Welcome.
Take a moment to settle into your posture,
Whether you're sitting,
Lying down,
Or standing.
There's no right or wrong way to be here.
Just allow your body to find a position that feels supported and alert,
If that's available to you.
If it feels safe and comfortable,
You might gently close your eyes,
Or if you prefer,
Let your gaze rest softly in front of you,
Unfocused.
Begin by noticing that you've arrived.
Feel the weight of your body in contact with the surface beneath you.
The support that is here,
Right now,
Without you needing to do anything.
Let's begin with a few easy breaths.
Inhaling through your nose or mouth,
And exhaling in whatever way feels natural.
No need to force or change the breath.
Just meeting it as it is.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Allowing the body to gently settle into this moment.
You might begin to bring awareness to the sense of the body as a whole.
Notice where you feel warmth,
Coolness,
Movement,
Stillness.
Perhaps tuning into the sensation of your hands resting,
Or the rise and fall of your chest or belly.
Just this,
This moment,
This body,
This breath.
Now,
If it feels right for you,
Allow your attention to gently rest on the breath.
Notice where you feel it most clearly.
Perhaps at the nostrils,
The chest,
The belly.
Let the breath be your anchor.
Something steady and here,
Always in the present.
There's no need to concentrate or fix anything.
When the mind wonders,
Because it will,
Just notice that it's wondered.
And then,
With kindness,
Gently return to the breath,
Like returning home.
Breathing in and out.
Breathing in and out.
Perhaps feeling the inhale like a wave rising,
And the exhale like a wave returning to the shore.
And now,
Expanding your awareness to include sounds around you.
Notice any sounds,
Near or far.
Letting them come and go like clouds moving through the sky.
No need to label or analyze.
Just listening with a soft and open awareness.
And now,
Sensing into the space of the whole body again.
Feeling the breath,
The contact points,
The presence of being alive here and now.
You might take a moment to notice,
What's here?
What's present in your inner experience?
Is there calm,
Restlessness,
Warmth,
Or possibly numbness?
Whatever is here is welcome.
No part of your experience needs to be pushed away or held onto.
Just allowing and being.
You might gently invite a sense of kindness towards yourself.
Offering yourself this moment of care.
Just for being.
Just for showing up.
As we begin to close,
Take a few deeper breaths.
Breathing in a sense of spaciousness.
And exhaling any tension or holding,
If that feels supportive.
Begin to gently invite small movements into the body.
Wiggling fingers or toes.
Maybe stretching.
Or simply staying still a bit longer,
If that's what you need.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
If they've been closed,
Let your gaze take in the space around you.
Noticing colors,
Shapes,
Light.
Take a moment to acknowledge yourself for practicing.
You've taken this time to be present.
To simply be.
Thank you for your practice.
