To begin this practice,
I invite you to draw your attention to your breath,
Seeing if you can follow the pathway of the air as it enters and leaves your body.
Noticing the quality of your breath,
Following your breath all the way in and all the way out.
I'm just taking a few moments here to notice whatever there is to notice.
And next,
I invite you to bring to mind something that helps you to feel a sense of connection or belonging,
A sense of being seen,
Maybe a sense of safety and security.
This might be a situation,
A person,
Or a particular place.
And see if you can recognize this thing as a glimmer,
Or something that cues you for a sense of safety and peace,
Something that helps you to feel calmer in your nervous system.
And see if you can bring to mind a tangible moment.
It might be just a small thing,
Like making eye contact with a friendly person,
A friend smiling at you,
Someone preparing a meal for you,
Or it might be something like a loved one asking questions to better understand you and your values,
Or being around others with whom you share similar values and interests.
And see if you can imagine one of these scenarios playing out in your mind.
Try to make the experience as rich as possible,
Noticing what you might see or hear,
Or smell,
Or feel,
Really trying to immerse yourself in that experience and truly embody it.
And as you imagine this,
Notice what experience you feel in your body.
What effect does this experience have on your body and on yourself?
And just taking a few moments here to notice whatever there is to notice.
Physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally,
Just pausing here to notice.
If at any point your mind wanders,
Just know that this is a natural part of being human.
And just compassionately notice that your mind has wandered.
Gently bring the focus back to your body.
And next,
I invite you to draw attention to a place in your body that you might experience a sense of calm and groundedness.
You might choose to do a short body scan from your head all the way down to your toes,
And seeing if you can find a place in your body that connects you with a sense of calm and groundedness.
If you have trouble finding a spot that feels calm and grounded,
You might want to try finding a place that maybe doesn't have a lot of sensation,
Or maybe try connecting with a more distal part of your body,
Such as your hands and fingers,
Or your feet and toes,
Or maybe simply noticing the points in your body that are making contact with whatever surface lies beneath you.
And once you get a sense of a place in your body that feels calm and grounded,
See if you can get a sense of how grounded you feel,
Whether it's high or low or medium,
And see if you can tune up that grounded feeling in your body.
Noticing how the groundedness feels physically in your body.
If this sense of groundedness had a color,
What color would it be?
Noticing whatever there is to notice as you sit with that calm grounded feeling in your body.
Noticing any visuals or images that come to your mind,
And just making space for whatever experiences arise.
And again,
If at any point you notice your mind wander,
Just know that this is perfectly normal,
And see if you can gently and compassionately return your attention to that calm grounded place in your body.
And in these final moments of the practice,
I invite you to sit with this positive experience that is created.
To notice what it is like,
Notice the effect that it has on your body,
On your thoughts,
And your emotions.
To really soak in this experience,
And know that this grounded place that you've created is somewhere that you can return to at any time you need.
