Hello and welcome to this meditation designed as a quick drop in to gather and centre back into your body.
This is a useful guide when things may feel they've become dispersed outwards or you feel that your energy has become fragmented or fractured by life's ups and downs.
Find a comfortable position to either sit up or lie down feeling fully supported and able to breathe up and down freely through the spine.
Take a few deep inhalations and really let those prompt your exhalations to find as much space and freedom as is simply available each time.
Just breathing to let the breath start to loosen and start to be able to notice its own natural rhythm.
Not looking to impose anything on the breath or expect anything from it.
Simply breathing and observing how your breath needs to be right now.
As you step back and allow your breath to flow backward and forward simply notice the effects this has on your body.
Noticing which parts feel that they easily melt and which parts feel maybe more resistant hardened or blocked.
You may feel it's okay to breathe and open space directly into these areas but if you sense fear of letting go there breathe softness around them as close as you can comfortably get to invite release without pushing or imposing your will on the practice.
Inhale deeply to gather courage and exhale to feel anything that is ready to go simply falling away.
Simply notice all of the textures,
Flavors and different tones and characteristics just popping up to all parts of our body at any time.
As we breathe we can notice that each breath is different.
Each sensation arising from the breath is different and this can remind us that everything is always changing.
The one thing we can definitely rely on is that everything is in flux.
Everything is fluid,
Continually moving on and continually changing.
Observing this in our breath and our body really helps us to take this fluidity and adaptability into our mental patterns,
Life and into how we respond and react to the challenges and decisions we have to make.
Open-mindedness and curiosity towards anything that comes up.
Take a deep inhalation,
Exhale fully,
Sigh out anything that now feels ready to be let go of.
Simply lying or sitting here and breathing moment to moment.
Giving yourself the gift of space,
Giving yourself the luxury of time,
Giving yourself permission to let go of anything that you don't need or that no longer serves you.
Letting go of anything stagnant or blocking your flow.
Even sigh out an ah sound on the exhalation for a sense of flushing out through the open river of the mouth and throat.
You don't need to name or label what is coming and what is going.
Step back from the need to comment,
Analyse or evaluate.
Simply be with the feelings of the flux and the continual change.
If at any point you find things arising that feel difficult,
Disquieting or uncomfortable,
Breathe in towards a sense of kindness and a sense of compassion in their direction.
You can move in towards their centre or play around the edges as close as feels comfortable for you today.
Make space with the exhalation.
Gather in towards the inhalation and with the exhalation open up into a sense of expanse,
Creating a larger inner landscape around them.
Big enough to hold anything that's coming up so that anything difficult has more room to dissipate and you feel less locked in and less reactive towards it.
Whenever you need,
Take a deep inhalation and exhale to sigh it out and let go.
Imprinting this attention to our breath flowing in and out and this spacious attitude cultivates an anchor we can always come back to in life.
When stresses and negative thoughts come up,
We always have the option to breathe in deeply and exhale to find space into our minds and bodies that really help us find a sense of perspective,
Reflection and a safe place to be.
Take a few breaths to really feel the possibility of that and really remind you that this is a place that is always within you,
However much the noise of the outer world or inner thoughts is seeming to dominate.
Then starting to feel that you've gathered yourself and being very aware of your body wherever it is right now,
Gently starting to come to.
If you're lying down,
Roll onto your side.
If you're sitting up,
Start to bow your head slightly,
Very gently and very consciously opening your eyes and still keep that connection and awareness to your inner landscape.
Very gently start to move as you need and make your way out of your practice.
Namaste.
