If you are someone who has ever indulged in a cold shower,
Turned your faucet to cool and let those frigid droplets cascade over your skin,
You can likely agree that it is not always the most comfortable way to start the day.
However,
It surely does shake off the cobwebs and leave you feeling more energized about what's to come.
In today's practice,
We will save the brisk water,
But offer the same fresh kick of dopamine so that you can move through the remainder of your day feeling clear,
Uplifted,
And alive.
To begin,
Please find a comfortable place to sit your body down.
Maybe resting your back up against a wall or sitting on a chair or cushion.
Wherever you are at,
Please ensure that your spine is long and straight and upright.
Place your palms to rest on your knees or your thighs.
When you feel ready,
Close your eyelids down.
Take a deep,
Cleansing breath in through your nose and a long,
Releasing breath out through your mouth.
And do that one more time,
Breathing in,
Filling up,
And breathing out to settle.
Slowly begin to part and purse your lips,
Sipping in your next inhale through your mouth like you are drinking the air in through a straw.
Pause for a moment in fullness,
And then letting the breath leave with a short,
Audible burst.
Try that again slowly,
Breathing in through pursed lips,
Drinking that air in deeply and fully.
And then letting the breath leave with a short burst.
For this practice,
We will pick up the pace slightly,
And the breath will sound something like this.
Join in with me when you're ready.
Last five.
Last one.
Take one last deep breath in,
Fill up,
Fill up,
Fill up,
And hold full.
Let yourself rest here in fullness.
Holding that breath inside of you,
Relaxing the body,
Relaxing the belly,
Relaxing the face.
And in the next few moments,
When you begin to exhale,
Imagine water cascading from the crown of your head all the way down your body,
From head to toe.
Getting ready to exhale in 3,
2,
1,
Breathe out.
Virtual shower.
Cleansing and purifying everything that you don't need being washed away and swirling down the drain.
Allow your breath to regulate,
Finding that easy,
Organic rhythm.
And notice how you feel.
The alertness in your mind,
The aliveness in your body before you even move or adjust.
This you created.
May this uplifting energy remain with you for the remainder of your day.
Be light,
Be kind,
Be well.
