Lying down,
Mindful movement.
So beginning by lying on your back on a mat or a rug or any other surface that feels supported.
Allowing the legs to stretch out and the arms to rest alongside the body,
Or perhaps placing the hands on the belly or the chest.
And just letting gravity take effect for a few moments.
Feeling the body being held and supported by the floor.
Closing the eyes if that feels comfortable.
Simply softening the gaze.
And bringing attention to the sensations of breathing.
Perhaps noticing the belly rising on the in-breath and falling away on the out-breath.
Knowing there's nothing to achieve in this practice and always taking care of your body.
Adapting or leaving out any movement that doesn't feel right for you in this moment.
And inviting you that as we undertake these simple movement practices,
Noticing what we might call soft and hard edges.
So a soft edge might be a sense of stretch or intensity that still feels okay to explore.
A hard edge might be the body asking you to ease away or stop.
Seeing if you can listen carefully to those signals and respond with kindness and care.
On the next in-breath now,
Slowly raising the arms away from the floor.
Bringing the fingers towards the ceiling.
And on the out-breath,
Slowly allowing the arms to return alongside the body.
Repeating this perhaps once or twice.
And if it feels comfortable you might allow the arms to travel a little further.
Reaching to the ceiling.
Paying attention not only to the final stretch.
But to the whole journey of the arms as they move.
Knowing that the transition between positions is very much a part of the practice.
And when you're ready,
Allowing the arms to come back to rest.
Pausing for a moment.
Noticing any echoes of the movement,
Perhaps warmth,
Tingling,
Ease or softness.
And if something feels pleasant.
Just seeing how it is to enjoy or savour that sensation for a moment.
Now bending the knees and placing the feet on the floor,
About a hip width apart.
And beginning a very gentle rocking movement through the pelvis.
Tilting the pelvis slightly so the lower back presses a little more firmly into the floor.
And then gently tilting the other way.
Allowing a space to appear beneath the lower back.
Moving slowly between these two positions.
No need to make the movement large.
Simply exploring the sensations.
Perhaps noticing the lower back,
The pelvis,
The hips.
And the contact with the floor.
And then allowing the movement to come to rest.
If it feels comfortable,
Slowly bring one or both knees towards the chest.
You might hold behind the thighs or around the shins.
And gently drawing the legs towards the body.
Remembering to breathe.
Noticing any intensity through the hips,
Pelvis or the lower back.
Perhaps exploring a soft edge.
Or easing away if you meet a hard ridge.
You might even rock gently from side to side if that feels pleasant.
And then slowly releasing the legs and allowing them to return to the floor.
Taking a moment now to notice the after effects.
Allowing the legs and the arms to rest.
And just taking a few moments to sense the whole body.
Perhaps appreciating what the body has been able to do.
Listening to the signals of the body now.
Maybe the body wants to stretch or to move.
Or perhaps simply rest.
And for these final moments allowing yourself to do just that.
Feeling the contact with the ground.
Movement of breathing.
Coming home to this body.
And whenever you're ready to end the practice,
Inviting you to take this sense of your body into whatever comes next for you.
