Welcome to your practice of embodiment.
If you're feeling disconnected from your body,
Numb,
Or shut down,
This might be a good practice for you.
We're going to work towards moving into our body and finding a centered place inside.
If it's possible to be outside,
I highly recommend it.
You can physically go outside or open a window and sit near it.
And if that's not accessible for you,
That's okay.
I might suggest practicing with something that gives you a sensory input,
Whether that's sitting on a fuzzy carpet or placing your hands on a cozy blanket,
Or even sitting on a cold floor or standing on a cold floor.
So take a moment to find your place that you'll practice or reach for an object that might support this type of practice.
You can find any posture.
If you're able to stand,
That might be helpful for you to energize the body through engaging the muscles and standing up.
If standing is not an option,
Then I recommend sitting upright and tall with some alertness to your spine.
Let your arms rest in a way that's easy where there isn't any effort there,
But at the same time,
There is intention with how tall your posture is.
And we're going to start by taking five rounds of deep breath where your exhale is a sigh.
If it's possible to audibly exhale a big,
Ah,
I recommend that.
If it's not possible,
Then let your breath be prevalent on that breath out.
So go for five rounds of deep breath and an open sigh exhale.
Breathe in.
Sigh it out.
Deep breath in.
And a big,
Ah.
Inhale big.
Let something go on your exhale.
Two more times,
Inhale.
Relax your shoulders,
Relax your elbows,
Breathe out.
Now on this last breath,
You might hold your breath at the top.
And let your whole body soften on your big exhale.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Come into natural breathing.
Notice your breath just as it is without forcing it or changing it.
And see if you can sense any changes that has happened inside from your breathing.
When you're ready to,
Lift your hands just about chest level right in front of you and shake them out as if they're wet and you're shaking out the water.
Let your fingers be loose.
Let your wrists be loose.
It doesn't have to be intense.
You can go as fast or slow as you'd like.
And now keeping your hands shaking,
Start to rise them up towards your face until you're reaching your arms all the way up above your head.
As you shake your hands,
You might also include the elbows.
You might include the whole shoulders,
Arms,
Until you're just sort of waving your arms around.
You might go faster or you might stay slow.
Go for five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
And on one,
Release the shaking but keep your arms lifted.
Take a moment to notice.
What we're doing here is bringing tangible awareness to our body,
To our hands and our arms so that we can notice more subtle sensations.
So take a moment to see what you notice.
And now really slowly,
Start to lower your arms by your side.
Go so slow that you can barely notice that your arms are moving.
Steeping in that experience of subtlety.
Soften your face.
Soften your breath.
Eventually your arms will make it by your side or in your lap.
You can have your eyes open or closed as you notice the results in your body.
Of that movement.
Can you sense where your body makes contact to the floor?
Or your seat?
If you are outside,
Can you notice the air on your skin?
The sun in your face?
Or the light in the space that you're in?
Can you notice the texture of your clothes sitting on your skin?
And the way that your body moves as you breathe?
Can you notice your heartbeat?
If it's comfortable for you,
Place a hand on your heart.
If you'd rather,
Place a hand anywhere on your body.
And tune in to the touch of your palm and your fingertips on your body.
Can you press gently?
Feeling the pressure of your hand and your fingers.
Maybe you rub your hand or you rub your fingers to vary the touch.
Soften your body again.
And ask your heart what it needs to hear.
You might consider the friendly gesture of placing a hand on your body.
Can you offer kind words to your heart?
I'm here.
I'm with you.
I care about you.
You're alive and you're not.
You are important.
Take a deep breath in.
Fill your belly,
Fill your chest.
And a big sigh as you exhale.
Take another deep breath in.
And fill up as if your inhale could reach the edges of your body.
And a big exhale again.
On this last one,
Breathe in big and squeeze your shoulders up to your ears.
Scrunch up your face really tight.
Squeeze your hands,
Squeeze your toes,
Squeeze your legs.
Squeeze your knees,
Squeeze your belly.
Big,
Big breath in.
Hold at the top,
Squeezing everything.
And then exhale to let it all go.
I hope that this practice brought you closer to your body.
And I hope that you move through the rest of your day with a sense of greater peace and closeness to your center.
Thank you.
