Stretch and breathe,
Mindful movement.
So beginning in a standing position.
Or sitting if that feels more appropriate for you today.
And if standing,
Allowing the feet to be about a hip width apart,
The knees soft rather than locked.
Allowing the spine to be upright without becoming stiff.
The shoulders and the chest open.
And the head balanced comfortably.
On the top of the spine.
Perhaps imagining the body as being a little bit like a mountain.
With a solid base rooted in the bedrock of the earth.
Or perhaps a little bit like a tree.
Where there is at least as much of the tree underground in the form of roots.
As there is above the ground.
Either way sensing into any feeling of being grounded in the feet.
Inviting you to take care throughout this practice.
Knowing there's nothing for you to achieve here.
And adapting or leaving out any movement that doesn't feel right for you.
So bring your attention now to the breath.
Perhaps noticing the rising and the falling of the belly.
Or if the breath isn't a helpful place to focus on today,
Choosing another place in the body that feels steady and grounding.
Simply sensing.
Allowing the body to breathe naturally.
And as we begin to move,
Exploring the difference between a soft edge,
Where there may be some stretch,
Or intensity that feels okay to explore.
And a hard edge.
Where the body may be asking you to ease away or maybe even stop.
Just listening to what the body is telling you.
So starting by bringing some gentle movement into the hands.
Curling the fingers towards the palms.
And then stretching the fingers and the thumbs out.
Perhaps moving the wrists.
Bending and straightening the elbows.
Maybe gently moving the shoulders.
Not really thinking so much about the movements,
But really sensing into them.
Maybe even enjoying the simple fact that the body can move.
Perhaps gently loosening the upper body,
The hips,
The knees or the ankles,
In whatever way feels right for you.
And coming back to stillness for a moment now.
Noticing any ripples or echoes of the movements you've just made.
Perhaps warmth,
Tingling,
A sense of ease.
And if something feels pleasant,
Just giving yourself permission to notice it.
Maybe even savour it for a moment.
And now if it feels comfortable on an in-breath,
Slowly raising the arms in front of the body.
And on the out-breath,
Allowing them to lower again.
Repeating this once or twice at your own pace.
You might raise the arms only as far as it feels comfortable.
Or perhaps continue above the head.
Noticing not only the positions themselves.
But the movements between them.
This in-betweening.
The muscle is working.
The changing sensations,
The breath moving.
And noticing any hard or soft edges along the way.
Allowing the arms to come back down now.
And coming again to stillness.
And noticing what's here after this movement.
Maybe warmth,
Tingling,
Maybe noticing the heartbeat.
The movement of breathing.
Maybe just appreciating this body for a moment.
This body that moves.
This body that breathes.
And if you're standing now,
Gently moving into a sitting position.
Bringing awareness to the transition itself.
Not simply trying to arrive in the chair,
But noticing the movements involved in getting to the chair.
Allowing this transition to be part of the practice too.
And once settled.
Allowing the body to become still.
Feeling the contact with the chair and the floor.
Noticing the breath.
And as we end this practice,
Remembering that this sense of the body can be available to us as we move into the next moments of our day.
