Welcome to your practice.
This is a practice of shifting from automatic to intentional.
From an unconscious trance to a state of deliberate presence.
In riding the wave,
We are creating a greater capacity and tolerance for our ever-changing and fluctuating emotions.
Over time and with practice,
We can train our mind to be aware of the oncoming rough waters and guide ourselves back home to smooth sailings.
So closing our eyes.
Just taking a moment to notice our posture.
If you're seated,
Becoming aligned in the spine.
Sitting upright,
Feet to floor,
Back gently supported by the chair or cushion.
And if you're lying down,
Ensure you're in a comfortable position and able to breathe with ease.
Softening our eyebrows.
Unclenching the jaw.
Releasing the tension in our shoulders.
Noticing the breath and how we are breathing.
Just beginning to slow down the breath.
Deepening the inhale and lengthening the exhale.
Slowing down and tuning in.
Taking a deep inhale in through the nose.
Letting it all go through the mouth.
Now,
I invite you to ask yourself,
What is it that I'm experiencing right now?
In my thoughts,
In my feelings,
And in my body?
And just begin to listen.
Noticing with a gentle and curious awareness.
What is it that I'm experiencing right now?
Noticing the texture,
Sensations,
Observing where our mind goes to.
And whatever arises,
Just acknowledging the experience,
Even if it's unwanted.
And the way that you could do this could simply be saying,
I am feeling,
And naming that feeling.
Or,
I am thinking.
And just stating what it is that you're thinking.
Or you could even say,
I am experiencing.
What is it that you are experiencing?
With this,
We are creating a greater capacity to hold what it is that we are experiencing within our bodies and minds.
Listen and acknowledge without judgment,
Without stories.
Listen.
And now,
Let's shift our awareness to the breath.
Bringing our full attention to each in-breath and each out-breath.
Breathing in deeply through the nose,
Expanding the belly.
Really taking our time on that exhale.
Breathing into what we are feeling and thinking and experiencing.
Integrating this,
Transmuting this with the breath.
Softening to it,
Bowing to it.
And allowing whatever we are experiencing just to move throughout our bodies.
Continuing to notice our breath.
And see if you can inhale and exhale without pausing in between.
And just allowing the breath to flow.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
Flowing and not forcing.
Just being with the breath and our emotions and our feelings and our thoughts and our experience as they are.
And allowing the breath to guide us.
And now,
Let's create a greater sense of awareness by beginning to notice and sense the body.
Noticing any tension,
Rigidness,
Numbness.
Noticing your posture.
Even your facial expression in this moment.
Paying attention to any part of you that may be holding on.
Maybe softening the space between the eyebrows and unclenching your jaw again.
Releasing limb by limb,
Muscle to muscle.
Just noticing your whole self in this moment.
And continue to breathe in and out.
In and out.
Whenever you are ready,
Coming back to the now.
Coming back to the body.
Back to your surroundings.
Noticing that chair or the floor supporting you.
Maybe inviting movement into your hands and your toes.
Really taking your time here.
Whenever it feels right,
Slowly and gently opening your eyes.
And thanking yourself for being in practice.
How was that for you?
I know this practice was short,
But the intention behind it is being able to use this in your day to day.
So being able to notice what we are experiencing.
And then breathing with what we are experiencing.
And then noticing our body as a whole.
Noticing our bodily response to maybe things that are tough.
Maybe things that we find challenging.
And creating that greater capacity and tolerance.
Keeping us within our window of tolerance.
So that we are able to respond and not react.
And we are able to take a breath and pause before making decisions or saying things that we regret.
So my invitation for you is to practice this.
When in conversation with others or when you are on the bus commuting to work or even when you're just at home.
Practice.
You'll see over time that this practice becomes a habit.
Where we are able to scan our bodies and be with our bodies and be in our bodies.
And come from a place of being and not just doing.
Sending you so much love and so much guidance.
Peace.
