Hi,
It's Danny and welcome back to Stillness in the Storm.
Thank you for joining me again.
This session is all about softening.
Letting go.
Not in a dramatic way,
But in the small,
Quiet moments where we choose to stop holding everything so tightly.
So many of us carry armour.
In the body.
In the breath.
In the way we move through the day.
And it builds up over time.
Tension.
Pressure.
Fear.
Unspoken stress.
Today,
We are aiming to gently lay some of that down and begin softening.
Session four.
This session is called letting go of the armour.
Armour might look like tension in your jaw.
Tight shoulders.
Shallow breathing.
Always being on your guard.
And sometimes it looks like emotional holding.
Not expressing how we really feel.
Just pushing through.
But letting go,
Even a little,
Creates space.
It's not weakness,
It's wisdom.
It's trust.
It's choosing to rest.
We'll use breath,
Awareness and stillness to create that space today.
Let's begin.
I invite you to find a position that feels soft,
Supported and safe.
You can choose to sit or lie down.
Whatever helps you settle.
Let your hands rest where they naturally fall.
And gently close your eyes.
Or begin to let your gaze drop low.
Let's start with a few gentle breaths.
Inhale through the nose.
Hold for a moment.
Exhale slowly through the mouth.
Again,
Inhale through the nose.
Holding at the top.
Exhale through the mouth.
One last time.
Inhaling through the nose.
Holding at the top.
Exhale through the mouth.
Let your breath begin to settle down now.
Let it be easy.
Now bring your awareness to your body.
Start at the top of your head.
And begin to notice your forehead.
The space around your eyes.
Your jaw.
Soften what can be softened.
Let go of anything that doesn't need to be held right now.
Move down into the neck and shoulders.
And let them drop.
Let them be still.
Now into your chest.
Feel the breath moving there.
No need to change it.
Just notice.
Down into the belly.
Let it rise and fall with the breath.
And let it soften.
Bring your attention to your back.
Your spine.
And your lower back.
Notice what's there.
You don't need to fix it.
Just feel.
Now your hips.
Your thighs.
Your knees.
Down into your calves.
Your ankles.
Your feet.
And all the way into the toes.
Take a moment to feel the whole body.
As one.
Supported.
Grounded.
And let's stay here for a moment.
Continuing our introduction into breath work.
Today we will do a simple extended exhale breathing exercise.
We'll breathe in for four counts.
And out for six.
Longer exhales help signal the body that it's safe to relax.
Let's try it together.
Inhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Exhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Inhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Exhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
One last time.
Inhaling.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Exhaling.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Now let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Feel how the body responds to slowing down.
Bring your attention back to the breath.
Let's add a simple affirmation.
As you breathe in,
Silently say,
I am.
As you breathe out,
Safe to let go.
Inhale.
I am.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Safe to let go.
Let that rhythm settle.
Let those words land in the body and around the heart space.
You don't need to hold everything.
Not right now.
If your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Just come back.
Come back to the breath.
To the body.
To the words.
I am.
Safe to let go.
Let go of the shoulders.
Let go of the jaw.
Let go of the pressure.
This moment is here to hold you.
You don't have to be anything more than you are.
It's just you.
Breathing.
Aware.
Alive.
Let's stay here a little longer.
In quiet stillness.
Begin to start bringing some gentle movement back into the body.
Wiggle the fingers.
The toes.
Maybe roll the shoulders.
Take one final breath in.
And a slow breath out.
When you're ready,
Gently flicker the eyes.
Letting go is a strength.
And every time you choose softness,
You're choosing presence.
Thank you for taking this time.
I'll see you in the next session.
