Welcome,
I'm so glad that you're here.
Let this moment be your permission to stop,
To pause,
To just be.
You don't have to fix anything right now,
You don't need to be calm already,
You've already taken the bravest step by showing up today.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable place to settle,
For you that may be sitting or lying down,
Whatever your body needs most.
And when you're comfortable,
Just allow your hands to rest softly,
In your lap or by your sides,
Let your shoulders loosen just a little,
And take a slow gentle breath in through your nose,
And exhale softly through your mouth.
Let's do that again,
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Just let everything begin to slow just a little.
One more deep breath in through your nose,
And with a gentle exhale,
With a sigh,
Let your breath come back to its natural rhythm,
And if you feel comfortable,
You may wish to gently close your eyes,
Or just soften your gaze,
I'd like you to bring your attention to the feeling of your body being supported.
Notice where you're resting,
The ground,
The chair,
Or the bed,
And allow yourself to lean into this support.
Let your breath become your anchor now,
There's no rush to change it,
Just notice your breath as it is,
Even if it feels short,
Or shallow,
Or maybe a little shaky,
That's completely okay,
Let's just soften it just a touch.
Breathe in gently for a count of four,
Hold just for a moment,
And exhale slowly for a count of six,
Let's do that again.
Inhaling for four,
And exhaling for six.
Allow your body to begin to follow the rhythm,
Bringing it back to your natural breathing pattern,
Allow it to be soothing and steady,
And there's nothing to force.
Now in your mind's eye,
Picture a small stream of water,
It's softly flowing,
It's not fast or loud,
Just a steady peaceful stream,
And imagine that with each breath out,
You place a little worry or tension into the water,
Those worries and tensions are in the form of small leaves that you're placing into the stream,
Those might be thoughts,
A tighter feeling in your chest,
Or a spinning story in your mind.
Just let the water take these leaves,
These worries for a while,
You don't have to solve them right now,
You can even say gently in your mind,
I release this,
I let go,
Just for now,
And as the water flows,
Just feel your body begin to follow,
Releasing the tension or any pressure,
Any noise,
And keep placing those pieces down,
Those leaves,
You're allowed to let them go and feel rest for a while.
If it feels helpful,
I'm going to repeat some gentle affirmations and let them settle softly into your awareness,
You can repeat them in your mind or out loud or simply let them wash over you,
Whatever feels comfortable for you.
I am allowed to slow down.
I do not need to have all the answers right now.
I am safe to let go,
Just for this moment.
My breath is enough.
This moment is enough.
I am enough.
Just breathe these in,
Let them settle with you for a moment,
And as we begin to gently close this practice today,
I'd like you to bring your awareness back to the feeling of being supported,
Your body resting,
Your breath steady and kind,
And let yourself stay here for as long as you need.
But if you're ready to return to your day,
Do so slowly,
Maybe with a hand on your heart or a little gentle stretch,
You may wish to wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
Maybe moving your neck side to side a little for a gentle stretch.
And please remember that you don't need to carry everything.
You can return to this space at any time.
If you've had your eyes closed,
If you're ready,
Gently open them.
If you've had your gaze softened,
Just return your attention to the room that you're in.
Thank you for being here.
I'm sending you calm,
Care,
And gentleness always.
