Before we begin,
Glance around the space that you're in,
Using your eyes to confirm to yourself that you are safe here.
And allow your nervous system to relax and fully commit to your eyes being closed.
Glance behind the chair,
Under the table and into the corners,
All affirming for yourself that you are safe and you are okay.
And then gently close your eyes.
And when we close our eyes,
We no longer have the distraction of everything we can see.
And as you turn off your vision,
It's easier to focus on and bring to mind our other senses and other sensations.
Take a moment to invite your other senses to also affirm for you that you are safe and you are okay.
Breathe in through your nose,
Inhale the scent of you.
Inhale the scent of the room you're in.
Any anchor points that can confirm and evoke for you that you are safe and you are okay.
Listen to the sound of my voice,
To the sound of your breath,
Of your body,
The immediate noises around you.
Maybe there are some outside the room or outside the building.
Which ones can you hold onto like a familiar thread to again affirm for yourself,
I am safe and I am okay.
And then turning your attention now to touch and really just allowing yourself to feel yourself arriving,
Being met and held by the chair,
The surface beneath you.
And just pausing for a moment to ask yourself,
Am I relaxing into this feeling of being held or am I still holding in or holding on to something right now?
What would it mean to soften just a little bit more,
To let your shoulders fall away?
How much extra space could you create for yourself in the gap between the bottom of your earlobe and your collarbone?
Where would your head be if it no longer had to be fully supported by your neck,
Shoulders,
Core and otherwise?
I want you to really intentionally feel that physical presence of touch of where your body,
Where the boundary of you meets the surface below it.
Almost imagining you are taking a crayon as a child would and drawing the outline of you as it is met and held by the surface beneath it.
And then feel yourself being met and held not by the physical presence of the surface anymore but by gravity surrounding you.
Really sink in to that.
What are the parts of you right now that are suspended and supported and held by gravity?
And again,
I'll invite you,
What would it mean to surrender just a little bit more,
To relax your jaw,
Soften your cheeks?
And even putting some attention on that piece of skin between your eyebrows where your nose meets your forehead,
Could you soften there?
And then feel yourself being met and held by the ground below you,
Taking your mind's eye on a journey down through your feet,
The floorboards,
However many layers of the building there are,
Through the foundations of that building and into the earth below.
And in this moment,
Knowing there's nowhere else to be but here and there's no one else to be but you.
And I invite you to find your breath.
In this grounded,
Anchored place,
Find your breath,
Stumble upon it,
Be curious,
Where do you notice it right now?
Is it in your belly,
Your back,
Side ribs,
Lower chest,
Upper chest,
Dancing along your collarbones?
Or maybe you notice it with each exhale,
The warmth as it meets your upper lip.
Where is your breath right now?
This may be the first time today that you've even consciously thought about it.
And I want you now to imagine as you take your next breath in,
That it's pulling in all the way from the ground below and bringing with it a quality that is heart and meaning for you today.
And as you take that breath and you pull it in from the ground below,
It enters in your lower back and rises all the way up your spine and then sits for a moment suspended above your head,
Really reflecting on that quality.
And then with each exhale,
I want you to imagine that it crashes over your head and rolls along your body like a wave.
With each breath in,
Pulling in that quality that has meaning and heart for you today.
Maybe it's courage,
Maybe curiosity,
Maybe openness,
Compassion,
Focus,
Self-awareness,
Groundedness.
What do you need to be fully present and engaged with yourself today?
And then with each exhale that crashes over and rolls out beyond you,
I want you to let go of something that no longer serves you.
Or if that feels too strong,
Perhaps just thinking about something you're going to hold a little lighter than before.
Maybe it's judgment,
Maybe it's over-committing,
Maybe it's fear,
Rigidity,
Distraction,
Perfectionism,
Overthinking.
What will you hold a little lighter?
What do you need to release in order to be fully present here today with yourself?
And then turning your attention now to that place deep inside your heart center,
Where no matter what happens outside of you,
It remains true to you.
Regardless of external events,
Others around you,
Physical sensations in your body,
Your emotions,
Feelings and thoughts.
A place that stays constant and true.
The very essence of who you really are,
Underneath it all.
Can you connect in with this space this morning?
Really calling to mind and the space,
The words that you brought in with you and your breath.
The words that have heart and meaning for you today.
And in a moment,
I'll invite you to take a few deep breaths and bring yourself physically back to that surface you were on.
Whenever you're ready,
But only then,
Breathe yourself back into the room.
Wiggle your toes,
Even your little toe,
And stretch your arms.
And gently,
When it feels right for you,
Open your eyes.
Don't rush to meet the world.
Spend a little longer in that suspended state in conversation with yourself.
I invite you to pick up a pen,
A notepad,
And to just reflect on what came up for you in that moment.
What are those qualities you're bringing in with intention?
And what are those qualities that you're holding a little lighter or releasing with compassion?
Make a note.
