Settling into our natural seated position.
Either sitting straight with our head,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Spine in alignment.
Or choosing to lay down flat on our back with our head supported by a small pillow or a yoga block.
Starting the practice by inviting in some slow,
Deep inhales.
And a few relaxing,
Comforting exhales.
Inhale.
Breathing deep into the back of the ribs,
Down to the bottom of our spine.
And exhale fully,
Pressing out any stale air in the lungs.
Fully exhaling.
One more altogether,
Big inhale.
And let it go.
Exhale.
Inviting any sighs,
Any yawns.
Expressing the breath in whatever way comes naturally.
Bringing awareness into the palms of our hands.
And inviting them to relax and soften.
Sending space through the small bones in the fingers,
The muscles in the hands,
So intricate.
Invite them to relax.
For this time today,
Brief,
Few moments.
Bringing our awareness into the soles of our feet.
And allowing them to be like water,
To be soft.
Bring the intricate muscles and bones through the feet to relax and to soften.
Letting go of any tension through the feet.
Maybe wiggling the toes to release any tension,
Any energy through the feet.
Emphasizing any tension through the jaw.
Maybe moving the jaw around a little bit,
Creating space through the jaw.
Choosing to be so generous in this moment and inviting the jaw to be fully relaxed.
The jaw can take a break.
And offering that invitation to the jaw and also in through the very small muscles in the face.
Letting go of any expression or tension through the very delicate,
Intricate muscles around the mouth,
In through our cheeks,
Around the eyes,
The forehead,
And the temples.
And even to use this as an experiment to see how relaxed we can invite our face to be.
Allowing any expression to evaporate away.
Breathing in,
We are calm.
Breathing out,
We are relaxed.
Breathing in,
We are safe.
And breathing out,
We are loved.
Breathing in,
We are worthy.
And breathing out,
We are enough.
Allowing any final sensations to the body to evaporate away,
To express,
And to move through the body.
Acknowledging however the body is showing up today.
If the body is feeling tired,
Then take rest.
If the body is feeling energetic,
Then we notice how that feels.
And we bask in the energy and power of our physical body.
And I invite you now to,
Wherever we are in the experience of sensation in our body,
To begin to notice it as though we're watching a river pass by in front of us,
And using the gift of imagination to notice.
Maybe we can see in our mind's eye,
In our imagination,
A river.
And we can use this river if we choose symbolically as the physical body and the experiences that we notice.
And I invite us to find a comfortable seat on the riverside at the edge of the river,
To sit down or lay down by the river,
And to hear the gentle sounds of the water moving past us,
Flowing continuously,
Gently,
Without effort.
And if we notice the mind wandering,
If we notice any sensations through the body or any distracting thoughts come up in the mind,
Offering them to the river and allowing the cleansing,
Cool river to take them away,
Any worries,
Any pain or sadness,
Anything that's keeping us from being here at the riverside.
Over it to the waters.
Notice the cool sensation of the water on our hands as we submerge these distractions,
These worries,
Watching them float away down the river.
Understanding the details of this river.
Is this a small creek or a mighty river?
How does it show up for us?
Are the waters clear?
Are we able to hear the sounds of the river?
Do we notice any other sounds in the background?
Wildlife or the wind?
Our awareness of our surroundings can remind us to come back to the breath.
The distractions in the distance or in our own mind or body can be reminders to come back to the breath.
Noticing the gentle inhale,
Filling the body with breath and the soothing exhale,
Relaxing the body deeper,
Acknowledging the powerful inhale,
Filling our body with life and the relaxing exhale,
Connecting us deeper with ourself.
Feeling the mindful inhale and the gentle calming exhale.
Notice the ever flowing river in front of us,
The ever present river flowing through us.
The sensations through the body,
The thoughts that come and go through our mind,
The emotions that fluctuate like the river does with the moon and the sun and the stars.
Breathing deeply,
I am loved,
Exhaling fully,
I am enough.
Inhale,
I am loved.
Exhale,
I am enough.
Inhale,
I am loved.
And exhale,
I am enough.
Take your time in the next few minutes to quietly wake up the body.
There's no rush,
Nowhere to be.
Whatever you choose to do for you will be perfect.
Enjoy the next few minutes and breathe deeply.
With every inhale,
I am loved,
And every exhale,
I am enough.
