I'm Carolyn and welcome to this great act of self-care.
It's a gift to practice meditation during times when we feel overwhelmed and confused.
It's a gift to care for yourself by pausing,
Relaxing,
And really listening in to the body.
So make yourself and your body feel at home and at ease.
Get as comfortable as possible.
And with me now,
Take a few really deep breaths.
Cleansing deep breaths.
And relax with every passing breath that you take.
And feel your entire body,
Feel your entire being relax.
And with every breath,
Offer yourself and your body some type of permission to let go.
To your body,
You can let go of your body.
Relax.
And with every breath,
Offer yourself and your body some type of permission to let go.
Eventually,
Let your lips close and allow your breath to be more gentle through your nose.
Make your breath softer and arrive here.
Arrive here just as you are.
You don't have to change anything.
You don't have to be a perfect meditator to belong here.
You don't have to already be perfectly calm.
Just let yourself be as you are.
Notice how you're doing today.
And notice also how you've been over the last few days.
What's been coming up for you?
Meditation asks that we are honest with ourselves.
That we're honest about our state of mind.
And that we're honest about every aspect of our experience without judgment.
And notice how you've been doing.
Arrive and be here exactly as you are.
And in the spirit of self-care,
If emotions are arising,
Let them come up and out.
Because when we bury our feelings,
They're buried alive.
So just let everything come up and out.
This is the perfect space for it.
Take care of yourself.
And when you care for yourself,
In some small way,
This feeling of care extends out to others.
And that's really what this practice is about.
It's about being there for yourself and for others.
It's about breathing for yourself and for others.
And give yourself all the deep breaths that you need.
How have you been taking care of yourself recently?
Without judgment,
Just sitting back and witnessing yourself as these questions come up.
Have you really been honoring your feelings,
The depth of your feelings?
This practice of self-care is not as easy as it sounds.
Because for many of us,
It's foreign.
And it's new to slow down and look at ourselves.
And it's new to see more clearly how the world around us operates as well.
For many of us,
It's overwhelming to stop and observe.
Remember,
Your breath is your ally and gentleness is your ally.
Invite them in as you contemplate how you've been caring for yourself lately.
As you tune in more deeply,
Are any of your thoughts or reflections changing?
And maybe are you feeling a little more relief?
Are you giving yourself permission to let it all be and to relax into what's arising?
This is a great act of self-care.
Are you listening to your body?
Are you listening to your body?
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
This is a new way of caring for yourself.
So what is it that your body is asking for right now?
What does your body want?
Listen deeply from that still place within you.
Does your body crave some kind of emotional release?
Does your body crave slowness or deep breaths?
Maybe your body simply wants the acknowledgement that it is cared for.
And that it is appreciated.
Just as it is.
The more we listen to our own bodies and the more we listen to the experiences that our bodies keep a record of,
The better we can support others.
We're at a time where we have to stand up and show up for others,
But care always begins with you first.
And I understand it's not always easy to slow down and to listen in because it's not always pleasant the messages that we receive from the body.
But it is possible to relax.
It is possible to care for your entire being.
You can relearn this way of being.
You can be here more for yourself and you can listen to the wisdom of your heart.
So,
I'll leave you with one final question.
Something to carry with you through the rest of your day and through the following weeks.
To keep us in the spirit of care.
What are you thankful for?
Thank you for sharing this practice with me.
Deep breath to just let that all go.
You're never alone.
Namaste.
