Please find a comfortable and supported position.
If you're sitting in a chair,
Please make sure your upper back is supported.
And if you're sitting on the floor,
Make sure that all points of contact are comfortable and free of any tension.
Once you're settled in,
Begin by taking a few slow deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Notice how your body is feeling.
Notice any points of tension.
Notice how the air feels moving in to your body and then releasing out.
See if you can follow the air as you take a deep breath in,
See where it goes,
And follow it back out.
Repeat that a few times at your own pace and close your eyes.
As you're following your breath,
Notice where your body has points of contact with the floor,
With the chair you're sitting on.
Notice how your feet feel and where they're touching.
Notice where your hands are.
Are they resting on your lap?
Are they at your sides?
Is one hand resting in the other?
Notice if anything feels uncomfortable and make any adjustments necessary to practice stillness.
Let this be a space that is free of obligation.
Your only commitment is to yourself.
And as you are scanning your body,
If you do notice any source of tension,
Maybe direct your breath to that area.
And see if a breath in and a breath out can really let this be a space and you don't have to make any decisions.
Just be.
Maybe your breath is your guide.
Maybe your breath is an anchor.
As the mind may start to wander,
Let it wander and then let it return to your breath,
To your stillness.
Notice the smaller muscles in your body,
Behind your eyebrows,
The tops of your cheeks,
Underneath your chin,
Behind your ears.
Take a moment to identify these smaller muscles and invite them to relax,
To let go.
Maybe you notice if there's any clenching,
Sometimes in our fingers or our toes.
See if you can invite any of those spots in your body to let go.
With our eyes closed,
Notice what the darkness looks like.
Maybe there's peace in that empty space.
Perhaps our minds are so active throughout the day.
Let this be an opportunity,
A space to quiet your mind.
Notice the tendency to force your mind to quiet and see what it feels like to allow your mind to quiet.
Fill up the space temporarily.
See what it feels like to let it come and let it go.
As you quiet the mind and quiet the body,
You may feel yourself start to lengthen as more space is created with the release of tension.
Maybe imagine there's a gentle string attached to the top of your forehead and another one towards the back of your head.
There's a gentle lift on these strings,
Helping you create a little more space and a little more length as you continue breathing.
We carry around so many thoughts,
So many worries throughout the day.
Maybe see what it feels like to imagine an empty glass that you can fill with all of those thoughts and all of those worries.
Put everything into that glass that you carry with you throughout the day,
Filling it up to the very top.
Feel the weight of the glass,
How fragile the glass is,
How much care is involved in making sure everything stays in the glass.
And now imagine there is a small hole in the bottom of the glass and allow the contents of the glass to empty.
Notice the glass begin to lighten,
Notice the ease that lightness brings,
And then imagine that glass get lighter and lighter and lighter.
And the lighter it gets,
The more it starts to fade away until there's no more glass,
No more thoughts,
And no more worries.
Deep breath in and a deep breath out.
Start to notice your points of contact again.
How do your feet feel on the floor?
Notice the bend in your knees.
Notice the space in between your fingers,
The space in between your eyes.
And on your next inhale,
Forgiving yourself this time to come back to yourself,
Your breath,
Your center.
Maybe begin to wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes.
Maybe deepen your breath as it fills you up and sigh it out.
Maybe allow your senses to notice your surroundings after touch and smell.
And maybe start to slowly let your eyes open.
Notice how the space looks,
Maybe how your perspective is refreshed.
And at your own pace,
Invite yourself back into the space.
This world is to have you.
