Welcome to Quiet Bloom.
This is a gentle space for an evening to reflect,
Find stillness,
And to settle in to rest.
There is nothing you need to do or fix,
So go ahead and get comfortable in whatever way feels right for you.
When you're ready,
Let's begin.
If you aren't already,
Go ahead and lay down or find some shape that feels restorative.
Maybe you lay back on your couch or bring pillows or cushions under your knees.
Palms can be facing upward as your arms are long beside you,
Or maybe you bring one hand to your belly and one hand to your heart.
Start by noticing the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
As you breathe here,
Allow those points of contact to feel a little bit heavier as you sink further into the support around you.
Begin by bringing awareness to your breath.
Not changing it,
Just noticing how it feels as you inhale and you exhale.
Feel the inhale as it naturally enters the body.
And notice the exhale as it softly leaves.
Now begin to slow down the breath.
Each inhale takes just a little bit longer.
And each exhale is drawn out a little bit more.
Notice the breath from the inside of your body,
The subtle expansion in your chest,
The gentle movement beneath the ribs.
Allow your awareness to settle on the chest,
Noticing the energy here,
The tension,
The openness.
Maybe you notice the rhythm of your heartbeat.
Notice the sensations in the chest as it fills with air and releases air.
With your inhale,
Feel the chest gently rise.
With your exhale,
Feel it soften and release.
Allow your breath to be calm and unhurried.
Invite this awareness to begin to spread from the chest to the shoulders,
Down the arms,
The elbows,
The forearms,
To your wrists,
To your knees.
And your fingertips.
And on your next few breaths,
Allow this awareness to move downward.
From the chest to the upper belly,
The lower belly,
The upper back,
And the low back.
And feel the breath gently touching these areas,
Even if the movement feels quiet or barely there.
Sense the hips and the weight of your pelvis.
And notice what it feels like to be held by your bed or couch or wherever you are.
Allow this awareness to continue down your legs,
Through the thighs,
The knees,
Your calves,
All the way down to your feet and toes.
Notice the grounding quality of your stillness.
Now sense your whole body at once.
Your breath moving through your body in this present moment.
If the mind wanders,
Gently return to this breath.
Return to the rise and fall of your chest.
Return to the steady rhythm within you.
Take a full,
Nourishing,
Deep breath in,
And when you're ready,
Sigh it out.
