Find a comfortable seated position on the floor.
You can cross your ankles or sit onto your heels.
Just allow your body to kind of rest here in this shape exactly as it is.
And before we begin anything,
It's always important to establish a connection,
A relationship with the breath and the body itself.
And we can do this simply by observing both of those things exactly as they are.
So invite some awareness to that space below your nostrils,
Even your chest here.
And just feel the temperature of the breath,
The natural depth,
The natural cadence.
If it's shallow or long and relaxed,
There's no need to judge or to overanalyze.
Just simply allow this experience of the breath to take up a little bit more space.
And maybe naturally you feel inclined to start to deepen and lengthen your inhales.
Or maybe you don't at all,
That's okay too.
Keeping this awareness of the breath,
Just pay attention to the body,
Noticing your posture,
Any feelings of discomfort,
Stiffness,
Ease,
Tension,
And any other bodily sensations.
Allow all of these things to enter into your frame of awareness.
Beautiful.
Before we start to shift into a feeling of expansion,
It's really really important that we take the time to witness and honor any natural contractions that are happening within the body.
I had a teacher of mine once tell me that there's wisdom within the contractions and that these contractions are actually really intelligent responses from our nervous system.
And so maybe you showed up to this meditation today,
This practice today,
Feeling heavy,
Feeling shut down,
And closed.
Maybe you showed up to this feeling numb,
Disconnected,
Unsure.
Wherever you're at on the spectrum,
Your goal always is just to meet yourself where you are from moment to moment as it shifts,
As it changes.
This is something you'll hear me talk a lot about in my other meditations,
My other practices.
And so before we start to shift,
It's really important that you just begin to scan the body for any signs of contraction.
Maybe it's a sensation of discomfort in the shoulder.
Maybe it's your body posture as you roll your shoulders forward and your heart is kind of caved in.
Maybe that contraction even shows up in the shortness and rigidity of the breath.
Just take a few more moments here to scan and feel into anything that might be a contraction.
It's really important that we make the time,
Make the space,
To meet this contraction from a place of curiosity before we start to move beyond it.
Keep scanning the body,
Keep feeling into any sensations of heaviness,
Any sensations of numbness.
Let that awareness travel and flood your entire being here.
This is a practice of allowing things in,
Letting things in before you let them go.
And so as you start to discover these contractions,
Give each part of yourself here permission to take up a little bit more space.
Give each contraction permission to maybe even get a little bit louder.
Maybe the intensity of the sensation grows.
Or maybe your body is feeling called to respond to this feeling of contraction.
What does contraction look like in the body?
Allow your body to kind of show you and lead you in that direction.
Maybe the chin tucks into the chest and the shoulders round,
The back rounds.
Maybe the fingers curl in towards the palm of the hand and you start to clench a fist.
There's a general feeling of smallness here.
It's okay,
Welcome it in.
Spend a little bit of time here just feeling into any thoughts,
Memories,
Or emotions that might come up as you start to shrink,
As you start to contract.
We cannot move beyond the contraction without going into it.
How else does the body want to respond?
Maybe you wrap your arms around your knees and gently rock yourself side to side.
Whatever feels intuitive.
Oftentimes all this part of yourself really needs is just a little bit of attention and affection.
And so now that you've spent just a little bit of time with this contraction,
Gently encourage the breath to start to lengthen now and notice how it immediately inspires the body to lengthen and to open and soften.
We're gonna start to shift between contraction and expansion and back and forth.
Gently beginning to uncurl the fingertips.
Straighten out your fingers,
Open up your hands,
Your toes,
And slowly begin to straighten and lengthen out the spine.
Feel the shoulders roll down and back.
You're moving very very slowly.
Maybe the chin is the last thing to lift and to open.
Good.
Opening just a little bit and then very slowly beginning to curl back in,
Close back in.
Notice if that felt vulnerable,
Uncomfortable.
Breathing life back into yourself,
Breathing life back into your bones and then gently beginning to expand and open up maybe a little bit wider this time.
How does the body want to move?
Maybe now the chin lifts just slightly and you expose your heart,
Your throat.
Stay here,
Linger here and the arms even open a little bit wider.
Good and then closing back down just for a few moments.
This is really helping you to expand your window of tolerance here.
Helping you to expand and move beyond feelings of contraction and stagnation.
And next time you take an inhale,
Open up as wide as you can,
Arms open out to the sides,
Fingertips engaged and open,
Hands reaching away from each other,
Heart is exposed to the sky.
Moving slowly and again allowing your chin to lift,
Your gaze is up,
Your heart is up and just breathe into this feeling.
Breathe into the sensation of leading with your heart,
Teaching yourself to really expand.
Noticing again what thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Sensations start to arise here.
Linger just a little bit longer.
Maybe there is a gentle sway side to side.
The world needs you in your most expansive and open state.
It's only human to contract,
To want to become small,
To take up a less space so we can avoid being seen,
Avoid being heard.
But you are entirely worthy of taking up space,
Worthy of opening your heart.
Stay here a little bit longer,
Open up your arms just a touch wider.
You're worthy of speaking your truth.
Take three final breaths here in this expansive state.
And really allow your body to soften around this expansion.
One more full breath.
And on your next exhale allow both hands to land on top of your heart.
Just taking a few moments here to really connect to the breath,
Connect to the heartbeat,
And anything else that's alive within you right now.
Go ahead take this purpose,
This practice,
This expansion with you into the rest of your day and perhaps even throughout the rest of your week.
It is safe to take up space.
When you're ready begin to open up your eyes and come back into your space,
Come back into your room.
You
