Hi,
Thanks for being here.
Here when you could be in a myriad of other places.
I Need a Minute offers short practices for when you need to step away from your day and come back to yourself.
Each offering is 15 minutes or less.
With simple practices in meditation,
Pranayama,
Movement,
Or stillness to help you pause,
Breathe,
And reconnect with your body.
For today's practice,
You can choose to lie down on your back or find a comfortable seat.
If you're choosing a comfortable seat.
Please anchor down into the tripod base of your pelvis.
Allow your sits bones to feel heavy.
Relax the shoulders,
Soften your jaw.
Feel the shoulders stack over the hips.
The ears over the shoulders.
If you're choosing to lie on your back,
Please set up comfortably.
You might choose to roll a blanket or to place a bolster beneath the knees.
You can cover your eyes with an eye pillow.
Or bring a blanket over the body.
As you settle in here.
Make sure that you feel comfortable.
If there are any parts of your body where you feel.
Sensation in a negative way.
Move around.
Alter your shape so that you feel at ease.
Let your body be held and supported here.
Let yourself take a few nice,
Deep,
Full breaths.
Allow your eyes to close or your gaze to soften.
Feel the breath in your abdomen.
Bring the breath all the way down into the lowest part.
Allow each inhale to go a little deeper.
And each exhale to last a little longer.
Imagine that with each breath,
You can begin to release any tension.
Discomfort.
Or distraction.
That you don't need to hold on to.
You're using the breath to begin to shift your attention.
To a place that is peaceful.
And beautiful to you.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Imagine that when you breathe in,
You're breathing in fresh energy.
Oxygen flowing through your whole body.
And imagine with every out breath.
You let go of a little bit of tension.
A little bit of discomfort.
A little distraction.
Breathe in relaxation.
Breathe out tension.
Allow any outside sounds around you to fade into the background.
They're not important to you right now.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Begin now to imagine yourself going to a place that is peaceful to you.
A place that is beautiful and safe.
This might be a place that you've been to in your life.
Or it might be a place in your imagination.
A nice place to be for a few moments of your day.
If there's more than one place that comes to mind,
Pick the one that interests you the most right now.
You can visit others at another time.
See this place inside your mind's eye and allow yourself to look around there.
Notice colors and shapes and the things that you see.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Imagine hearing any sounds in this special,
Peaceful place.
Or maybe it's very quiet there.
Breathe in.
.
.
And breathe out.
Notice if there's an aroma or a fragrance in this place.
Can you imagine smelling that scent here?
Enjoy whatever feels right for you.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Notice the temperature and the weather around you.
Does it feel warm or cool?
Is the sun out or are there lots of clouds?
Has it rained recently?
Is there snow falling?
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Allow yourself here to sink into feelings of peacefulness.
Of relaxation.
Of comfort.
Allow yourself to relax into the feelings,
To feel into the comfort.
To feel into the peacefulness.
Let your body be heavy.
There's nothing else to do right now.
You can allow yourself to be here as you deeply relax in this place of beauty.
Peacefulness and safety.
You can allow your body and mind to recharge.
Drawing from this sense of deep restfulness and comfort that is here.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Take another moment to look around this place inside your mind's eye.
Do you notice anything here that you didn't notice when you first arrived?
Is there anything you can bring into this place with you that makes it feel more supportive to you?
More nourishing.
Know that you can come back here and enjoy this anytime you wish.
You can visit this place inside your mind.
Simply by deciding to shift your attention.
To allow your breath to deepen and slow.
To carve out time and to sit yourself well,
You can imagine yourself in this peaceful place.
Take one more look around here.
Check in with the senses once more.
And in your mind's eye,
Allow a smile to pass over your face.
Not necessarily here in your true physical body.
Put in your vision of you in this peaceful,
Calm,
Nourishing place.
But an easy smile come.
When you're ready,
You can allow the image of this place to fade away.
Bringing back with you into your day any sense of relaxation and refreshment.
This place is always within you.
Each time you remember it or think about it,
You can touch back in to the feelings that it evokes inside of you.
The feelings of ease and comfort,
Safety and peace.
And you can bring those qualities with you into your daily life.
Please begin here to deepen and lengthen your breath.
As you begin to invite gentle movement back into the body.
You might roll the head from side to side.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Take your tongue across your teeth.
And bring your hands together at heart center.
A place of peace exists inside all of us.
Our sattvic center wholesome as it is always.
Perhaps this place lives inside your sattvic center,
This place of Joy of years.
May you visit it as often as you're able.
And if you're not able to visit this place,
May you remember or remind yourself that it exists.
That you are worthy and deserving of ease and calm and safety.
Throughout the movement of your day.
I'll close our time with the teacher student prayer.
Mahavid Vishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti May we be protected together.
May we be nourished together.
May we study together with great vigor,
And may these studies be enlightening.
Let there be no animosity among us.
Let there be peace,
Peace,
Peace.
For we are all teacher.
And we are all student.
Walking the path together.
Take a gentle breath in.
And a gentle breath out.
Begin to blink your eyes open,
Let light return.
Have a beautiful day.
Thank you for being here.
