Breathing in and out,
Grounding back into your body and into your moment here now.
What's true for you in this moment?
What's coming up in the mind,
The body,
The soundscape?
Is it a feeling,
A sensation,
Or an image in the mind's eye?
Is it a repeating thought,
A memory,
An anxiety or worry for the future?
Is it a pre-planning,
A tension,
An excitement,
A stillness or a wonder?
What's here for you now?
What's here for you now?
Take a few deep breaths.
Can you just be with this breath?
Following the air as it moves into your nostrils and out through the mouth.
Can you sense into it moving through the body?
This breath is an anchor to return back,
Grounding yourself in your body and you.
The thoughts that play as you try,
As they try and run the center stage.
Notice them and name them as what they are.
I see you anger.
I see this memory.
I see my mind trying to replay a previous interaction.
I notice my mind planning ahead.
Just noticing,
Just naming,
No blaming.
Then coming back to your breathing.
Can you feel in this breath?
If your breath is not an option today,
What do the hands feel like or the feet?
What is the temperature?
Be with what's here.
We're just being and breathing.
Now we're going to take notice and allow feeling to work through our body.
In our society,
We've been taught to stuff away difficult emotions,
To be okay and to be strong.
And at times,
Not feeling into a difficult emotion has a role of protection.
When we are able,
Taking a moment to notice and be with the stress or difficult feeling,
Allowing it to complete and not linger in the body in forms of tension,
Pain or disease.
So at this time,
I'd like to invite you to see if there's a feeling that is coming to you now.
Perhaps choosing one that is prominent,
But also picking one that feels comfortable to work through here now.
It could be anger,
Fear,
Anxiety,
Sadness,
Grief,
Shame,
Irritation,
Frustration,
Uncertainty,
Dis-ease.
If there is no difficult emotions arising for you,
Simply letting what feeling is here to be and naming it now.
Just locating which feeling is most prominent if there are more than one that are coming up.
Once you have identified and named the feeling that is most prominent and starting to sense into the body,
Where does this emotion live?
Starting to get curious of locating this within yourself.
Is it a tightness in the stomach,
A tingling in the chest?
Is it a tension in the shoulders or a dull ache in the jaw?
Does it live as a stiffness in the low back?
Where and how do you feel this feeling?
Notice that and try to stay with it.
Breathing space into that place and offering yourself kindness and soothing on each nourishing breath in.
And on the exhale,
Releasing the tension and continuing to be with the feeling and that sensation in the body.
It happens when we stay with that feeling.
It happens when we allow it to be there,
Not trying to automatically push it away,
Ignore or avoid it.
By being with all the emotions and parts of our experience,
We can allow ourselves to connect back to ourselves and be free of emotions that are taking over and controlling the show.
If it feels right,
Placing a hand on the area of your body where you sense this feeling,
Offering some soothing,
Breathing space and kindness into that area.
And being just breathing and being with what is.
And being okay with what is right now.
Not trying to push away what's here or hide it or avoid it.
Just staying with the feeling and where it is in the body.
And breathing some kindness into those spaces to offer some softening and some soothing.
And with the touch of your hand on that area of your body,
You're applying almost like a soothing balm to that area.
And just some soothing to this area of you that is suffering.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And noticing the common humanity of this experience of suffering that you are feeling.
Everyone is feeling some emotion of suffering at this time.
There's nothing special about it.
By breathing and connecting in to that feeling within you.
By allowing it to be and offering some kind compassion and some soothing.
We allow that feeling and that cycle of stress to have some completion.
And taking some really big deep breaths in and out here to bring some space into the body.
Now before we complete this practice,
There's an invitation to place your hand on your heart or your stomach or both.
And repeat some kind words to yourself.
You can choose your own if something is coming up for you or you can repeat the following in your mind and to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be with all experiences within myself.
May I honor myself.
May I be at peace.
May I bring joy into my being.
Take a full deep breath in and a long deep exhale out.
Breathing as long as you may need knowing that this is a sacred space for you.
When you are ready,
Starting to move the toes and hands.
Bring simple movement back into the body in the way that feels right for you.
Really opening the eyes and taking in your surroundings.
Maybe smiling at someone near you if you might make eye contact.
Smiling and seeing what that provides for you in your body.
Seeing the body in a stretch and with intention.
Knowing that you are ready to show up with intention and connection for the rest of your day.
