Welcome to Pause with Anya.
A few quiet minutes to pause,
Breathe,
And come back to yourself.
Today we're going to set down what you've been carrying in practice,
The quiet art of letting go.
Let's begin.
Settle into a comfortable position and let your eyes gently close.
Take a moment to notice how you're holding yourself right now.
Perhaps the shoulders are lifted.
Your jaws tight.
Your hands are clenched.
Your belly hard.
Just notice it.
With kindness,
Without needing to change a thing yet.
This is your time.
The next few minutes belong to no one but you.
Slowly.
Breathe in through your nose.
And let it go with a soft,
Audible sigh out through your mouth.
Again.
Full breath in.
And a long releasing sigh out.
Let your shoulders drop as you do.
One more.
Breathe in whatever you need.
And sigh out whatever you're already ready to release.
Now let the breath return to its own gentle rhythm and simply follow it for a few rounds.
Bring your mind gently to things you have been carrying today,
The tasks,
The worries,
The conversation.
The pressure to get it all right.
You don't need to solve any of them now.
Just notice how it feels to hold them all at once.
Perhaps a tightness,
A heaviness,
A bracing somewhere in your body.
Letting go doesn't mean the tasks disappear or that you stop caring.
It simply means you loosen your grip for a little while so you can rest and gather yourself again.
Imagine everything you've been carrying as a heavy bag held in your hands.
Every worry,
Every to do,
Every should packed inside it.
Feel the weight of it for a moment.
And the effort of holding on.
And now slowly picture yourself setting that bag down beside you.
You're not throwing it away.
It will be there if you need it.
Or you're simply putting it down.
And now feel your hands open.
Your arms grow light.
Your shoulders float down away from your ears.
With the weight set down,
Notice how much lighter your whole body can feel.
Breathe into that lightness.
Let the softening spread through you now.
And cleanse your jaw.
Soften your eyes.
Drop your shoulders.
Open your hands.
Release your belly.
Let your legs grow heavy.
Every out breath,
A little more release.
Every out-breath a little more ease.
Rest here in the lightness.
Nothing to hold.
Simply breathing.
When you are ready,
Take a fuller breath.
Feel the surface beneath.
Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes.
And softly open your eyes.
Notice how much lighter you can feel when you set the weight down.
Even for a few minutes.
You can practice this any time the day feels heavy.
And I'll see you next week.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Whenever you need a moment of calm.
This space will be here for you.
Be gentle with yourself.
Until next time.
