Find a comfortable position that might be seated with support under the hips or perhaps you're ready to lie down.
Begin to notice the physical sensations of your own breath.
Notice the expansion with each inhalation and a softening with each exhale.
Let the steady rhythm of your breath be your guide as you rest in awareness here.
As you wind down for the evening,
It's natural to replay some events of the day in your mind.
Rather than fighting that impulse,
Let's take a moment to give it a container.
Go ahead and revisit the moments in your day that maybe didn't go to plan.
Dashed efforts,
Maybe even hurtful or hard moments,
Bring them to your mind and notice how these memories affect the breath or the body or both.
Try to get curious and notice your experience without judgment.
Once you've remembered,
Re-experienced the moments that didn't go to plan today,
Take in a deep breath and with the next slow,
Steady exhale,
Let those moments go.
You might take several rounds of breath,
Letting each exhale be a further release.
Now call to mind the moments in your day that bring forth a sense of gratitude.
Sense of connection,
Maybe a moment where you notice the beauty of nature,
The beauty of the love you have for a friend,
Family member,
Partner,
Or animal.
Maybe something else.
Notice the physical sensations in the body that accompany your memories of joy and connection.
You might sense a feeling of warmth.
Let yourself bask in the physical sensations that your positive memories bring for another few slow,
Steady rounds of breath.
And now it's time to let those moments go as well.
With a deep inhalation through the nose,
Slow,
Steady exhale,
Say farewell.
Let yourself return to the present moment.
Let each current inhale and exhale be an anchor into the now.
You might begin to consciously lengthen the exhales,
Breathing both in and out through the nose,
Seeing if you can make each exhale a few beats longer.
As you return to noticing the expansion with each inhale,
The softness of each exhale,
Take a gentle scan of the physical body.
Notice if there's any area holding tension that's no longer needed.
With the next few exhales,
Gently ask those parts of the body if they can relax and let go.
Ride the wave of your breath here for as long as you'd like.
