Hi my friend,
You know this will help you feel a little bit different.
If you haven't already,
Go ahead and put your shoes on,
Take your time,
Maybe grab your favorite jacket if you need it,
Or cozy hoodie,
It doesn't really matter what you look like.
It's all about how you're going to feel on this walk.
Just one thing at a time,
Making your way out the door,
And once you step outside,
Really press your feet into the ground.
Not walking just yet,
Feel how you make contact with the ground beneath you.
Notice how it feels if it's a sidewalk or driveway beneath your feet,
Or if it's gravel or grass or dirt,
Just noticing the texture beneath your feet,
Already feeling the steadiness beneath you.
And as you inhale,
Reach your arms out to the side,
Stretch them all the way up overhead,
Take a full body stretch,
Inhale,
Exhale,
Release your hands down by your side.
Inhale,
Reach the arms out and up,
Reach up,
Grow tall,
Feel your fingertips reaching towards the sky as your feet root down,
Exhale,
Release the hands by your side.
One more deep breath,
Really stretch,
Reach,
Take up space,
Exhale,
Let it go.
Go ahead and begin walking,
Just one foot in front of the other,
No rush.
And right away,
Taking a moment to say to yourself,
I'm so proud of you for getting up and going outside.
I'm so proud of you.
And take that first really,
Really big sip of air,
Inhale,
Exhale,
Noticing how the air smells,
Starting to gently look around you as you walk,
Noticing the colors,
The textures,
Feeling your feet plant one by one as you walk,
Lifting your chin,
Your eyes,
Scanning the world around you really slowly,
Gently,
Noticing already maybe how your nervous system is shifting,
Maybe just a little.
Noticing the weather outside of you without any judgment or desire for it to change,
Just noticing the temperature,
Noticing if there's clouds,
Or is the sky blue,
The sun shining on your face,
Or is it raining?
Is there a chill breeze?
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in,
Exhale.
Notice the weather inside of you.
With the same amount of acceptance,
Can you see yourself?
Just allowing the nature that is within you to be.
Breathe in,
Exhale.
Keep looking up,
My friend.
Feel your heart opening,
Your shoulders relax.
All you need to do is walk,
Breathe,
And simply exist.
As you walk here,
It's such a beautiful reminder that every moment is uncertain,
And yet you step forward,
And you're still standing,
And you keep going one step at a time,
Without even realizing that you are moving forward.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Continuing to just look around,
Noticing how grounding it feels to just observe what's outside of you and observe what's within you.
Noticing maybe a change in your body temperature,
Noticing your heart rate,
Maybe the warmth in your fingertips or your back.
Feel the energy in your legs and just thank your body for holding you,
For functioning,
For being able to walk,
To move,
To feel,
To be alive.
Breathe in that gratitude,
Inhale.
Exhale.
Continuing to stay present with what you feel,
Or maybe what you hear,
Or what you smell.
Keeping your eyes lifted,
Your chin up,
And maybe,
Just maybe you find a soft smile.
Breathe in,
Exhale,
Sigh it out.
Zaina Keithley writes,
And it feels like I'm waking back up again.
Slowly,
After months of slumber,
I can feel the hum of my own vibration softly coming back to life.
I close my eyes and inhale deeply and feel my heart tapping gently against my chest.
I'm breathing fresh air like it's the first time.
I notice the sunlight dancing across my skin and see colors in the sky that I haven't noticed since before.
Before it all unraveled so quickly and I couldn't pick up the string and pull it back in place fast enough.
And for so long,
I was living in the in-between.
Not fully asleep,
But not quite awake.
Existing somewhere between the past and the future,
But never alive and here in the present.
But slowly,
Quietly,
I feel it again.
Life.
Energy.
A soft spark.
I watch the sunrise every morning and it reminds me that there's still a whole world out there that I haven't yet explored.
There's beauty and hope and joy and love.
Fear too.
But that's okay.
Because fear comes with taking chances and being alive and I'd rather feel the fear than hide from it.
I'd rather be a little foolish and brave than forever safe and numb.
And I can feel the energy of something more swirling through my body and breath and bones.
And for the first time in a long time,
I feel that gentle tingle beneath my skin.
And I remember that I'm still living.
I'm still breathing.
And there's so much still here for me.
There's so much I want to be present for.
Breathe in.
Exhale.
Can you feel the hum of your own vibration softly coming back to life?
The energy of something swirling beneath you.
Within you.
Thank you body.
Thank you life.
Thank you soft spark.
Quietly beginning to feel it again.
To feel a little bit more like you.
How does it feel to walk beside yourself?
Hand in hand.
Heart to heart.
Feeling your breath.
Feeling a little bit more alive and present.
Noticing the shift within you maybe.
Feeling a little bit of clarity.
A little bit of energy.
Maybe contentment.
And all along on this walk,
You really were just walking back home to your heart.
Meeting yourself again right here.
Breathe in.
Exhale.
Just whispering something sweet to yourself right here.
Something you need to hear.
Maybe placing your hands over your heart.
Feeling your beautiful heart beating.
Feeling proud.
You did it.
You took yourself out on a walk.
You returned back to yourself just a little bit more.
You shifted your energy.
Take your sweet time getting back home if you haven't already.
And remember to just keep moving one foot in front of the other.
And keep taking really good care of you.
Let's take one more breath together.
Inhale.
Exhale.
From my heart to yours.
