Finding strength and softness.
This practice is adapted from Michelle Becker's work,
Compassion for Couples.
Let's begin.
Go ahead and find a comfortable position,
Whatever that means for your body.
Could be seated,
Lying down,
Just beginning to turn inward and listen to your body.
I invite you to go ahead and close your eyes,
Either partially or fully,
And place a hand over your heart or any other soothing place as a reminder to not only bring awareness,
But loving awareness to this moment and to yourself.
And then go ahead and notice the supports underneath and around you.
Maybe you can feel that support of the chair or the floor beneath you,
How they're holding you up,
Their strength and their stability.
And knowing that you are supported,
Go ahead and allow yourself to rest into that support,
Finding a posture that balances alertness with relaxation and letting go of any unnecessary tension,
Bringing your attention now to your internal supports,
Beginning with your strong back,
Feeling how the back supports you and keeps you upright.
Even if you have back issues or back pain,
Still the back is holding you and supporting you.
Strong back,
Allowing yourself to feel your own strength from the inside.
And if it feels right,
You can say to yourself,
Strong back,
Yes,
I can feel my own strength,
Or I am strong,
Being with your strong back.
And then when you feel ready,
Bringing that attention now to your soft front,
Noticing how your chest and belly gently expand and contract with the movement of the breath in the body.
It's the soft front that allows us to be vulnerable,
To know our feelings and to be impacted by the feelings and actions of others.
This soft front gives us knowledge,
Knowledge of both the inner and outer world.
It lets us know how our breathing relates us to the world,
Taking in what we need and sending out what the trees need.
If you like,
Feeling the softness,
The openness and vulnerability of the soft front.
Maybe even saying something to yourself like soft front wisdom.
I am connected.
I can be vulnerable.
And know that behind this soft front is a strong back.
And if you like,
You can feel into that relationship between the strong back and the soft front,
Noticing how the heart rests in the space between the strong back and the soft front,
Feeling the strength of the back and the powerful connection in the soft front.
What amount of soft front feels okay right now?
Feeling that soft front.
What amount of strong back feels supportive right now?
Feeling that support.
And then taking a moment to play with the relationship between the two,
Knowing that you already have the capacity for both.
Are they balanced?
Is there an easy flow between the two?
Or do you find one dominant and the other less familiar?
Go ahead and notice which one would you like to know better?
You can set an intention to notice more of the strong back or more of the soft front as you go about your day.
And remember to notice your wholeness.
You have both strength and connection already.
Your wholeness is already present.
And thank yourself for showing up,
For showing up and noticing.
And as you release the practice,
Just resting quietly for a few moments,
Allowing the richness of the practice to come together.
And then when you're ready and in your own time,
Slowly and gently opening your eyes.
Thank you.
