Before your eyes are fully open,
The body is already braced.
The shoulders have climbed toward the ears.
The jaw is set.
As if the day began without you.
So here's a question before you think a single thought.
What if the first thing this morning?
Was not planning.
Of breathing out.
Feel whatever is beneath you the bed.
Floor,
The weight of your own body being held.
Let the jaw come loose by a fraction.
Let the shoulders come down from where they climbed in the night.
This is a practice.
And it works with one small thing.
Exhale.
Made a little longer than the breath before it.
Let the next breath in be easy.
Nothing forced.
And now,
Let the breath out be slow.
Longer than the one that came in.
Feel it leave,
Unhurried.
Gently,
And out slower.
This is where the body learns it is safe to come down.
A nervous system that wakes on guard is not broken.
It only learned to start the day ready for something.
The longer exhale tells it quietly.
That the mourning can be met instead of survived.
One more time,
Breathe in without effort.
And let the exhale stretch long.
Until the bracing has somewhere to soften into.
You are allowed to begin the day already regulated.
Instead of chasing calm later on.
Namaste.
This was Meditai.
Come back.
Whenever you need to.