Welcome to Quiet Bloom.
This is a gentle space for rest,
Stillness,
And self-care.
This practice is all about supporting yourself through mindfulness,
Even when your mind feels full.
So get comfortable in whatever way feels right for you,
And when you're ready,
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position.
Maybe you're lying down or you're seated,
Any way that feels supportive for you.
Take these next few moments to settle into the body to get comfortable.
And know that as you settle in,
We allow our body to feel however it does today.
If your mind already feels busy,
Full of thoughts and ideas and to-do lists,
Maybe your thoughts are moving quickly,
Jumping from one thing to the next,
I invite you to simply notice what comes up for you.
As you notice the mind,
Know that it is not something to fix or something to push away.
Just observe it and welcome it as something that is here with you.
As you notice the thoughts and feelings and sensations,
Know that there is nothing to fix or change,
Nothing to push away.
I simply invite you to allow whatever thoughts and feelings come up to sit here beside you.
As you settle in,
Begin to bring a gentle awareness to your breath.
Just noticing the inhale entering through the nose or the mouth and allowing the exhale as it leaves the body.
Allow your breath to move easily and unhurried.
And as you sit or lay here,
I invite you to begin to slow down the breath,
Lengthening the inhale and savoring the exhale.
Drawing in the breath,
Feeling the expansion in the chest and belly and allowing it to drift out easily and unhurried.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Which it likely will,
Know that that's okay.
Each time you notice the mind,
Talking to you or wandering,
You're already practicing your mindfulness.
Being aware of what comes up for you.
And when you notice the mind start to chatter,
Gently guide your attention back to your breath.
Breathing in gently.
And releasing slowly.
Again and again and again.
As we transition to our spring season,
I invite you to imagine your thoughts like the clouds moving across the beautiful blue sky.
Those clouds might feel light and airy.
Some are heavier and linger a little longer.
And some move quickly by.
And just like we observe the clouds as they move across the sky,
Know that you don't need to chase your thoughts.
You don't need to hold on to them.
You simply observe as they come and as they go.
Seeing your thoughts arrive and allowing them to move on by.
Come back to your breath.
If it feels supportive for you,
You might silently offer yourself these affirmations.
I can notice my thoughts without becoming them.
I can be with what's here without holding onto it.
I am capable of noticing.
And letting go.
And if your mind brings up the what if thoughts,
Which it inevitably will,
Gently offer yourself this.
What if everything works out just fine?
Bring your awareness back to your body.
Take a moment to notice the points of contact between your body and the support around and beneath you.
So maybe you notice your hips as you sit in your chair.
Maybe you notice all the points of contact between the back of your body and your bed or the floor.
Just notice where you are being held.
As you breathe here,
Allow your shoulders to soften just a little bit more as you draw them away from your ears.
Take a moment to unclench your jaw.
It may feel nice on your inhale to open your jaw wide,
Feeling this tension in your jaw.
And just release and stretch.
And on your exhale,
Allow it to be slack and close easily.
Bring your awareness back to your body and notice where you are being held and supported.
Notice your hips settled into your chair.
Notice the points of contact between the back of your body and the bed or the floor beneath you.
And on your next exhale,
Allow your shoulders to soften just a little bit more as you draw them away from your ears,
Creating space in the neck,
The tops of the shoulders.
Unclench your jaw.
Soften through the brow and the space around the eyes.
Allow your breath to open and soften through the chest and ribs and belly.
And notice the expansion on your inhale and the release on your exhale.
Bring your awareness down the length of your arms and allow your arms to feel heavy here.
Maybe they're at either side of you or your hands resting in your lap.
See if you can release just a little bit more here.
Allow your breath to be a softening and an unfurling through the chest and ribs.
The upper back,
The mid back,
And the low back,
All through the torso,
Down to your hips.
Let go of any holding in the hips,
The glutes,
The thighs.
The kneecaps are soft.
Notice your shins and your calves.
And breathe all the way down to the tips of your toes and the soles of your feet.
Feeling the inhale expand all throughout the body and the exhale to settle.
Take a nourishing deep breath in and a slow,
Easy breath out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Before we close,
I invite you to notice the space that you have made for yourself.
The awareness that you have cultivated in the body and in the mind.
Even with a busy mind,
You can still be mindful.
Mindful of your breath.
Mindful of the way that your body feels and what it needs.
And mindful of what you need to stay right here in this present moment.
When you're ready,
Gently begin to come back as you wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Rolling out your wrists and your ankles and softly cracking your eyes open if they were closed.
And I invite you to carry the sense of space and presence with you into your day,
Into your evening,
Into your week,
Not because everything in the mind is quiet,
But because you found a steadier way of being with it.
Take good,
Good care.
