What if caring for ourselves?
Doesn't have to be work.
What if.
.
.
Showing up lying down closing the eyes and turning the attention inwards.
Doesn't have to involve any doing.
And what if we don't call this?
Work anymore.
I hear the use of this language so much in the wellbeing community,
Let's do a practice,
Let's do the work.
And It feels heavy.
I must admit that.
The word work itself sometimes puts me off.
I don't need another space where I have to work.
So.
.
.
For the next 20 minutes or so.
I invite you to.
.
.
Show up for yourself with a different attitude.
Coming into connection with your body,
With your emotions.
With your thoughts,
With your whole being.
From a sense of caring a sense of wanting to pause to create space and ultimately to show up for yourself Find yourself a comfortable posture perhaps lying down,
Seated,
Standing.
Tune into your body and notice those subtle messages that communicate What?
Is most supportive in this moment.
And very gently closing the eyes and guide the ink your attention to the body breathing no need to change the breath or breathe in a certain way.
Just noticing.
And the body knows how to breathe this natural expansion space on the inhale.
Contraction on the exhale.
Sense of letting go.
And imagine your attention has the quality of warmth,
Gentleness,
Kindness.
And you will be guiding it throughout your body.
And very gently touching.
Connecting with different parts of your body be bringing awareness and presence to your head.
Noticing and sensing into the scalp the space between the ears,
The forehead.
Eyebrows,
The eyes,
The nose and the cheeks.
Inside your mouth,
The jaw,
The chin,
The ears whole face and the whole head as a limb of the body.
Notice if there is a tendency to do the practice And if that is there,
That's okay.
I invite you though to relax back that tendency.
And trust that my words and the sound of my voice is enough to guide your attention.
Through the experience of this practice.
Maybe with a sense of curiosity,
Ask yourself.
What it would be like if I didn't try to do the practice?
I just rest it back and allow the sounds and feelings.
Words to just arrive and for my ears,
My wonderful brain and body and the amazing intelligence that exists inside me So just.
.
.
Do be noticed.
Relaxing tendencies to have a perfect practice to follow every breath What of mine?
And inviting a sense of That's good enough.
Just being.
And sensing into your neck and throat now sensations in the shoulders your upper arms.
Inside both elbows.
Lower arms,
Breath.
Palms of the hands,
Back of the hands.
All 10 fingers.
Allowing your kind attention to brush True.
Inside of your arms all the way back up to the shoulders and bringing light,
The light of connection and presence into your lungs.
Your heart the front of the chest shoulder blades at the back.
Down towards the belly,
The diaphragm,
The stomach,
The digestive organs,
The kidneys,
Adrenals.
The middle of the back and the lower back.
Pelvic floor bringing the soothing touch of your presence to both your hips inside your thighs.
Sensing the density of the bones and muscles inside your thighs Your needs.
The shins and calf muscles.
Close your ankles.
The feet,
Tops of the feet,
Soles of the feet,
Heels,
All 10 toes.
Now inviting the attention,
The awareness to expand and include the whole body.
The head,
The arms,
The torso,
Both legs.
The experience.
Of body energy ebbing and flowing.
Through this.
Kind and welcoming space of presence again trusting that nothing needs doing allowing my words to be received,
To be heard.
Just resting back.
Yielding allowing your whole being to be held.
By the unconditional presence of the earth below us body breathing mind relaxing back.
If at any point you notice yourself lost in a trance of thinking that's okay it's so natural and so human for that to happen and in the noticing there is a choice first is the choice of responding and relating.
And let's choose kindness let's choose understanding patience,
Gentleness.
And the other choice is to perhaps.
.
.
In this instance redirect the attention to rest back into this wide space of awareness trusting that nothing needs fixing There's no state that needs to be attained.
You are enough,
Whole,
Complete.
Just as you are moment by moment and there is nothing to do,
Nowhere to be.
And no one to be.
Just simply be.
Easing of any demands or expectations.
And returning back to resting.
Soft smile.
Space between the back teeth.
Soft around the eyes.
The sensations of contact between the body and the surface beneath.
Ripples and echoes moving through awareness.
Welcoming yourself.
And feeling welcome.
Resting into this space of non-doing space of presence.
That is inherently unconditionally inclusive gentle,
Patient.
These are all qualities.
That exists in all of us.
We don't need to create them.
Say just to get awakened noticing thoughts,
Emotions,
Sensations Touch.
And now very gently guiding your attention.
To the sensations of contact between your skin the edge of your body.
Following the contours of your body.
Touching the air,
Clothing.
The earth below inviting movement into your fingers and your toes wrapping your arms around your body in a real gesture of compassion.
And very gently start to open the eyes and connect with the external environment.
Allowing the breath to deepen.
And as you transition into whatever comes next in your life I invite you to pay attention.
And bring these qualities of tenderness and gentleness.
Throughout your day,
Perhaps pausing.
Connecting with yourself.
And gently holding yourself in this embrace of your kind awareness.
