Welcome to this short practice to reconnect with a softness within you A place of safety,
Breath and quiet presence You don't need to change anything,
You don't need to be any different than you are at this moment Just come as you are and allow your body to arrive Find a position that would be most comfortable for just a few minutes and feel free to adjust at any point to bring even more comfort If it feels right,
You can close your eyes or maybe soften your gaze,
Gaze gently downward Allow your hands rest on your lap or maybe your belly and then invite your shoulders to relax just a little and your breath find you So take a couple of easeful and cleansing breaths You can experiment with inhaling through your nose and then exhaling through your mouth elongating your exhale,
Making it slightly longer than your inhale and as you continue to breathe naturally your nervous system can gradually start to settle breath by breath There is nothing you have to do,
Nothing you have to say to help it happen but to continue to breathe and relax into the support underneath you As you continue to breathe once again please invite your attention to gently center on the rise of and fall of your breath in your belly area Simply resting your attention on the sensations without forcing anything managing anything,
Trying to breathe deeper Simply allow your breath to follow its natural route Breathe as deeply or as shallow as you would like to,
Noticing whatever are those sensations in your belly and if you would like,
Try whispering to your body silently Soft belly,
Soft tummy You can also substitute any other word for the word belly or tummy that feels most comfortable to you to relax into that important area of your body that holds so many vital organs You can further invite it to soften by using other phrases like it's safe to soften I don't have to hold at all and this might be a good time to put your hand on your tummy if you haven't done it yet if that feels appropriate to you and feel into the space beneath your hands Let your tummy loosen even just a tiny little bit and if there is tension,
That's okay You don't have to push it away,
Just let your breath meet it with warmth It too belongs here I invite you to gently shift your attention to your chest,
The heart space You might even place one hand over your heart if you feel like it and again,
Silently whisper Soft heart Imagining the air entering through the heart space,
Creating space in that area that you can soften into You can further experiment with phrases like it's okay to feel It's okay to care Let your breath move through this space,
Heart space as if the inhale lifts and expands your heart and the exhale invites it to rest You are allowed to feel and you're allowed to rest too Now,
You can feel both your soft tummy and your soft heart at the same time The breath weaving through them like a quiet river Nothing to fix,
Nothing to solve Just you,
Present Breathing enough Soft heart Gentle and rooted presence Let this feeling and those words be your anchor for the rest of your day and when you're ready,
You can invite a deeper breath and then wiggle your fingers,
Your toes and slowly reorient yourself to the space around you Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes and take in the space around you and take a moment to notice this softness in your body and perhaps in your mind and carry the softness with you as a quiet companion as a refuge and as a way back to yourself Thank you
