Welcome to this mindful doodling session with me,
Abigail.
Here we use breath and drawing as a way to slow down,
Come home to ourselves and find calm and creative stillness.
Make sure you have a pen,
Pencil and a page or journal to draw in.
You can also draw digitally on a tablet.
Once you've gathered all of your implements,
Settle into your seat.
Let your spine lengthen just a little,
Let your shoulders soften and allow your hands to rest gently in your lap or on the table in front of you.
Take a slow breath in through the nose and a long easy exhale through the mouth.
Feel the weight of your body,
The quiet pull of gravity holding you to the earth,
The steadiness of the surface beneath you.
Let yourself rest into that feeling.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and a long easy exhale through the mouth.
Feel the weight of gravity holding you to the earth,
The steadiness of the surface beneath you.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and a long easy exhale through the mouth.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and a long easy exhale through the mouth.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and a long easy exhale through the mouth.
Stones don't rush,
They don't bloom,
They are the quiet keepers of time.
They've weathered winds and waters,
Storms and sun and they stay still,
Present and grounded.
As we draw today,
We'll explore what it means to be still,
Not stuck but simply steady,
Held,
Rooted,
Enough.
Begin with a gentle oval shape,
Small and soft with no sharp edges.
Like a river stone worn smooth by years of movement.
Let it be imperfect,
Uneven and natural.
Draw another beside it,
Maybe touching,
Maybe spaced apart.
Let each one have its own shape.
Maybe one is wider,
Another taller,
Some tucked behind others like a step.
Keep drawing stone after round,
Steady stone.
You're not creating a scene,
You're letting forms arrive one by one with patience.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Let your breath lead your pen.
As you inhale,
Rest.
As you exhale,
Draw another stone.
Imagine each thought as a stone you place gently down on the page.
Let it rest there.
Let yourself rest.
Ask yourself gently,
What helps me feel steady right now?
What weight am I carrying?
And can I place it down even just for this moment?
Let the page become a quiet pile of calm,
A sanctuary of stillness.
Maybe you want to shade or trace around a stone.
Maybe just breathe and let it be.
Trust your pace.
Begin to slow your drawing.
Notice the shapes you've created,
Overlapping or scattered,
Small or big.
There's no one way to feel still.
There's no one way to draw peace.
Place your pen down gently.
Bring a hand to your heart or belly.
Take a full breath in and sigh it out.
What has softened inside you?
What is it that you're holding on to right now?
If you'd like,
Write a word or phrase on your page.
As a prompt,
Write,
I am held by,
And complete it with whatever came up during this session.
It might be,
I am held by time,
I am held by breath,
I am held by quiet,
Or simply,
I am held.
Let it be enough.
You've created a small sanctuary today with pen,
Paper,
And presents.
Thank yourself for arriving,
For staying,
And for the stillness you've cultivated.
You can return to this practice whenever the world feels too fast.
The stones will still be here,
And so will your breath.
Until next time.
