Welcome to reset your cortisol.
Calm your stress response and feel like you again.
If you've been feeling tired but wired.
Your mind has been busy even when your body is asking you to rest.
Or maybe you've simply noticed that lately it feels harder to truly switch off.
Then this practice is for you.
So for the next few minutes,
There is nowhere else you need to be.
Just a little space for your body to soften.
Your breathing to settle.
And your whole system to begin receiving a different message.
And it's a message that says you can slow down now.
So take a moment to find your comfy space warm and cozy,
Sitting or lying down and just feel your body softened.
Let your hands rest easily.
Release your jaw.
Allow your tongue to soften in your mouth.
Just let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
And just bring awareness to your breath.
Just notice it.
And just notice your body breathing in.
And out.
Flowing in.
Flowing out.
Cortisol is called the stress hormone.
It is part of the body's natural rhythm.
It helps us to wake up in the morning.
It gives us energy.
And when something requires our attention it helps your body to respond.
But sometimes life asks a lot of us.
We rush.
We worry.
We anticipate.
We carry yesterday into today and tomorrow into this moment.
So your body can begin behaving as though it always needs to be ready for the next thing.
So we're going to be simply offering your body another signal.
It's another signal of slowing,
Of settling,
Of safety.
So just begin breathing naturally through your nose.
And now take a lovely comfortable breath in.
And then take one tiny extra sip of air at the top.
And slowly,
Gently breathe out.
And just let your exhale empty softly.
Breathing in,
A little second to sip in and a long soft breath out.
Again and again.
Breathe in.
.
.
Tiny little breath in at the top.
And slowly release.
Now allow your breathing to return to its own rhythm.
Just notice what has changed.
Just notice.
Maybe your shoulders have dropped a fraction.
Maybe there's a little more space behind your eyes.
Maybe your breathing feels slightly easier.
So now we're going to begin to gently lengthen your exhale.
Breathing in.
2,
3,
4 and breathing out 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
In 2,
3,
4 and out 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
And just continue in your own time,
Breathing in for a count of four.
And a longer exhale with a count of six.
If those numbers don't feel comfortable,
Simply find your own rhythm.
Wear your breath out.
Is longer than the breath is.
And just continue now for a few more rounds.
Breathe in for a count of four.
As you exhale just imagine your body receiving this message.
I don't need to be on high alert right now.
Breathing in.
.
.
Receiving.
Breathing out,
Softening.
Breathe in,
Receive.
Breathe out.
Letting go.
Breathe in.
As you breathe out just feel your body softening even more,
Letting go of any stress or tension.
Good.
So let go of your counting now.
And just allow your breath to become natural once again.
Now just bring your awareness to your forehead.
Smooth those tiny muscles around your eyes.
Soften your cheeks,
Your mouth,
Your jaw.
Feel your shoulders becoming heavy.
Soften across your chest,
Your belly.
Relax the muscles around your hips,
Your thighs,
Your calves.
And just relax all the way down into your feet.
Just imagine that each breath out is creating a gentle way throughout your body.
And this wave is simply softening.
What no longer needs to be held so tightly.
So just feel a wave through your forehead,
Down through your throat,
Your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your arms and hands,
Your belly,
Your back.
Feel this wave flowing into your legs and into your feet and toes.
And now somewhere inside you.
Something begins to realize I can put things down.
Even for just a moment.
I can put things down.
So now that you have stepped away from the noise of your day.
You find yourself somewhere in nature.
It's a place where everything moves at its own pace.
Leaves are moving when the breeze touches them.
The clouds cross the sky without hurrying.
Light is gently shifting through the branches.
So nothing here is rushing,
Nothing is trying to arrive before its time.
And you are part of this gentle rhythm too.
You were never meant to live every moment braced for what comes next.
So take a moment now to feel the ground beneath you.
Feel yourself supported.
And just quietly remind your body.
Nothing is chasing me in this moment.
Nothing needs to be solved right now.
I can soften.
I can breathe.
I can rest here.
Just reflect for a moment on those words.
Take a slow breath in.
And a longer breath out.
Breathe in.
And ready.
And as you breathe just imagine this breath moving through you like a soft breeze.
Creating space,
Opening,
Settling.
And if thoughts come,
Just let them.
You don't have to stop thinking or enter your mind.
But just allow each thought to pass through the wider space around you.
Just like the cloud moving across an enormous sky.
Because you don't need to follow it.
You can simply remain here in the moment.
Breathing.
Resting.
Wonderful.
Sometimes we forget what it feels like simply to inhabit ourselves.
To feel our own breath.
Our own presence.
Our own quietness.
Our own stillness.
So beneath all the noise,
The responsibilities,
Everything that you've been carrying,
Just notice that you are still here.
And this is what returning to yourself feels like.
It feels like just gently coming home.
So take a deep breath in.
I am here.
And breathe out ice-softened.
Breathe in.
I am here.
And breathe out,
I let myself rest.
A comfortable breath in.
And a long,
Slow,
Easy breath out.
And just return to your natural breathing pattern now.
Feel the soft flow.
Here?
And the soft flow out.
Just begin to notice the space around you now.
The sounds nearby,
The surface supporting your body.
Roll your shoulders if that feels good.
Before you move on with your day,
Just take a moment to reflect on how you feel now.
Maybe a little softer,
Slower.
More spacious.
Because every time you pause,
Every time you consciously soften your breath.
Every time you remind your body that it doesn't have to remain on high alert.
You are practicing a different way of meeting your moment.
One breath at a time.
One pause at a time.
Just coming back to yourself.
Breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Just let these words settle quietly within you.
I can soften.
I can breathe.
I can be here.
And when you're ready just gently and slowly open your eyes.
And return to your day with more gentleness,
With more softness.
With more kindness.
Welcome back.
So thank you so much for sharing these moments with me.
Until the next time,
Namaste my friend.
