
These can be people in your everyday life,
Family,
Friends,
Loved ones,
Environments that you love and love to travel and be in,
Move in,
Hike in,
Swim in,
Play in,
You know,
It might also be people you've never met who inspire you,
You listen to or read by naming and recognizing them.
May you feel less alone.
This work isn't only yours.
Others see its value and support you,
Bring their energy to making it happen.
Letting go now of all effort,
Not worrying about anchors,
Home bases,
Not worried about changing anything,
Just resting as you're able.
Becoming aware again of the body and whatever posture you're in,
Slowly beginning to move in ways that feel good.
And as you move the body,
Opening the eyes when it feels like time,
Taking in the space you're in through touch,
Through temperature,
Through sight.
Thank you for your practice.
