Whether you're seated or lying down,
Either way,
I encourage you to put something over the shoulders or a blanket over you.
Because as we do that,
One,
It invites the nervous system to feel a little bit safer.
It invites the nervous system to power down a little and switch into a more rest and digest mode.
And it also keeps the body temperature regulated because when we practice,
Our body temperature drops.
So taking any more time that you need here,
Any final adjustments to your posture so that you can be as comfortable as you can and so that you can be as still as you can throughout the duration of the practice.
And once you're settled into your position,
Seated or lying down,
If it feels welcome to you,
I invite you to close your eyes.
If closing your eyes doesn't feel great in your body right now,
That's okay.
Just find a soft gaze a couple feet in front of you.
Just off at a slight angle and let the vision soften and blur a little bit.
And then inviting a full breath to enter in through the nose.
Pause at the very top of that breath and then opening the mouth and exhale with a sigh.
Softening through the forehead,
Eyes,
The jaw,
And the tongue.
And at the bottom of that exhale,
Allowing the next breath to come in through the nose again.
And you might feel the rib cage softly expand as you inhale.
Pause and hold.
And open the jaw again,
Sighing out loud.
And softening through the shoulders,
Chest,
The abdomen,
And the whole length of the arms.
And from the bottom of that exhale,
One more full breath in just like this.
In through the nose,
Feeling the diaphragm lift and the belly expand.
And then again,
Releasing the jaw,
Opening the mouth,
And sighing out loud.
The whole body sinks into the support beneath you.
And then allowing the breath to just find a natural rhythm.
Each breath flowing fluidly,
One after the other.
With each exhale,
The body might sink a little further into the support beneath and behind you.
The whole body fully supported here.
The whole body fully supported as you begin to scan the body from head to toe,
And toe to head.
And just notice if there are any parts of the body that call for your attention.
If there's anything that is carrying some tension or discomfort.
As you notice these areas in the body,
Allowing the breath to travel into that space,
Wrap around it and softly exhale,
Greeting each part of the body.
You might say,
Oh,
Shoulder,
Thank you for communicating and letting me know that you're feeling a little tender today.
Or a thank you,
Belly,
Thank you,
Heart,
For letting me know that you're aching a little.
Thank you for communicating with me.
Just moving through the body in this way,
Greeting and welcoming all sensations,
Allowing the breath to travel into these spaces and then softly release.
All sensation is welcome here.
All sensation is welcome.
All is well.
And then you might scan the body again and just check in and notice what emotions are present with you here today.
Sadness,
Loneliness,
Irritability,
Ease,
Joy,
Calm.
Just noticing,
Sensing the quality of emotion in the heart and body and greeting it also.
Ah,
Thank you,
Emotion,
For letting me know that you're here.
It's okay that you're here.
Thank you for communicating with me.
I see you.
Allowing the breath to move into the heart,
Embrace the emotion and softly release.
As you gently now bring awareness to the very top of the head.
I'm softening.
So on the next exhale,
Softening through the top of the head,
The forehead,
Softening through both eyebrows,
Eyelids,
Corners of the eyes,
The outer edges of the eyes,
Both eyes softening and resting in the socket,
Softening through the temples,
The cheeks,
The nasal flares,
Softening through the lips and the jaw,
The tongue,
Softening through the neck,
Both shoulders,
Upper arm,
Elbows,
Lower arms,
Backs of the hands,
Palms of the hands,
And all 10 fingers softening,
Softening through the front of the chest,
The heart,
The ribcage,
Softening through the belly,
Upper back,
Mid back,
And the low back,
Whole torso softening,
The head and the whole torso softening,
Softening through both hips,
Buttocks,
Upper legs,
Knees,
Lower legs,
Both ankles,
Tops of the feet,
Heel,
Bottoms of the feet,
And all 10 toes softening,
Whole body,
Whole body soft,
Peaceful,
Fully supported,
Whole body,
Just sensing and feeling into the support of the earth beneath you,
Feeling the support of the space around you,
The air embracing you,
Feeling the support of the waves of the breath,
Gentle rise of the chest on the inhale,
A soft release on the exhale,
Expand and release the soft pulsation of the breath,
Effortless.
So you now follow the breath breathing in through the crown of the head,
Traveling down to the base of the spine,
And then exhale from the base of the spine all the way back up and out through the crown of the head,
Continuing to trace the breath in this way,
Inhale,
Base of spine,
A crown to base of spine,
Exhale,
Base of spine to crown,
Continuing to breathe in this way,
And you might invite soft sound,
Just quietly in the mind,
Soft,
Soft,
Soft humming on the in and the out breath,
Riding the waves of the breath along the length of the spine,
Now gathering that breath into the space of the heart.
You might now begin to breathe in through the crown of the head into the heart and exhale in the heart through the base of the spine,
Inhale,
Base of spine to heart,
Exhale,
Heart to the crown of the head,
Inhale,
Crown to heart,
Exhale,
Heart to root.
Continue breathing in this way,
Alternating at the space of the heart,
Sensing into that space of transition in the center of the heart.
And here in the heart space,
You might sense and see or visualize a small flame,
A beautiful,
Warm flame about the size of your thumb,
Resting in the deepest heart of your heart,
Sensing,
Seeing,
Knowing this flame in the center of the heart,
Burning brightly.
With each in breath,
You see the vibrancy of this inner flame.
With each exhale,
That light radiates outward,
The heart through the whole body,
Inhale,
Illuminate,
Exhale,
Radiate,
Illuminate,
Radiate,
Illuminate,
And radiate,
Holding awareness of the center of this flame in the center of the heart.
As you offer these words,
Gently move through the fibers of your being,
I am clear,
I am fully supported,
I trust,
All is welcome,
All is well,
I am clear,
I am fully supported,
I trust,
All is welcome,
All is well,
I am clear,
I am fully supported,
I trust,
All is welcome,
All is well,
I trust,
I trust,
I trust,
I,
I,
Trust,
I,
Trust,
I,
Trust,
Feeling the warmth of the flame in the center of the heart,
Dancing on the waves of the vibration of these words,
I am clear,
Fully supported,
I trust,
All is welcome,
All is well,
I trust,
Feeling the vibration of these words illuminating the body,
73 trillion cells carrying this vibration,
This illumination,
I trust,
I trust,
I trust,
Gathering that light deeper into the heart and the warmth of that flame,
Knowing that this is always here within the heart,
This eternal flame deep at the center of you,
Always present,
Always burning,
Always illuminating,
Radiating,
Illuminate,
Radiate,
Illuminate,
Radiate from the center of your being,
Now gently beginning to deepen the breath,
Awareness resting at the heart as the breath deepens and the awareness moves from the heart and downward to the points of contact between the body and the support beneath and behind you,
Sensing into these points of contact,
The heels,
The hips,
The buttocks,
The shoulder blades,
The backs of the hands,
I am clear,
I am fully supported,
Feeling the points of contact between the body and the support beneath and behind you,
Clear and fully supported,
Deepening the breath,
Beginning to draw the fingers in,
Closing the fingers into a fist and feeling the movement of the muscles in the arms,
And as you exhale,
Opening the fingers out wide,
Opening the palms,
Feeling that release,
Inhale,
Gather,
Sensing the strength and engagement of the muscles,
Exhale,
Softly open,
Feeling that release,
All is welcome,
All is well,
You might bring the feet into this motion,
Gathering the toes in on the inhale as the fingers close into a fist and then exhale,
Spreading the toes and the fingers out wide,
Feeling this gentle pulsation,
Soft rhythm of movement in the body,
And then if you're lying down,
You might begin to hug the knees into the chest,
You might feel a desire to reach the arms up overhead into a long stretch,
Pointing the toes,
You might do this if you're seated as well,
And as you exhale,
You might bring the hands back down to the side,
If you're lying down,
You might roll over to one side,
If you're seated,
You might just begin to do soft movements in circles with the shoulders,
Bringing the shoulders up to the ears,
Backwards and downwards,
Soft,
Easeful movement,
If you're lying down,
You might take the hand closest to the sky and press it into the earth in front of the heart,
Allow it to support you as you return to a seated position,
Where we will all meet together,
Once seated,
Bring the palms of the hands together in front of the heart and rubbing them together,
Especially at the base of the palm,
Generating some heat,
And once the hands are nice and warm,
Just simply interlacing the fingers,
Taking the palms facing the heart with the thumbs extended upward,
And Dvajra Pradhana Mudra,
The mudra of unshakable trust,
Fingers interlaced,
Palms facing the heart,
Thumbs up and gently,
You need to draw the elbows outward,
Just a very gentle pressure,
Just allow your awareness to rest at the center of the heart,
Recalling the flame that rests there,
Allowing the breath to flow naturally,
Easily in and out through the nose,
Breath is easeful,
Awareness is in the heart,
Easeful breath,
I am clear,
Fully supported,
I trust,
All is welcome,
All is well,
I trust,
I trust,
I trust,
Now releasing the hands and bring them together,
Generating some heat again,
Rubbing the hands together,
Nice and warm,
And then taking the hands and taking them and cupping them over your closed eyes,
Just feeling the warmth of the base of the hands,
Pressing against that bone beneath the eyes,
Then pressing the fingertips into the hairline,
Allowing the fingers to dialogue with the face and the scalp,
A light and soft massage,
You might find soft circles or gentle strokes or just simply holding pressure,
Allowing the fingers to travel,
Perhaps along the temples,
Jaw,
Behind the ears or down the neck,
You might notice that you don't have to think about this,
That the fingers,
Muscles in the face and the jaw and the head know exactly what is needed,
What is welcome here,
As they communicate effortlessly with one another,
Allowing the hands to travel along the neck or the shoulders,
You cannot do this wrong,
Continuing to massage the head and the scalp and the face until that feels complete,
And when that does feel complete,
Taking one hand to the top of the opposite shoulder,
Gently brushing down the length of the arm,
So you're brushing a lint off the arm,
I'm sure you complete the underside of the arm,
The top of the arm,
And then doing the same to the other side,
A little bit of pressure here,
And then doing the same for the legs,
From the hip creases to the knees,
Just moving down the length of the legs,
And then brushing the hands,
Giving them a shake,
And then finding stillness,
Taking one more full breath in through the nose,
Pause at the very top of that breath,
And open the mouth and sigh out loud,
Tucking the chin to the chest and pause for just a moment,
And here,
Letting a soft grin to form on the lips,
Soft grin that says,
I got this,
I trust myself,
All is well,
All is welcome,
All is well,
And gently blinking open the eyes,
And bringing your gaze and your grin back here to our community,
To this community,
Where you are welcomed and valued.
