Welcome,
Thank you for being here.
Whatever brings you here today,
This is your time to set aside whatever you've been carrying,
To connect with yourself,
Soothe your nervous system,
And gently embody a sense of calm and ease.
As we begin,
The invitation is to find a comfortable position,
Whether seated or lying down.
Whatever feels best for you today.
Letting your hands rest naturally in your lap or at your sides.
Letting your shoulders soften,
Maybe finding some length in the spine,
And perhaps allowing your eyes to close.
Taking a few moments here to observe the breath,
The rhythm of the inhale and exhale that feels right for you in this moment.
Breathing in,
You might sense the air entering your nose and filling your lungs,
And breathing out you might feel your body beginning to soften,
Inviting a little more relaxation with each breath.
Bringing your awareness to the sensation of your body being supported by the surface beneath you,
Noticing the points of contact with the earth,
Your feet on the floor,
The support of your chair,
Or the ground beneath you.
Absorbing your weight,
Holding you steady,
How does it feel to rest and be supported,
Knowing that this surface is here for you today as you enjoy your practice.
And as you continue to relax and breathe,
It might feel nice to enjoy a few deeper breaths,
Maybe even a sigh,
Maybe even a yawn.
If it feels good,
You might even try a physiological sigh,
Taking a deep inhale filling the lungs,
And then a smaller sip of air at the top,
And then a long slow sigh out,
Feeling your body relax a little bit more with each breath.
And you might now begin gently scanning the body,
Moving your awareness from one area to the next,
Starting at the top of your head.
What sensations are available to you there?
Maybe you notice a sense of tightness or tingling,
Warmth or coolness.
If you happen across any tension,
You might imagine softening the area,
Letting the muscles across your scalp relax and release.
Moving your awareness to your face,
Your forehead,
Temples,
Maybe feeling your eyelids resting over your eyes,
Or the air entering and leaving your body.
Maybe some muscles are contracted in the face or holding on to tension.
Just see if you can let them go.
Maybe imagining this area smoothing out and softening with each exhale,
Letting your attention move down to the jaw area.
If you notice any tension,
See how it feels to let that go.
Maybe letting your lips part just slightly to relax those muscles.
Checking in with the neck and the shoulders,
Seeing how they feel today.
Maybe noticing heaviness,
Lightness,
Openness,
Or tightness.
You might imagine them dropping slightly,
Releasing any weight they've been carrying.
And letting this sense of release carry down through the arms,
Noticing how the hands and fingers feel as they rest.
Maybe noticing the space between the fingers.
Bringing awareness to the chest and back,
Observing any sensations of tightness or openness.
Observing the breath,
Filling this space,
Expanding it,
Softening it with each inhale and exhale.
And noticing the belly and its rise and fall,
Like waves on the shore.
Noticing the hips and lower back,
And any tightness or discomfort there.
And if you find a tense area,
You might imagine breathing into that area,
Letting it soften just a little bit more with each breath.
And finally,
Letting your awareness flow down through the legs,
Relaxing any muscles you notice holding any tension.
All the way down to the feet,
Letting tension in the body to flow down through the feet,
And down deep into the earth.
And maybe this is a good time to acknowledge and thank the parts of your body that work so hard for you each day.
Thank you feet for carrying me through life.
Thank you hands for holding,
Creating,
And connecting.
Thank you eyes for seeing the world.
Thank you shoulders and spine for holding me upright.
Thank you breath for sustaining me moment to moment.
Thank you heart for your steady rhythm.
And any other part of the body that deserves your gratitude today.
Now if it feels right,
You might bring your attention to an area of the body that you sense might be holding some tension or discomfort.
Maybe it's the chest or the heart area,
Maybe it's your neck or shoulders.
Noticing how it feels without trying to change anything.
And then gently shifting your focus to an area of the body that feels calm,
Comfortable,
Or neutral.
Maybe it's your big toe,
Or a muscle in the leg.
Noticing how this area feels.
Taking a few deep breaths and letting the ease in this space expand through the body.
And then gently returning to the area of tension,
Observing it for a moment.
And shifting back to the neutral area.
And then back to the area of tension.
Noticing if anything feels a little bit different.
If it still feels tense,
That's ok.
Just continue observing it with curiosity and kindness.
And you might repeat this process a few more times,
Gently moving your awareness like a pendulum between this area of tension and this area of comfort.
Back to the area of tension.
And letting the calm and ease in one part of the body offer reassurance to the area holding tension.
If it feels good,
You might introduce a bit of gentle movement,
Maybe swaying your body gently like a tree in the breeze,
Or like seaweed in the ocean,
Or rocking gently from one side to the other,
Maybe rolling the shoulders,
Tilting the head gently back,
And gently forward.
Side to side,
Bringing a gentle stretch into the neck.
You might even try lightly tapping your fingertips on your chest,
Just below the collarbone.
Or letting your fingers drum like raindrops on the skin.
Noticing how your body responds to these movements.
And then relaxing the arms and taking a moment to sense your whole body as one connected whole.
Imagining the breath moving through the entire body,
Bringing calm and ease to every cell.
You might imagine your body as one single cell,
Breathing through the skin on the inhale,
And releasing anything you no longer need,
Like tension,
Stress,
Or worry on the exhale.
As we near the end of this practice,
You might enjoy repeating a few affirmations to help integrate your experience.
I listen to my body with patience and kindness.
My body is my ally,
Supporting me every day.
I use gentle movement to connect with myself.
I notice areas of calm in my body and allow them to expand.
My body knows how to relax and restore.
My body knows how to release tension in its own time.
I trust my body to release what it doesn't need.
I trust my body's wisdom to guide me toward healing.
With each breath,
I feel more grounded and at ease.
And when you're ready,
You can begin bringing your attention back to the support beneath you.
The ground,
The chair,
The earth.
Feeling that steady,
Reliable support.
And becoming aware of the empty space around you.
And when you're ready,
As slowly as you like,
Begin coming back into the room.
If your eyes are closed,
You might gently blink them open.
And let your gaze move slowly around the space.
Noticing any colors,
Textures,
Or objects that feel grounding or comforting for you.
Thank you for taking this time to care for yourself and honor your body.
You can revisit this practice anytime you need.
And carry this sense of connection and ease with you into the rest of your day.
Knowing it's always here,
Ready for you to return.
Take care,
And I'll see you again soon.
