So I invite you to close your eyes and take a couple deep breaths in through your nose,
Out through your mouth,
In through your nose,
Out through your nose.
And taking a moment to just feel your body here.
There's the luxury of time right now to do this.
Being aware of the positioning of your body.
And also how your body's feeling right now.
Just taking a moment to be curious.
If it's comfortable or if it's uncomfortable.
There's certain areas that feel more comfortable than others.
Allow yourself to explore like it's a new land you've just came upon.
If there are any areas that are tensing or holding,
See what it's like to allow those to soften or do a gentle stretch.
Opening those areas up.
And as you're sitting here becoming a bit more present to your body.
And noticing how your body is just naturally breathing.
And if you can,
Your body's naturally breathing.
Seeing if you can lift or imagine the corners of your mouth slightly moving up.
Slightly tilting up.
And even the corners of your eyes slightly tilting up.
And even if you're just imagining that,
That's perfectly fine.
As you're sitting here just breathing in this way.
Listening to these words.
Now we will count to 12 and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the earth,
Let's not speak in any language.
Let's stop for a second and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment without rush,
Without engines.
We would all be together in a sudden strangeness.
If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving and for once could do nothing.
Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt the sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us as when everything seems dead in winter and later proves to be alive.
Now I'll count up to 12 and you keep quiet and I will go on.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
And now with every breath,
With every out breath,
Continue until you reach 12 and then just allow your body to just naturally breathe.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
Nine.
Ten.
Ten.
Six.
Five.
Six.
Ten.
And with every in breath,
That's an opportunity to just remind yourself that you're here.
Present.
Safe.
Every out breath,
It's an opportunity to release any holding,
Any busyness of mind,
Or just let things be as they are.
And just taking a moment to pause and check in once again,
Body's naturally breathing.
Seeing how your body's feeling right now.
If there is any holding or tension,
Just being curious.
There's no judgment on it.
It's just this is something I can soften.
Release with the exhale or very intentionally stretch in this moment.
Just relaxing this area of my body.
Softening this area of my mind.
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do,
No problems to solve in this moment.
This very moment.
No messages to respond to in this moment.
Just being here.
Body naturally breathing.
Checking in,
Softening,
Releasing.
And letting be.
And if you want to re-engage the corners of your mouth and the corners of your eyes,
Slightly tilting them up.
Welcome to play with that.
So you And if at any point the mind feels busy,
Just noting that,
Maybe taking a note on what is on your mind,
And gently coming back,
Softening your body.
Any areas that are holding here,
From the feet to the legs and the hips,
Torso,
Arms,
Hands,
Neck,
Face,
The head,
Just releasing on the exhale,
Softening,
Allowing the inhalation to be a reminder of presence,
Of being here.
And beginning to expand your awareness,
Being aware of all the other people right now,
Around the world,
Who are here,
Sitting in their own spaces,
Aware of their own breath,
Practicing the stillness,
This intention towards calming.
Just taking the next minute to be aware of your breath,
Your body just naturally breathing in this way,
And also seeing if you can hold in mind everyone around the world who's doing this at the very same time.
Everyone actively practicing this sense of stillness and calming,
And seeing if you can draw on the energy of the collective.
And now with every exhalation,
An opportunity to acknowledge everybody here,
Everybody whose mind said they would,
Could,
Or should be doing something else maybe,
And yet chose to engage this for their own health and wellbeing.
So every exhalation,
An opportunity to say,
Good for you.
With every inhalation,
An opportunity to receive all the kind intentions from the people around the world streaming to you,
Or else actively saying to you,
Good for you.
Breathing in,
Taking in those streams for you,
Allowing all every cell of your body to hear that.
Breathing out,
Sending it back.
And then the inhalation,
Make sure you're including your own acknowledgement for yourself too in one of those streams.
And listening to this excerpt from Wendell Berry,
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet around me,
Like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places where I left them asleep like cattle.
Then what is afraid of me comes and lives a while in my sight.
What it fears in me leaves me and the fear of me leaves it.
It sings and I hear its song.
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it and the fear of it leaves me.
It sings and I hear its song.
It sings and I hear its song.
And so taking a moment to be aware of what's present for you physically,
Coming to your body,
Present emotionally,
Just be something as basic as comfortable,
Uncomfortable,
Neutral,
The quality of your attention.
And a final moment of true acknowledgement of yourself for creating this space and time for your own health and wellbeing.
