Okay,
So let's start by gently setting the intention,
Welcoming you into the space today.
And we'll start with just acknowledging what the body feels like in this space.
We'll start with gently noticing how the body is held in every part that holds or makes contact with the body.
So you might notice the way that the ground feels supporting your frame,
That the ground is safe,
Stable,
Firm,
And just kind of simply allows you to let go,
To be rooted,
To lay back,
Or to just allow the weight to sink down and be stable right here.
You might notice a nice gentle wave of breath drawing in,
Releasing out,
Just from this stable place.
You can imagine it being like a tree,
A plant,
A rock that's just held and supported by the earth.
Firm,
Stable,
Strong.
You can start to gently wiggle around,
Moving the legs,
Placing the hands in the areas around,
To start to pick up what it feels like to have the skin make contact with this supporting foundation.
You might notice that there's textures that are soft here to hold and support your whole being.
You might notice the quality of the air in the room,
How it shelters from the harsh environment outside,
Shielding us,
Protecting us from the intense weather.
This open space that is carved out just for you,
That welcomes you here,
Allowing us to be stable and feel secure,
Protected.
Breathing in,
Releasing out.
And as the body starts to feel more comfortable,
Just settling in here,
We can start to play around a bit,
Making these little micro movements of shifting around or wiggling around,
To just notice what is it like to gently let the body lean back,
To let it be held by all the things that are in this space.
The pieces of furniture that support the spine,
Letting us gently melt back,
Supporting us as an extra way to stabilize our frame,
Letting our muscles ease,
Rather than tensing.
We can make some gentle movements back and forth,
If that would feel nice for you.
Maybe stretch or just notice the way that the muscles can freely move in a way that feels comfortable for you.
Maybe it can start to stretch by rolling the shoulders or gently twisting the spine left and right.
Noticing any sensation of the body letting you know when to stop or when it's letting you know that something is tender.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
So we can very slowly,
Very mindfully,
Just play in this space of being able to move the body in a way that helps to stretch certain areas.
Maybe gently moving the neck one direction and notice how that affects the back or the spine,
Even the limbs and the shoulders.
And just playing around to see what you notice.
How does the body respond to it?
Finding what feels good.
We can then incorporate the breath,
Imagining that with each breath,
It's almost like it's filtering in through the body and going right into those tight spaces.
Breathing in,
Releasing out.
Almost like it's a gentle breeze.
Just wanting to soften it from the inside.
That coolness or that warmth that you may feel through the nostrils,
The throat,
The chest.
Imagining that it's going right into those areas of the spine or the shoulders.
And gently releasing.
And then lastly,
If it would feel nice for you to move the arms,
Stretching up or out like branches of a tree.
Capable of movement and flexibility to adapt to the wind.
But also noticing how the body feels when we move up toward the sky or left and right.
As if going through the walls towards the mountains,
Towards the ocean.
Almost like a bird spreading out their wings.
Breathing in,
Releasing out.
And so we'll end here,
Kind of scanning from the body down to up.
From the ground,
Which supports us in our foundation.
Stable,
Firm.
And then that allows us to move through the body,
Stacking the spine strong,
Tall like a tree or a mountain.
Yet gentle,
Calm and stable.
Which goes through the trunk,
Through our center,
And then up through the crown of the head,
Through the neck,
Up towards the sky.
Shoulders gently melting down.
Feeling strong and stable.
Just like the mountain or the tree,
Rooted from the ground.
And then up.
Breathing in,
Releasing out.
Thanking yourself for taking a few moments here to just notice how the body responds,
What feels nice for the body today.
Again,
Giving yourself kudos for being open to trying something different.
We'll just let a few breath cycles float in and out.
Letting everything settle.
Kind of like clouds passing by or sediment floating down to the bottom again.
This ends our mindfulness body practice.
Take as much time as you need as you transition into the next thing.
