With your eyes closed,
We'll take three,
Four,
Seven,
Eight breaths.
Inhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Six,
Seven.
And exhale out through the mouth for two,
Three,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Two more times.
Inhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Seven.
Exhale out through the mouth for two,
Three,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
And last breath in the sway,
The deepest breath you've taken today.
Inhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Seven.
Exhale out through the mouth for two,
Three,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
And now bring awareness to your body,
Your body ever-changing,
Ever-transforming.
Bring your forehead into your awareness and relax your forehead.
Release any tension in your forehead,
In the eyebrows,
Between the eyebrows.
Soften the muscles around the eyes,
Around the cheeks.
Relax your jaw,
The tightest muscle in your body.
Bring some ease,
Some release there.
Relax any tension in your neck,
In your shoulders.
Let your chest be light.
Relax the belly completely.
Feel the whole body resting easily as you release all your weight into the chair.
As an act of self-compassion,
Relax the hips,
Relax the lower back.
Release the arms and the hands,
Nothing to do right now,
Nothing to accomplish.
Just resting in awareness.
Begin to feel the movement of the breath,
Feeling the breath from the inside.
Every breath fresh,
Every breath new.
Feeling a soft expansion as you inhale and a deep inner strength as you exhale.
And now tune into the sensation of breathing.
There is so much you can pay attention to.
For the next minute,
Keep your awareness on the physical sensations of the ever-changing breath.
Staying with the breath for one full minute.
All your awareness in the breath,
Begin now.
And whenever the mind wanders,
Which it will,
Gently,
With generosity,
Bring it back to the breath.
Enjoying the breath for another moment.
Feeling the breath more fully.
Becoming more interested in the breath with every moment.
And now put your hands on the heart.
Put both hands,
One palm on top of the other,
On your heart.
You into this heart.
Sending the wish,
May I keep this heart safe.
May I listen to this heart.
May I be kind to this heart.
May I nurture and protect this heart.
And may I share this heart with other hearts.
May this heart see the beauty of other hearts.
And from this place of connection,
Ask yourself,
What are the beginnings in my life right now?
What are all the beginnings I am experiencing now?
What else is beginning?
Leaving space for an answer to emerge or not emerge.
And feeling into that area around your heart.
Saying,
I will support myself through every new phase.
I will support myself through every new beginning.
I will be there for myself fully.
And now you can let the hands back down on your lap as we move into a compassion practice.
Imagine one person who today you would especially like to send compassion to.
Bring this person's face into your mind and into your heart.
And wish for this person.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe inside and out.
May you be peaceful.
Noticing how it feels to send wishes to this person.
And we'll end by sending compassion to all beings.
Imagine all the people on this earth right now.
Wishing for all of them.
Those you've encountered and those you have not.
Those you know and those you do not.
And those you are yet to meet.
Wishing for all of them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you have peace and ease in your heart.
Acknowledging that as every day is new,
As the season turns,
As one moment becomes another moment,
Your heart can get more spacious.
And you can become calmer,
More joyful,
More present,
More aware through every new beginning.
Setting that intention.
As things change,
Your heart becomes more spacious.
You become more grounded.
Your self-compassion becomes stronger.
And take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath out through the mouth.
Let your shoulders relax.
Let the chest relax.
Let your head and face and the legs relax.
As you feel ready,
Opening your eyes.
Meeting whatever you see with compassion.
