Take a moment to settle into whatever position you are in.
There is no correct way to position yourself here,
Letting your body guide you towards what it needs,
Choosing what works right now for you in this moment.
And in this practice,
There's no rush,
There's no need to change anything,
Do anything,
Or be anywhere.
This is simply an invitation to notice where your body and where your nervous system might be ready to soften even just a little,
Remembering also that everything in this practice is an offering,
An invitation.
Let us begin by bringing attention to our contact points,
Noticing what your body is touching right now,
Be it the floor,
The chair,
The bed,
Noticing the weight of your body being fully supported,
Perhaps even seeing if you can let the surface beneath you do just a little bit more of the holding,
Allowing the surface to perhaps take some of the load you may have been carrying.
I invite you now to take notice of your breath,
Just observing it,
Not trying to change it,
Noticing perhaps the depth of each inhale,
Maybe the length of the exhale,
Just noticing.
And when or if you are ready,
An invitation now to take a long,
Deep inhale,
Pausing at the top for a brief moment and transitioning to a long,
Slow exhale,
Option to repeat that one more time if that feels inviting to you.
And now an invitation to gently bring your awareness to your face,
Noticing,
Observing the space in your forehead,
Your eyes,
The space around them,
Bringing your attention to your jaw,
Perhaps noticing if your teeth are touching or slightly apart,
Noticing if any of those areas you observe feel like they're holding extra tension,
Noticing without judgment,
And if you feel called,
An invitation to see if you can soften any of those areas of tension in the face,
The jaw,
Even just slightly,
Maybe allowing your jaw to go slightly more slack,
Or your tongue to rest slightly more gently in the mouth.
And an invitation to now allow your awareness to move down into your throat,
The neck,
This area works so hard for us sometimes without even realizing it,
And noticing if there's any sensations or areas of tension here,
And if you feel called,
Perhaps allowing a little more space in this area for it to soften.
And now the invitation to shift your attention to your shoulders,
And noticing perhaps how much they are holding,
Our shoulders often carry so much,
Perhaps even an invitation if you feel called to feel a bit of gratitude for our shoulders and for their strength and their support.
And if it feels natural,
Allow them to drop just a millimeter,
The most gentle softening here,
Allowing them just a little less work,
Allowing even your arms to be a bit heavier,
And letting them be more supported,
Feeling the weight of your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
And letting your hands just fully rest,
Allowing them to let go of any gripping or tension they might be holding on to.
And now an invitation to shift your awareness to your upper back,
Your chest,
Perhaps noticing how these areas move as you breathe,
No need to change your breath,
Just the option to notice and observe the breath you're already experiencing,
The gentle movement with inhale and exhale,
And if it feels safe,
Perhaps allowing the chest to soften ever so slightly,
Imagining even it relaxing in a full 360 degree direction,
Expanding softly.
And now allowing your awareness to move into the belly,
Again no need to change the breath here,
Just noticing the rise and fall as you breathe in and out,
And allowing it to soften ever so slightly if that feels right.
An invitation now to bring your attention to your lower back,
The pelvis,
The hips,
Noticing where your body meets the surface beneath you,
Feeling the weight through the contact points where your body meets the surface,
Allowing slightly more heaviness here,
Imagining yourself feeling fully supported by the surface,
And nothing to brace for here,
Nothing to prepare for,
Allowing yourself permission to soften even the slightest bit into your support surface.
And now allowing your awareness to move into your thighs,
Noticing the weight allowing the surface to take it fully,
Noticing your knees,
Your calves,
And all the way into your feet,
Your toes,
Feel your feet and legs feeling fully rested,
Connected,
Supported,
There is nothing your legs need to do in this moment,
Nowhere to be,
Nowhere they need to go.
And as you observe and take in the awareness of your legs,
An invitation to notice if there's any part of them that is welcoming a softening,
And allowing those areas that release.
An invitation now to take a moment and notice your body as a whole,
Noticing perhaps any subtle shifts that may have occurred during this practice,
Or even noticing that nothing has shifted at all,
And both are okay and welcome.
And as our practice begins to come to a close,
I invite you to take another deep,
Long inhale,
With a long,
Extended exhale,
Option to take another two or three long inhales and exhales,
Or to just be here for a moment,
Taking one last moment to notice the surface and support beneath you again,
Softening into the steadiness of it,
Feeling fully supported and safe in this moment.
And if and when you are ready,
The invitation to gently begin to bring your attention back into the space around you,
Moving slowly on your own time,
And when you are ready,
The invitation to open your eyes and orient yourself back in your space.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
You
