Hello and welcome my friend.
Let's begin by finding a position that allows your body to rest fully,
By lying down on a firm surface like the floor,
A yoga mat or a carpet.
You might want to bend your knees so your back and the soles of your feet can fully rest and be in touch with the ground.
Or you might place a high cushion or bolster under your knees to ease your lower back and support your legs.
So go ahead and pause the audio if you need to and settle in however feels good for you.
Now see if you can let your body land,
Let your body drop into gravity into this moment.
Notice where your body makes contact with the floor,
What parts feel more pressure against the surface,
What parts feel held.
And let yourself arrive here,
Knowing that the ground is there to meet you.
Meet yourself exactly where you are,
No need to change anything.
Just acknowledge what's present.
Maybe thoughts are still circling,
Maybe emotions are stirring,
Maybe part of you is still plugged in to the events of the day.
That's okay.
Now notice your breath,
Maybe invite a deeper inhalation and a longer exhalation.
And see if you can call your awareness back home to this moment,
Not by force but by invitation.
And by asking yourself,
Where is my body in space,
Right here,
Right now?
How do I know I am lying on the floor?
What gives me that information?
What happens if I let my muscles soften even just 1%?
Feel into the weight of your body.
Notice where your heels or calves are resting.
Let your pelvis be heavy.
Notice your spine and how is it meeting the ground today.
And let the back of your head be supported.
Feel into your arms,
Would they like to rest by your side or on your belly or heart?
And adjust however feels good.
Let your body be welcomed here,
Just as it is.
And now invite your eyes to choose.
Would they like to close and turn inward?
Or perhaps stay open with a soft gaze,
Remaining gently engaged with the room.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to set an intention.
An intention to connect with two vital parts of you.
Your kidneys and adrenal glands.
They sit quietly in the back of your abdominal cavity,
Toward your middle back,
Just under your rib cage.
The kidneys are located on either side of the spine.
And each adrenal gland sits like a little cap on top of each kidney.
These beautiful organs are your first responders in moments of stress.
And for many of us,
They've been overworking for quite some time.
So for now,
We'll simply say hello,
Acknowledge their role and offer a pause.
And with your body now settled and your awareness gently turning inside,
I invite you to bring your attention to your middle back.
Toward the back of your abdominal cavity,
Just under your ribs.
This is where your kidneys and adrenal glands live,
Nestled deep toward the spine.
They are small,
But mighty.
And don't worry,
You don't need to visualize them perfectly.
Just feel into the area.
And imagine maybe placing a gentle light there,
Like a soft beam of awareness,
Illuminating this part of your body.
Take some time here to connect.
You might even whisper inwardly,
Hello,
I see you.
Thank you for all the work you've done.
These organs often respond first to stress,
To adrenal spikes,
To danger signals.
They've had your back literally and figuratively.
Through hard seasons,
Long days and moments you had to push through.
And because of that,
They can get depleted,
Tired and overextended.
So today we're offering them something different.
Not more effort,
Not more pushing,
But softness,
Presence and restoration.
So if it helps,
Place one hand gently over your belly,
Below the ribs.
And imagine that your awareness can travel through the belly,
Through the skin,
The tissues,
The muscles,
To meet your kidneys and adrenals with curiosity and care.
And as you do that,
What do you notice here?
Any sensation,
Image,
Maybe nothing at all.
Maybe there's a color,
A texture,
A felt sense,
A pulse.
Do they feel tired,
Alert,
Tense or numb?
There's no right or wrong answer,
Just information.
Now I'd like to offer you a simple visualization.
Imagine your kidneys and adrenals are soil.
Soil that has gone through a long,
Hard,
Dry season.
This soil has endured many natural hardships.
And like that dry earth,
These vital organs can become tense,
Hardened,
Overused and undernourished.
Not quite able to take in support,
Not quite able to absorb.
And now very slowly,
Finally,
This soil is being touched by warm,
Gentle,
Mineral-rich water.
A river has finally reached it.
Drop by drop,
The water begins to land.
Not too much,
Just enough.
Enough to soften the surface,
Enough to begin receiving again.
Slowly soaking in,
In the perfect temperature,
Beginning to soften,
To rehydrate,
To restore its quality and its aliveness.
Just stay with this image.
There's nothing you need to do,
Let this image work on you.
And notice what happens inside your body as you hold this idea.
That even the driest soil can soften with the right kind of support and nourishment.
What shifts are you noticing as they soften?
What's the pace they want to move at?
Can you allow them to rest,
Even just for this moment?
And if your body responds with a sigh,
A breath,
A repositioning,
Follow that.
With your intention and your imagination now,
Invite them to drop towards the ground.
Invite this part of your body to just settle down and surrender,
Rest a little bit.
Even if it's less than 1% today,
That's okay.
Let this be a dialogue with your system.
Noticing if anything in you wants to let go,
Or if there is a message rising from deep within.
Maybe they're saying,
We've been holding on so long,
We want rest,
We are ready to be seen.
Just listen,
Let those messages be heard and witnessed.
And now slowly begin to bring your awareness back to the full shape of your body.
Notice how your contact points again are in touch with the ground.
Your back,
Your arms,
Your head.
Feel the weight of your body on the ground.
Feel the breath in your chest,
Your belly.
Notice the air around you,
The temperature of the room.
You might want to wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
And let your body stretch in any way that feels good.
And if your eyes were closed,
Take your time to open them gently.
Look around your space.
Come back to the here and now.
You have just taken time to connect with an often forgotten part of your body.
To acknowledge a system that's been working for you quietly,
Relentlessly for years.
And as you move back into your day,
Know that you can return to this connection anytime.
A moment of breath,
A hand on your belly,
Maybe a whisper to your adrenals.
You're safe now,
You don't have to be on all the time.
Let that be your offering and let that be enough.
Thank you for showing up to yourself today.
