Coming Home Through Movement

It can be helpful to remind ourselves of the value of including mindful movement in our practice. As well as gently stretching the body and creating a sense of ease, it offers rich material for awareness—sensations, thoughts, emotions, and impulses can all be noticed as they arise.
In this way, it brings us into direct contact with the tangible reality of our experience, just as it is, and can help interrupt the habit of living so much of our lives in our heads.

You’re invited to stand, but you’re very welcome to remain seated and follow the guidance in a way that suits you. We explore some gentle stretching, so as you move, see if you can notice your “hard edges” and “soft edges,” taking care to stay within a range that feels safe and supportive, returning to our seats towards the end of the practice.

Transcript

It can be really helpful sometimes to remind ourselves of how helpful it can be to add mindful movement into our practice. As well as providing a means of stretching and creating ease in the body, It can also provide lots of material for our practice in terms of body sensations, Thoughts, Emotions and impulses. It can serve as a reminder of the tangible reality of our experience, Just as it is right now, And help us to interrupt the cycle we tend to experience of living so extensively in our minds. Scientists tell us that it's not possible to sense and think at the same time, So although while we're in our body we aren't ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. So I'll describe a simple mindful movement practice now and then we'll return to the seated position. So just starting by standing with the legs normal hip width apart, Maybe unlocking the knees slightly so you're supporting your own weight. Just starting by realizing what it feels like to stand, Just really noticing the entirety of your experience. Maybe tuning into all the small muscle movements taking place to keep you standing. Maybe just taking a couple of deep breaths. And if it's helpful for you, Maybe bring into mind the image of a mountain, Solid, Rooted in the bedrock of the earth, Maybe majestic. Or perhaps the image of a tree, Where at least as much of the tree is under the ground and the tree is standing with solid rootedness and a feeling of being connected to the earth. I'm inviting you when you're ready, Just let the arms start to raise up from your sides until they're at the same level as the shoulders, Maybe turning the palms up, Maybe noticing any pressure that this posture brings. Now you're tuning into any sense of openness, Groundedness. Maybe noticing your breath, Slight adjustments in the feet to keep your balance. And when you're ready now, Just as much as you're able to, Just letting the arms continue to rise up so the hands meet over the top of the head. Maybe feeling the stretch in the sides, With the stretch around the armpits, Maybe any bunching of your clothing. You're feeling a sense of opening in the chest and the shoulders. Just taking a couple of deep breaths as you hold this pose. And as much as you're able to, Just sensing into what it's like to be alive in this moment, In this posture, With this body and this breath. And ever so gently now, Just letting the arms begin to fall, To come down, To return to the shoulder level. Slowly, Slowly down until they return to their natural position next to the waist. Noticing any relief in the body as you've returned the arms to their normal posture. Sensing into the feet. You're just raising one of the arms now, Very gently from the side. Right up, Past the head, So it's up and above the head. And imagine that you're picking some cherries from a tree. So adding an element of stretch in the arm and the hand, Maybe leaning over, Slightly as you reach for the cherries in the tree. Noticing where your hard and soft edges are as you stretch here. Are you breathing into the stretch? And then when you're ready, Letting that arm slowly return to the sides again. And now raising the other arm up to the shoulder level. Now up above the head. And they're stretching over slightly. You're feeling the stretch in the side. Noticing the sensations created by the stretch. Noticing the breath. Reaching for the cherries once more. And now returning the arm to the side as slowly as feels comfortable for you. Maybe adjusting your standing position to improve your balance. You're noticing the air on the skin. Differences in temperature in different parts of the body. You're noticing the breath. And when you're ready now, Inviting you to, As much as you're able to, To an extent that feels comfortable for you, Just raise the shoulders so they're in line with the ears. Just holding them there. And then letting the shoulders roll back, So the shoulder blades come together at the back. You're feeling the opening in the chest. And bringing the shoulders down. And then up to the front. And around again, So they're in line with the ears. And rolling them to the back. The shoulder blades coming together. Opening in the chest. And rolling again, So they're in line with the ears. Maybe deciding now if you'd like to go the other way. So rolling the shoulders forward. Opening in the chest. Shoulder blades joining at the back. Up now, In line with the ears. Just maybe being playful with this movement. Maybe faster or slower. Choosing a direction that feels most helpful for you. Noticing any noises this makes. Gently roll the shoulders. Maybe making this the last one now. Returning the shoulders to their usual position. Adjusting the arms for your standing position. Maybe just noticing the after-effects of this movement. And when you're ready now, Moving the head forward just as much as feels comfortable for you. So you're looking down. And then moving your head to one side, So that your ear is directly over your shoulder. Moving the head forward to look down. And moving the upper ear over the other shoulder. Making a semi-circular movement with the head. So one ear over one shoulder. Back to centre, Looking at the floor. And then the other ear over the other shoulder. Not going to the back. Just making a semi-circular movement with the head. And again, Noticing any noises in the neck. Knowing again where your hard and soft edges are. Feeling free to do this at a speed that feels most comfortable for you. Maybe just noticing where the mind is. And as much as you're able to, Just bringing the mind back to the sensations and the sensing of these movements. Knowing there's nowhere else you need to be. Nothing else you need to do. Just here in this body, In this moment. And returning the head so you're looking down to the feet. And then bringing the head up so you're facing forward again in your standard, Normal standing position. Inviting you now to move the hands out so they're in front of you. And imagining you're holding a ball between the hands. A little bit like a beach ball. Just noticing the breath. And then turning the ball around so there's one hand underneath the ball, One hand on top. So one of your hands is directly in front of your face. And letting the hands move towards each other. And then move out. So almost as if the ball was getting smaller and larger. And if it's helpful for you, Breathing in as the ball gets larger. And breathing out as the ball gets smaller. Not worrying too much about aligning your breath to the movement. You're noticing the noise of your breath. Maybe this gentle coordination of movement is helping you. Creates a focus in your movement. So breathing in as the ball gets bigger. Breathing out as it gets smaller. And when you're ready now, Making this last one. We're turning your arms to the sides. And doing a move now that's sometimes called flying geese. So if you imagine moving your arms like a bird. So as your arms go up, Breathe again. As your arms go down, Breathing out. Breathing in, Arms up. Breathing out, Arms down. Again, Noticing where the mind is. Returning it to these simple movements. But only coordinating the breath if that feels helpful for you. Making this one the last one now. And letting the, Your arms or your wings. Return gently to your sides. Just resting in the after effects of this movement. And inviting you now when you're ready to. Slowly in your own time, Just make your way back to your seated position. You're just noticing a feeling of relief as you return to your chair. Maybe a feeling of gratitude for the chair. Maybe noticing your breath. Noticing any pockets of energy in the body. Just becoming aware of what's here as you sit. Noticing what's here in your experience. Thoughts or emotions or ideas about what maybe you're going to do next. Maybe noticing some thoughts about how you got on with that practice. Maybe judgment is here, Striving even. Just noticing these as thoughts, Mental events. Just resting your attention in any sensations you can identify in the body. Just resting in this feeling of being alive in this moment right now. There's this body and this breath. And if the mind feels busy, Maybe just identifying an ankle point. So perhaps the seat. The feet or the breath. And as light as a feather, Just resting your attention there. And as we bring this short practice to a close. Maybe just tuning into the impact or the effects of this mindful movement. I know that mindful movement can be a real complement to an ongoing mindfulness practice. A means of working with the body, Sensing directly into the body in your experience. Escaping the tendencies that we so often have to live almost completely in our heads. Just taking a couple of deep breaths. And when you're ready now, Beginning to bring some movement back into the body. So maybe wiggling the fingers and the toes. And when you're ready, Opening the eyes. Seeing if it's possible to bring this open sensing experience into the next moments of your day.