Welcome,
And thank you for practicing with me today.
If life has felt especially full,
Fast,
Or demanding.
This meditation offers you a chance to step out of that momentum.
Through the cooling practice of Satali breath.
Along with the imagery of still water and evening light.
You'll be gently guided into a space of deep rest.
Where your inner fire can soften without losing its warmth.
When you're ready,
Settle into a comfortable position.
Allowing your body to be fully supported.
Rest your hands wherever they feel most at ease.
And if it feels comfortable for you,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow,
Unhurried breath in through your nose.
And exhale gently through your mouth.
Again,
Breathing in.
And letting the breath leave you.
One more time,
A quiet inhale.
And a long,
Soft exhale.
There is something about late summer.
The days are still warm,
But the light has begun to change.
The evenings arrive a little sooner.
The Earth is still glowing.
And yet beneath it all,
There is a subtle invitation to slow down.
So for these next few minutes.
You don't need to accomplish anything.
You don't need to solve anything.
You don't need to become anything.
You are simply here.
Bring your awareness to the surface of your skin.
Notice the temperature of your body.
Perhaps there is warmth gathered around your face.
You're not.
Your chest.
Your belly.
And imagine now a soft evening breeze moves across to you.
Not cold.
Just cool enough.
Jai Nirvana.
Imagine that breeze passing over your forehead.
Across your temples.
Around your eyes.
Letting the muscles of your face release.
Your jaw softens.
Your tongue rests.
Your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Feel the coolness move down through your neck.
Across your shoulders.
And into your chest.
As though the entire front of your body is remembering.
There is nowhere to rush.
Take another slow,
Deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the heat of the day leaving with your breath.
Again,
Inhale softly.
Exhale completely.
Letting the temperature within you begin to settle.
There is a fire within each of us.
The fire that creates.
The fire that moves.
The fire that says.
Keep going.
Two more.
Figure it out.
Make it happen.
This fire has its wisdom.
It gives us energy.
Purpose.
Passion.
But even a beautiful fire needs space around it.
And sometimes the most nourishing thing you can do.
Peace.
Lower the flame.
So notice without judgment where you may be carrying too much heat.
Perhaps in the mind.
Too many thoughts.
Too many decisions.
Perhaps in the heart.
Too much feeling.
Too much wanting.
Perhaps in the body.
Too much effort.
Too much holding.
You don't have to change any of it.
Simply notice.
And breathe.
With every exhale,
Let the flame become a little quieter.
Not extinguished.
Just soften.
And now we're going to invite a little more coolness into the body.
Through the breath.
If it feels comfortable for you.
Bring your tongue forward and gently curl the sides of your tongue upward.
Creating a soft channel.
Almost like a little straw.
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in through the curled tongue.
Notice the coolness of the air as it passes across your tongue.
And then draw your tongue back in.
Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose.
Inhale through the cool channel of your curled tongue.
And exhale softly through the nose.
Let the breath be easy.
There is nothing to force.
One more time,
Satali breath,
Drowning in coolness.
And releasing the heat.
Perhaps do five more rounds on your own.
If for any reason your tongue doesn't naturally curl.
Into a tube,
Simply keep your lips gently parted and imagine drawing in cool,
Refreshing breaths.
Return to your own natural breath.
One more round.
And now let go of the technique again.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And now imagine that you are standing beside still water.
Perhaps so quietly.
A Head & Pons.
Or a place that exists only in your imagination.
It is evening.
The sun has begun to lower.
And the surface of the water is almost perfectly still.
You walk slowly toward the water.
And with each step.
You feel yourself becoming quieter.
You reach the edge and dip your fingertips into the cool water.
Feel its temperature.
Its softness.
It's simplicity.
Now imagine lifting that cool water and gently caressing it to your forehead.
Across your temples.
Over your cheeks.
Along your neck.
Feel the cooling sensation spread through you.
Your thoughts becoming less urgent.
Your breath becoming slower.
Your body becoming softer.
And perhaps you imagine stepping into the water.
Just far enough to feel supported by it.
The coolness surrounding your ankles.
Your calves.
Your knees.
Your legs.
The water rises around you.
And everything begins to quiet.
Nothing is required of you here.
You are simply being held by the stillness.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Let go of urgency.
Again,
Breathing in.
And releasing the need to hurry.
One more time.
Breathing in fully.
And as you exhale,
Release the need to have everything figured out.
You can let some things remain unfinished.
You can let some questions remain unanswered.
You can let tomorrow belong to tomorrow.
Right now,
There is only this breath.
This body.
This moment.
And notice what happens when you stop pushing yourself toward the next thing.
Perhaps there is more space.
More quiet.
More room to hear yourself.
The world does not need your constant effort.
Some things unfold beautifully when you stop reaching for them.
Now imagine the sun sinking lower.
The sky becoming softer.
Gold turning to rose.
Rose becoming lavender.
Lavender becoming baby blue.
The heat of the day is leaving.
The Earth is cooling.
And you are cooling with it.
Feel your breath moving naturally now.
No need to deepen it.
No need to control it.
Just allowing it to breathe you.
Imagine that every exhale carries away a little more heat.
A little more tension.
A little more effort.
And every inhale brings in something cooler.
Something quieter.
Something spacious.
You might silently offer yourself these words.
I do not have to burn brightly all the time.
I can soften.
I can call.
I can rest.
Let the image of the water slowly fade.
That keep its coolness with you.
Keep the stillness.
The spaciousness.
Notice your body resting here.
And quiet.
Unhurried.
And perhaps notice the fire within you has not disappeared.
It is simply resting.
A warm ember.
Study.
Quiet.
Waving.
You do not need to lose your passion in order to find peace.
You do not need to become less alive in order to become more still.
You are simply learning.
When to turn the flame.
And when to let it soften.
Take one final gentle breath in.
And exhale slowly.
Feel the coolness of the evening within you.
The quiet water.
The softened flame.
The spaciousness.
Carry this feeling with you.
Into whatever remains of your day.
Or into the quiet of your night.
And remember.
You are allowed to slow down.
You're allowed to call.
You are allowed to let the world continue moving.
While you simply breathe.
One last deep breath in.
And a long,
Peaceful exhale.
When you're ready.
Gently open your eyes.
And step back into your day.
A little softer.
A little cooler.
And with nothing to prove.
The fire can remain.
You simply don't have to feed it right now.
