Hi resilient sunshine,
Thank you for being here.
It takes courage to turn inward especially after an experience that may have left your body feeling confused,
Tense or maybe a bit disconnected.
This practice is an invitation.
Take this as an invite to simply be with yourself,
To listen and to offer your body a gentle conscious return to a state of safety and ease.
Find a position that feels supportive right now.
You can lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor or stretched out with a pillow under your knees.
You can even remain seated if that feels more comfortable.
The only rule here is that you feel as physically at ease as possible.
And when you're ready gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Let's begin by arriving in the present moment.
Bring your awareness to the simple steady points of contact your body is making with the surface beneath you.
Feel the weight of your body being held.
Feel the support of the floor or the bed or couch,
The chair.
Just allow yourself to be held.
Now gently guide your awareness to your breath.
Don't try to change it.
We're not here to transform or disrupt.
Just notice it.
Notice the natural rhythm of your inhale and your exhale.
Perhaps you can feel the breath moving in your chest or the cool air at your nostrils.
With each exhale imagine you can release just a little bit of the doing for the day.
Just softening,
Just arriving.
You are safe here in this moment with your breathing.
Now with your next inhale I invite you to gently expand your awareness downward.
Bring a soft and curious attention to the area of your pelvis.
This is your pelvic ball,
A sacred,
Powerful and resilient part of you.
Without any pressure to change or fix anything.
Simply notice what sensations are present here.
You may notice nothing at all and that's perfectly fine and okay.
You may also notice a feeling of tightness,
Perhaps an ache or contraction,
Sometimes even numbness.
You might notice a slight pulsing or twitching.
There's no right or wrong thing to feel.
Just allow yourself to notice whatever is there.
Imagine your awareness is like a warm gentle light and you are simply shining this warm non-judgmental light on this area.
Acknowledge what you find.
If there's tension silently say to that part of your body I see you,
I feel you,
It's okay,
I'm here with you,
I see you,
I feel you,
It's okay,
I'm here with you.
Let's now invite your breathing to be a gentle company to this area to bring a sense of space.
On your next inhale imagine you are breathing around the area of tension.
Imagine your breath feeling the entire lower belly,
The sides of your hips,
Your lower back,
Creating a soft spacious container around the pelvic bowl.
And as you exhale imagine the breath softening the outer edges of that container,
Just allowing a gentle sight of release.
Inhale creating space around the sensation.
Exhale softening boundaries of it.
Let's do this a few more times together.
Inhale gently expanding the lower belly,
The back,
The sides,
Creating a soft cushion of air all around the pelvis and exhale sighing it out,
Softening.
Just continue at your own pace with each cycle.
Your breath is simply saying there is room for you here,
There is no rush.
Now if it feels right you might experiment.
On an inhale you can imagine breathing directly into any spot that feels tight.
Imagine your breath is a soft warm wave meeting a tight muscle and on the exhale imagine that tightness can melt just a little,
Carried away by the outgoing tide of your breath.
And remember this is your practice,
You are in control.
You can choose to breathe into the sensation or you can choose to simply continue breathing space around it.
No goal to meet,
Nothing other than being present with kindness.
Slowly begin to let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Then gently bring your awareness back to the feeling of your body being held by the surface beneath you.
Bring your awareness back to the air in the room where you're at,
Its contact with your skin.
Know that you have just done something profoundly resilient.
You have turned inward with compassion.
You have shown up for yourself.
That's to be celebrated with softness and kindness.
When you feel ready you can begin to invite small movements back into your fingertips and your toes.
Wiggle them gently.
And whenever you are ready slowly,
Gently open your eyes carrying this sense of gentle presence within you into the rest of your day.
Remember you are whole,
You are safe and you are your own sunshine.
