This practice is for anyone feeling like they're behind like you already missed out or maybe a new intention or goal isn't working out like intended.
Wherever you are in your journey this is a practice to remember you can start again.
I use this affirmation with every new adventure I take on and I like using that word adventure instead of goal or dream because it reminds me that life is about the experience of doing the work of pursuing the vision not just the end result.
So if you're feeling like you might have lost the map during your adventure or that the weather is too bad to continue forward I invite you to join me for a reset.
To start please get into a comfortable seat.
That can look like lying down,
Walking,
Or standing if sitting doesn't feel right to you.
Remembering physical discomfort is a sign from our bodies so don't ignore what your body is telling you today.
Begin with eyes open,
Focus soft,
And take some gentle breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Before we transition into meditation with compassion check your posture once more.
Are there any final movements or adjustments that would create support here?
And with your next exhalation gently closing your eyes or letting your gaze rest softly ahead.
Start to deepen the breath,
Breathing into the belly,
Letting it expand fully before exhaling out the nose.
And then the next time you inhale breathe into the belly and ribs,
Exhale out the nose.
Breathing in through the nose into the belly,
The ribs,
The chest,
The fullest expression of your breath,
And gently out the nose.
This is Dhirga Pranayama,
Three-part breathing.
Noticing the breath moving in and out of the body now.
You can focus on the nostrils,
The chest,
Or belly.
Anywhere you can comfortably sit with your breath.
Using this time to drop into the witness self,
The part of yourself that is non-judgmental and can compassionately see the entirety of your body and experience.
If the mind wanders that's okay.
Like with any experience,
Any adventure,
Or plan,
You can start again.
Each breath is a new moment.
Releasing focus on the breath now and repeating the affirmation after me.
I can start again.
Take a deep breath in and out.
I can start again.
Breathe in fully,
Breathing out.
Continuing this pattern at your own pace now.
Stating the affirmation either out loud or internally.
I can start again,
Followed by a deep breath.
When we start again,
That doesn't necessarily mean returning back to where we were.
Starting again can look like a completely new plan.
It can mean releasing one dream to make space for the next,
Or even going back to an adventure you thought you'd never do again.
Whatever starting again means for you today,
In this moment,
Holding space for that.
I can start again.
And if you lose the practice,
When the mind gets distracted,
Practice starting again right now,
With this breath,
With this moment.
Come back to the affirmation and begin again.
A new cycle of breath,
A breath that,
While connected in some ways to the breaths that came before it,
It is still a new breath,
Different from the rest.
I can start again.
Releasing the affirmation now,
Return to watching the breath rise and fall.
Sensing the breath moving in and out,
Up and down.
Beginning to sense the seat or ground beneath you,
Letting the sensation of touch bring you back.
Sensing the space you're in,
Taking in sounds or smells.
Arriving fully back into the space around you.
Deep inhale through the nose and exhale out the mouth with a long sigh.
Bringing hands to heart center for Anjuli Mudra.
The light in me sees and honors the light in each and every one of you.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me,
For making it a part of your adventure,
And whatever journey you're on right now,
I hope you take it with compassion.
