Slowing down.
It is time to unwind.
Seated position or reclining with a sitting posture.
If you choose,
Let your sit bones square with the seat.
Allow your back to expand and straighten.
Let your shoulders relax and let your head float up like a balloon to give you an extra stretch in your back.
Let your face be softened and let your jaw be relaxed.
If you choose to recline,
Let your head be a bit elevated.
Let your buttocks relax and make sure that your neck is not in a posture that's constricting to your airflow.
Close your eyes if you are comfortable to do so or soften your gaze to reduce visual distractions.
As we head into a time of year that has the shortest days and the longest nights,
It is a natural time to slow down and let go.
Let's start by taking a deep breath in,
Filling your lungs with oxygen and a slow breath out.
Let's do that again.
Deep breath in and a longer slow breath out.
Take a moment to feel the contact points between you and other surfaces and between parts of yourself.
Your feet in your socks or connecting with your mat or blanket or the floor.
The textures of your clothing contacting with your body.
Your hands outward to your sides.
The air in the spaces between each of your fingers.
Wisps of hair as you have them on your forehead or wherever they may be.
Your eyes in your eye sockets.
Feeling light coming into your eyes even if they might be closed.
Now feel the natural steadiness of your breath.
The breath is grounding.
As you look to slowing down,
Let the breath help you to let go.
At this time of year,
We have the gift,
The opportunity to slow down,
To go inward,
To release,
To do less.
Less can be more.
Feel the gravity as it naturally pulls you to groundedness.
Feel it in your legs.
Feel the gravity in your hands,
In your arms.
Feel the pull of gravity in your shoulders.
Feel it in your back.
Feel the natural warmth of your body helping you to settle in more.
Feel the warmth within your heart.
Experience the circulation of the warmth outward from your heart to your chest.
Experience warmth in your abdomen,
In your back,
Into your shoulders.
Experience warmth down from your upper arms into your forearms.
Warming your hands,
Warming each finger at a time,
One by one,
The fingertips,
The knuckles,
And into your palms and the backs of your hands.
Feel the warmth going from your stomach into your hips and your pelvic area and downward into the legs.
The warmth down into your thighs,
Your knees,
The back of your knees,
Your calves,
And your shins.
The warmth flowing down into your ankles and finally into your feet.
Feel your heels warming up.
Feel your toes warming up.
Feel both feet receiving warm circulation.
The time is just right to slow down.
There is nowhere to be but here.
There is nothing that cannot wait.
It is a time of quiet.
It is a time of rest.
I invite you to notice if there is a particular part of you where you feel a sensation calling to your attention.
If not,
You're invited to take this moment to stay with the deepening of this general practice for you.
If there is a part of you calling for your attention,
Feel the sensations of it.
Might there be pulsing,
Temperature,
Tingling,
Movement?
Might it be consistent or changing or does it go to a different part?
Open yourself up to this area of attention purely of sensation.
Be with the sensation.
Lean into it.
Befriend it.
Breathe with it.
Know that it is accepted just the way it is right now.
There is good in letting it be.
Notice if it changes.
Notice if another area is calling your attention instead.
If another area is calling your attention,
Again notice it.
Experience its sensations,
Movement,
Vibrations,
Temperature.
If it's stable or changing,
Again go with it.
Allow it.
Lean into it.
Befriend it.
Breathe with it.
If there is anything new here for you,
As you experience these sensations in the moment,
What might that be?
I invite you to shift into fully feeling the warmth of your heart spread again throughout your body,
Allowing the warmth to lead to a more quiet and still refuge of being.
I will give you some time of quiet now.
In a few minutes you will hear my voice return.
If you are ready,
Let your toes wiggle.
Let your fingers wiggle.
Curl over to your side if you are lying down to rise into a seated position.
Slowly let more light into your eyes.
My wish for you is that you can bring this feeling of stillness,
Of quiet,
Of rest,
Into your day going forward.
Thank you for slowing down with me.
