Welcome.
Settle yourself into a nice,
Comfortable position.
Sitting tall and upright.
Your arms resting gently.
And when you are ready,
Close your eyes.
Take a moment to realize that you are here and present in this moment.
Taking in the things around you.
Just a simple awareness of where you are.
Becoming in tune with the body.
With the mind.
Noticing any sensations in the body and allowing them to soften with the breath.
As you maintain this soft awareness.
Begin to deepen your breath.
Gently inhaling through the nose.
Feeling the air move into your body.
Slowly exhaling,
Feeling your body relax as you let go of the air.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Breathing in.
.
.
And breathing out.
At times,
You may become distracted.
This is the simple nature of the mind.
It tends to get busy.
Even when we don't want it to.
So if you catch yourself distracted by wandering thoughts,
It's okay.
Don't try to fight them.
Just notice that your mind has strayed and shift your gentle attention back to the sensations of the breath.
The breath is your anchor.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm now.
Simply observe the breath.
With a little bit of gentle curiosity.
Whether you're feeling it most vividly in your abdomen,
Chest.
Or nostrils.
Actually feeling the breath.
Moving.
And take a moment to listen to your body truly as it is right now.
Noting which parts are comfortable.
And which parts are not.
Looking for the sensation of touch.
In any part of your body.
Feeling how you are connected to your surroundings.
Feeling your body connect more and more to the surface beneath you.
Your muscles relaxing.
Open your mind to any thoughts that come up naturally.
Allowing them to be with loving kindness.
Before letting them drift off to make space for the next.
Simply acknowledging anything that may stand out to you and letting your awareness gently rest there.
Without demanding that it be different.
Holding yourself with compassion and understanding.
Spending the next few unguided moments resting deep in the body and in the breath.
As you rest in this peaceful state,
Gently shift your attention to your body.
Acknowledging just how magnificent and beautiful it is.
Your entire body is composed of individual cells.
Working together in harmony to keep you at your very best.
Many of us have negative outlooks on our bodies.
Negative self-talk.
Judgment.
Criticism.
Sometimes we may disrespect our bodies without realizing.
The negative thoughts about our bodies and appearance can become all-consuming.
Impacting our overall self-esteem,
Behavior.
And the perception we have of ourselves.
It is important to find presence within our bodies.
To be comfortable.
To simply be.
Authenticity is the most beautiful quality there is.
And now just connect with your intention to be calm and at ease within your body and your mind.
Connect with your intention to be mindful.
And just recognize your natural wish for your body to be comfortable,
Relaxed and at ease.
So just allow yourself to really sink into your seat now,
Wherever you may be positioned.
Feeling the weight of gravity pulling you down gently.
And maybe connecting with the feeling of the seat beneath you.
Seeing if you can connect with the sensations,
The pressure,
The weight,
And the support.
Just noticing where your sit bones are touching the seat,
The cushion,
Or the floor.
And then Bringing your awareness to the breath.
Using the breath as a way to really tap into the present moment.
And if at any point during the practice you become distracted.
It's okay.
No need to judge yourself or become frustrated.
When the mind wanders,
Just be aware of it.
You let it be okay.
And bring your attention back to the breath.
And just take a moment to tune into any specific parts of the body that may attempt to grab your attention.
Perhaps you can notice discomfort.
Pain.
Or tension anywhere.
And just send your gentle attention to any part of your body that may be experiencing difficulty.
And whatever body part comes up,
Offer a few phrases of loving-kindness towards it.
Repeating the following phrases.
May this part of my body be free from discomfort.
May I care about this discomfort?
May I be present for this comfort.
By saying these words,
We are renewing the relationship we have with our bodies.
The quality of our breath is one way our body communicates with us.
And now,
Repeat the following words as you continue to breathe.
Breathing in.
.
.
I know I am sitting here in my body.
Breathing out.
I smile.
By noting the body's positions and movements,
We are able to make clearer observations,
To be truly present in the moment.
When we are sitting,
We are aware that we are sitting.
When we stand,
We are aware that we are standing.
When we create a habit of listening to our bodies,
We tap into an infinite wellspring of experience that allows us to create a life more vivid.
Purposeful.
And mindful.
We are more alive.
And now.
Slowly move your awareness to the forehead.
Maybe you feel some tension here.
Or maybe the simple neutral feeling of the skin.
Whatever you can feel,
Tend to it with mindfulness.
Moving down to the eyes and feeling the muscles surrounding your eyes.
You can invite these muscles to soften and relax.
Seeing what is present for you here.
Relaxing your eyes completely.
Moving your awareness to the cheeks and jaw.
Relaxing the jaw.
Gently observing what you can physically feel.
Moving your awareness down to your nose and upper lips.
Feel the sensations of breathing with each in-breath.
And out-breath.
Allowing your attention to move to the neck and the shoulders,
Where we store a lot of tension from the day.
Spend some extra time here,
Softening these parts of your body.
Keeping your shoulders down away from your ears.
And moving your attention down into your arms and your hands.
Rest with each part of the body for a few moments,
Patiently observing what is present.
Relaxing your hands.
Allow your attention to move through every single finger.
Feel the way your hands are softening and melting deep down into relaxation here.
And bringing the awareness back up to the shoulder blades,
Moving down the back.
Feel the posture of the spine,
The muscles in the back,
And any expansion and contraction as the body breathes.
Notice the surface underneath your back.
And tune into the front of the torso and the chest.
You may feel the clothing on your body.
You may experience the sensations of the breath here.
And just feel the rising and falling sensations of the chest as you continue to breathe gently connecting with this part of your body.
Feeling the chest open and expand on every inhale and exhale.
And moving down to the belly,
Pelvis and hips.
Observe what is present here.
Relax your belly and let it be soft.
Observe the rise and fall of the belly as you continue to breathe.
Feel the belly expand as you allow air to enter your lungs.
And feel the belly contract again as you let out the air gently.
Moving down the legs and into the feet.
Notice the points of contact.
Notice if there is any tension and observe mindfully here.
Relax your feet completely.
You may even want to imagine placing a warm cloth on your feet to really allow them to relax.
Bring your attention to the entire body.
Feel the outline of the body.
Feel the posture.
Feel the subtle changes as you breathe with kind awareness.
Seeing what is present.
Staying present with your body.
Connecting with your body.
And bring your attention to any thoughts in your mind right now.
Keeping your breathing slow and steady.
Your body is deeply relaxed.
And just notice any thoughts that come up.
And with every exhale,
Just allow those thoughts to go out with the breath.
Noticing any thoughts that are present.
And just allowing yourself to experience them drifting away from you peacefully.
Allowing your mind to let everything go.
You are breathing in relaxation and releasing all that you wish to release.
And as you are breathing in calming,
Soothing energy into your body.
You are allowing your mind to be peaceful.
You are allowing your mind to be a soothing place.
You are growing the connection between your body and your mind,
Stronger and stronger with each new breath.
And as this practice comes to an end,
Begin to return to your body and to your surroundings.
Begin to stretch easily.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Move your head from side to side.
Notice how you feel.
Notice how your body feels.
Feeling the gentle weight of your body.
Notice any sounds around you.
Perhaps shrug your shoulders gently.
And when you are ready.
Open your eyes just taking in your surrounding environment.
Taking in all the colors in the room.
All the shapes.
Taking in the scenery gently.
Being present with it all.
