Welcome to your soft and slow morning ritual.
We begin by finding a comfortable position to go inwards,
Allowing this ritual to be a quiet return to yourself.
I invite you to resource,
And this might mean gathering more pillows,
Placing a blanket over you,
Taking a sip of water,
Putting a jumper on or even taking one off.
Whatever could support you in feeling more comfortable and more present in this moment together.
Take a few moments here to gently gather what you need.
Now let's begin to orient,
Looking around your space very slowly,
Allowing your gaze to move around the space that you are in,
Not focusing on anything specific,
Just noticing the different colours,
Textures,
Light,
The surfaces of your space.
Whether you are indoors or outdoors,
Just becoming familiar with this space,
Whether you've been here before or not,
This allows your body to register that you are here and that you are safe.
You may notice that as you do this you start to yawn,
Or your breath begins to slow or deepen,
You may notice yourself needing to stretch.
Go ahead and make any further adjustments or movements that feel supportive to you,
Before turning your gaze and awareness inwards,
Closing down your eyes,
Or having a gentle gaze down towards your body,
Or the ground in front of you.
We begin our morning check-in by first calling ourselves fully present here into this moment,
Calling ourselves from the dream world back into this space and time.
We set the intention to stay curious,
With loving compassion as we delve into our bodies today.
No expectations,
No comparisons,
Just curiosity and presence.
We are beginning with noticing how your body is held,
Your posture,
Your spine.
Whether you're sitting or laying down,
Feeling the ground beneath you,
Supporting you as you rest here.
Feeling a rooting down,
A heaviness through your legs,
Through your pelvis.
And noticing if you're holding tension anywhere,
Your hips,
Your shoulders.
Does something want to change in your posture,
For you to feel more stable,
More supported?
Is there a way you can soften your posture,
Even 5%?
Allowing your collarbones to widen,
Your shoulders to drop.
Allowing yourself to be here with an open heartedness.
I'm beginning to notice your mind now.
Is it busy with thoughts?
Trying to pull you away and distract you from this moment?
Does your mind seem calm and focused?
Not labeling anything as good or bad,
Just noticing where you're at this morning and what's here.
What you're beginning with today.
And just know that when you notice your mind taking you away from your body,
Allowing your breath to gently return you back,
Over and over and over again.
Noticing the rhythm of your breath now.
Just as it is,
Not changing it.
Is it shallow?
Is it deep?
Fast or slow?
Short and sharp?
Is it changing the longer we sit here?
And where in the body can you feel your breath most clearly?
Your nose,
Your chest,
Your belly?
Can you allow yourself to receive more breath?
Without force,
Allowing your breath to deepen and expand into your belly,
Just a little bit more.
Feeling your belly rise and fall as your breath takes up more space in your body.
Imagining that breath expanding to the tips of your toes and the tips of your fingers.
Now just noticing if you can sense any emotions that are present,
Perhaps just beneath the surface.
Overwhelmed,
Joy,
Sadness,
Grief?
Or does it feel neutral?
Let whatever is here to be welcomed,
Holding what may arise with curiosity,
Without suppressing or denying or shaming the aliveness that is pulsing through you.
Maybe there is a lot and maybe not.
Moments like this are not about fixing or changing or wishing for this to be different.
It's about learning to meet yourself,
To gently witness what's here moment by moment with loving compassion.
I invite you now to gently scan your body,
From the tip of your head to the tips of your toes.
Gently guiding your awareness through your body.
Imagining your awareness like water or even honey,
Slowly,
Gently dripping down all parts of your body.
Starting from the head,
Down the face,
Scanning for any sensations.
That can be tingling or warm,
Tightness,
Stillness,
Numbness,
Sharpness.
Down through the jaw,
Chest,
Arms,
Hands and fingers.
Continue to scan in your own pace,
Bringing your attention to any noticeable sensations.
Finishing all the way down to the tips of your toes.
Just choosing one sensation that feels the most alive or present for you today.
Stay with this sensation,
Just feeling it and giving it your presence.
It may feel uncomfortable,
It may be painful,
Just be here if you can.
Maybe placing your hand on this area where this sensation is most present.
If this sensation could speak,
What might it say?
And if this sensation had a need,
What might it need?
Is there a way you could honour this need as you move throughout your day today?
Taking a deep breath,
Let this gentle check in be your compass for the day.
Allow yourself to carry this awareness throughout your day.
And if nothing came for you,
That is okay.
Allow this to be a soft landing,
A returning into your body,
Your breath,
Your being.
We all deserve a soft and slow start to the day.
So as this practice comes to a close,
Just inviting in some movement back into your hands and your legs.
Before opening your eyes,
Just gently listening to the outer world around you.
Opening your eyes when you're ready,
And reorienting back into your space.
And taking a moment to thank yourself for being in practice today,
For feeling safe enough to feel and listen to your body.
May you take this wisdom from today and let it support you as your day unfolds.
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you.
