And with your eyes closed now,
Let's just share a period of silence together and as we move into this silence Again,
Have no expectations about what you should or shouldn't be doing Just be with it.
Let's see what unfolds Now perhaps not but maybe you're already sensing that you seem quicker than this practice in some way You haven't quite settled here.
Me too,
If I'm honest So let's just stay with this silence.
We're slowing down to meet This moment this silence.
We're asking nothing Of anything outside of us it is as it is When I allow myself to just notice the silence It can sometimes reveal other things to me Maybe a sensation In mine or your body Maybe you suddenly notice that you're feeling a certain way Now that you're quietening the noise Or that your mind is drifting,
Mine too But this is a safe practice that we're developing for each other you and I So whatever reveals itself in the silence Have a think about just letting it come through Setting a gentle intent to slow down To take care of yourself And a gentle reminder that we're just looking to meet the silence not for it to change in any way But how does it feel just to be?
Here now silent Let's now move to our breath And I ask you just to notice your breath a little bit more than maybe you were a few seconds ago Have no expectations about how your breath should be We're just noticing together You may notice the temperature of the in-breath As it goes in through the nostrils remember it can't be wrong.
It just is We're slowing down to meet what is Not looking to change anything Perhaps you can notice where your breath settles in your body Before it begins its journey out and as you exhale everything that you no longer require is released How amazing Breath by breath everything we need is taken in Everything that is no longer required Is exhaled and let go Perfect harmony and balance breath by breath Let's have about 20 to 30 seconds in silence again now But our practice has gently moved to being with our breath and if your mind drifts Just come back to the breath.
That's the practice for now You're doing great Taking care of yourself breath by breath Let's slow down a little more now Let's really melt into this moment We can use our breath to do this Notice that between each breath There is a pause a space So between each in-breath and each out-breath is a pause This pause has always been there It's there now Just connect with the pause Again have no expectations about how this should feel you're slowing down letting go Perhaps a quick check-in with your body now shows you that you are slowing down There isn't that quickness That was there at the beginning of the practice just a few minutes of Setting a gentle intent to be well And connecting with the pause between each breath It's regulating your nervous system Your heart rate your blood pressure in real time Let's stay with that pause between our breath And have another 20 or 30 seconds in silence Now with your eyes still closed leaving your breath to do its own thing,
Which will be perfect Just become aware of the space where you are right now Don't think it should be a certain way Remember,
We're just meeting what is here already Slowing down a great place to start is just to feel your connection to this space now So if you're sitting down feel the seat,
Maybe the back of the chair The bottoms of your feet against the floor Really grounding yourself here Reminding yourself you're here now If you're lying down then the back of your head your shoulders small of your back legs How supported we are in this moment you and I And what about the silence of this space?
Just under all of the noise in our lives the uncertainty the anxiety There is always this silence It doesn't matter whether we're sitting here together sharing this practice Whether you're sitting in traffic at work in a busy household Just underneath all of the noise Is this exact silence?
Perhaps you and I are feeling calmer and more settled Because we've allowed ourselves to connect to the silence the calm the softness of this space Let's take a minute in silence.
And if your mind drifts,
It's natural But the practice now is just to come back and notice the silence whatever that means for you And if some part of you thinks that you need more than this Just come back and allow yourself to connect to the silence a little more Now let's connect our breath To this silence to this space So I invite you to consciously breathe in this silence this softness this tranquility Still knowing that your out-breath releases everything that you no longer require Connecting the breath now to the silence of what is here And if you are feeling calmer more settled than you were 20 minutes ago Then there's a really important message there for you and I That we're supported in the silence We're held here in this silence So we just look to slow down to connect with our breath and to become aware of this moment Knowing that we're supported And held And that all is well Let's take a final two minutes or so together now Connect to what is here Underneath all of our noise and uncertainty Simply be And now when you feel ready only when you feel ready I invite you to open your eyes and come back to the space That you have chosen in this moment
