The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.
If you are attentive,
You will see it.
Thich Nhat Hanh.
Get comfortable wherever you are,
Sitting or lying down.
When ready,
Close your beautiful eyes and begin to follow your breath,
Drawing the breath deep down into the belly and exhaling slowly and completely.
Again,
Take a deep breath in and exhale.
Take one last deep breath in before we go back to your natural rhythm of breathing and let it out as if you would be blowing a balloon.
Now I want you to bring your attention and awareness to the top of your head.
Now move your awareness down to your face,
The back of your head,
Your neck and your shoulders,
Letting all the muscles you passed by relax and release.
Pause for a moment at your shoulders and neck and notice the subtle movement of your shoulders as they rise and fall with the breath and move your shoulders as low as you can,
As far as possible from your ears.
On the next inhalation,
Move your awareness down into your chest.
Let your breath fill the rib cage and on the out-breath,
Move into a deeper space of rest and calm.
Now it's time to move your breath and awareness into your lower abdomen and your hips.
As you slowly breathe in,
Let the area fill and expand with the breath and release slowly and completely on the exhalation.
Allowing your awareness and your breath to flow down into the legs,
Let your thighs soften as the breath moves through them.
Let your awareness and breath continue to flow over your knees and into your lower legs Again,
Noticing that with each breath you move into a deeper space of rest and calm.
And finally,
Allow your breath and awareness to flow all the way down your body into your beautiful feet,
The soles of your feet,
Your toes and out into the earth beneath you.
I'd like you to do a scan of your body once again,
Slowly moving your awareness from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet and notice while doing that,
Is there anywhere you are holding on to extra energy?
This energy might take the form of restlessness or the feeling of wanting to move or fidget.
It's the same energy that has you checking your phone or feeling ungrounded.
Take a moment to acknowledge that feeling and simply notice it,
Witness it,
Don't try to change anything,
Just let the restlessness be in your consciousness for a moment or two.
Now,
Returning to the breath,
See if you can take that restless or nervous energy and fold it into the breath,
Letting the energy get swept up in the breath and then letting it flow out of the body with each exhalation.
As you fold that nervous or restless energy into the breath,
You are letting the breath provide a vehicle for its release and with each exhalation you move into a deep place of calm,
Peace and relaxation.
Now we are going to take this practice one step further as we learn to flow with change.
I want you to imagine sitting safely on a log at the edge of a babbling brook.
Your feet are in the cool but comfortable water.
It's the clearest water you've ever seen.
There is a faint scent of wildflowers in the air.
You can feel the warmth of the sun on your face and a sense of peace in your body.
As you breathe in,
Your whole being softens and expands with the breath and as you breathe out,
A deep sense of comfort and ease flows down the body and into the brook.
Just take a few moments to be really present and take in these beautiful surroundings.
I want you now to focus on moving your breath into the babbling brook,
Taking in each breath and allowing it to flow down the body and into the brook through your feet.
As you do this,
You feel a deep connection between you and the natural world.
You understand that you and nature are not separate but part of each other and as the brook flows gently by,
You allow yourself to surrender to the flow,
Connecting yourself to the natural flow of life.
Now I want you to expand your awareness slightly,
Seeing if you can be the water for a moment,
The brook itself,
To explore what it would feel like to flow with ease.
Not moving too fast or too slow,
Just flowing at the perfect pace and the perfect time.
And just like the breath,
Allow the water to be a vehicle for any unwanted energy,
Letting the pent up energy be released by the breath and flow out and away in the water,
Letting the water carry away any stress or stagnant energy,
Leaving you feeling refreshed and balanced.
Take a few moments and move with the water,
Letting it take what you no longer want to hold on to and allow yourself to receive rejuvenation and peace in its place.
Now bring yourself back to sit on the log at the edge of the brook,
Once again feeling the cool,
Comfortable water on your feet and the warmth of the sun on your face.
Notice the deeper sense of connection between you and your surroundings,
The deeper sense of peace and groundedness,
Remembering that you can come back to the flow of water anytime your life seems too hectic or out of control,
Knowing that you can come back to this moment of ease and grace.
So much of our suffering comes from trying to stop the flow,
To stifle restlessness,
But relief comes from being able to flow with change,
By connecting to the movement of the natural world and seeing our ability to do so with ease and grace.
Now gently bring your awareness back into your body as you sit in the chair or lie down,
Feel the firm ground or surface beneath you,
Take a deep breath to bring you back to your body and start to becoming aware of your surroundings and when you feel ready,
Open your eyes full of awareness and alertness,
From my heart to yours,
With all my love and gratitude.
Namaste.
