Welcome to this guided mindful doodling session with me Abigail where we combine breath,
Presence and pen to reconnect with ourselves through art.
Take a comfortable seat wherever you are,
Let your shoulders soften,
Your jaw unclench and your hands rest gently for a moment.
Place one hand over your belly and begin to feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath.
There's no rush,
Just notice that you're here,
That you've made space to pause.
With your next few breaths imagine you're exhaling down into the earth like your breath has roots,
Down,
Down,
Deeper,
Down,
Softening the noise above and resting into a quieter,
Slower rhythm.
Now let your hand find your pen and slowly place it at the center of your page.
Today we're drawing roots.
Roots remind us that even when life feels fast or uncertain there's something steady underneath.
They don't rush,
They don't bloom but they do hold,
They anchor,
They nourish.
As we draw today we'll explore what it feels like to slow down,
To let go of perfection and simply sink in.
Let your pen begin to wander.
Start with a single line either at the top of your page or perhaps in the center and reaching downward and outward like a tiny root seeking space.
No need for symmetry or straight lines,
Roots are wild,
Natural and unplanned.
Let that line split into two and those two into more,
Tiny tendrils,
Curling,
Looping,
Branching.
You might trace over the same lines again and again.
You might choose to darken some while keeping others light.
Let each breath guide a new movement of your pen,
Inhale,
Exhale.
If your thoughts wander,
Just like roots weaving through stones,
Gently bring your attention back to the movement of your pen.
As you draw,
Gently ask yourself,
What grounds me right now,
Where do I feel safe to grow?
There is no wrong way to do this,
You're not drawing for show,
You're drawing to feel,
To feel,
To listen.
Let the page hold you and let the lines stretch slowly,
Deeply and steadily.
I'll pause for a minute so you can draw in silence.
As your root lines begin to slow,
You might gently frame them,
Maybe you'd like to draw a small seed or a stone nearby or just pause with what you've already created.
When it feels right to do so,
Place your pen down,
Bring one hand back to your belly or to your heart,
Take a deep breath in through the nose and a long,
Grounding sigh out through the mouth.
Notice how you feel now,
Maybe more still,
Maybe more connected.
There's nothing to analyze,
Just notice,
Let your breath and body take it all in.
If you'd like,
Take a moment now to write a word or sentence on your page,
Starting with today I am grounded in.
.
.
And finish the sentence from your heart.
Thank you for showing up today,
For pausing and for drawing your attention inward.
This practice doesn't need perfection or performance,
Only your presence.
Whenever you need to feel steady,
Safe and supported,
Return to the roots,
Return to your breath,
Return to your pen.