Find a comfortable seat,
Paper before you and pen resting in your hand.
Close your eyes for a moment.
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale softly through your mouth.
Feel your body settle.
Grounded,
Steady and present.
Bring awareness to your inner landscape.
Notice if there are any ripples,
Motions just beneath the surface.
You don't have to name them or fix them,
Only notice them.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and place your pen near the top of your page ready to draw a river that will find its own way across the paper.
Today we're drawing riverbeds,
Pathways for quiet movement,
Emotional flow and gentle release.
Just as a river carves its path over time,
Our emotions move through us in currents,
Sometimes calm,
Sometimes strong.
Beneath still surfaces there is always flow.
As you doodle,
You'll explore how to stay present with what moves below the surface,
Allowing it space to move without needing to control or rush it.
Begin by letting your pen wander in a soft meandering line across the page,
Flowing from one edge to the other.
Let the line curve and dip naturally,
Like a river finding its way.
Now draw more lines beside it,
Following the same rhythm.
Some close,
Some wider apart.
These lines form your riverbed,
Your emotional current.
Inhale slowly,
Exhale and let your pen glide.
Notice where your hand wants to move.
If you find your lines rushing,
Slow them down.
Feel into the gentle sway,
The quiet rhythm of your breath.
Ask yourself,
What emotions are quietly flowing beneath the surface today?
What can I allow to move through without holding or resisting?
As you draw,
Imagine each wave or curve carrying away what no longer needs to stay.
Add ripples or eddies if you wish.
Small marks that show how life shapes your inner flow.
Breathe in steadiness.
Set your pen down.
Look at the lines on your page,
Curves,
Crossings and ripples.
This is your river,
The quiet movement that lives within you.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Exhale softly through your mouth.
Notice the calm that follows when you allow flow.
Silently repeat to yourself,
Even below stillness,
I am flowing.
Even below stillness,
I am flowing.
Write that on your page if it feels right.
A small reminder that emotional movement is natural and wise.
Today you let your hand follow the quiet wisdom of rivers.
Flowing gently,
Shaping slowly and always finding a way forward.
When life feels stuck or heavy,
Come back to this.
Draw your river.
Let yourself flow.
Thanks for drawing with me.
Until next time.
