And maybe you can dim your lights or let some air in and close the curtains maybe.
And make sure you'll be undisturbed for the duration of this practice.
And I want to invite you to lay down for the duration of this practice,
But if you tend to fall asleep while laying down you can also sit up comfortably.
So take some time now,
Grab your favorite cushion or blankets and make it yourself very comfortable and I'll be back in two minutes.
So I hope that you're laying down now or sitting up comfortably.
And if there is anything you want to do to make it yourself that's a little bit more extra comfy,
Please do so.
And as you're laying or sitting and haven't done so already,
Start to slowly close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And then listen to the sounds around you.
Sounds outside of the room.
And sounds inside of the room.
Sounds of your body.
And maybe you can hear yourself breathing.
And can you feel the contact points between your body and the surface it is resting on?
And take a moment to see,
Feel,
Sense or imagine growing roots out of the body parts that are touching the earth.
Roots spreading in all directions.
Growing them deep down into the earth.
And with every exhale,
Grow them even deeper.
Allowing these roots to really anchor your body into the earth.
Maybe this gives you a sense of being held and connected.
And begin to observe the natural flow of your breath.
Bring your attention to your exhale.
Allowing the end of each exhale to make your body more relaxed,
Heavy and really anchored.
Now,
Bring your attention to your legs,
Shoulders,
Arms and head.
And slowly let go of the tension you're holding there.
Really soften these body parts.
Getting as soft as you can.
And as you relax deeply,
Maybe you notice how the quality of listening changes.
Feel your whole body tuning in to your breath.
Now,
Take a breath into your belly and breathe into your organs.
Soothe them with your breath.
And let go of the tension you're holding there.
Take a breath into your belly and breathe into your organs.
Soothe them with your breath.
And with your next inhale,
Breathe into your upper chest,
The base of your shoulder blades and your armpits at the same time.
And as you exhale through your mouth,
Allow yourself to sigh it out.
Now,
Move your attention inwards and feel your whole body.
Notice any subtleties,
Perhaps a tingling,
Fluid sensations or gentle bubbling.
There's no need to choose,
Allow everything to co-exist just as it is.
Nothing that needs to go away.
And within this simple feeling in,
Perhaps comes a greeting.
You might use your inner voice or even speak aloud.
Hello,
Dear body.
Hello,
Incredible vessel of life,
Carrying the wonders of my senses,
The aliveness of being.
Feel free to greet your body in your own way.
As you rest here,
Notice if there's an underlying feeling that's arising.
Maybe it's a sense that your body isn't worthy of love or gratitude.
Maybe it's a sense that your body isn't worthy of love or gratitude.
And could you take a moment to be with this feeling?
You might say,
Either aloud or inwardly.
Hey there,
I hear you.
Thank you for showing up.
I am curious,
Why are you here?
What do you need me to know?
And then,
Listen.
Spend a moment with this part of yourself,
Feeling its presence.
You can ask in words or through touch,
What do you need,
And how can I support you?
And again,
Listen.
Be with the wisdom this part holds.
Be with the wisdom this part holds.
And you can gently remind yourself,
I am doing my best.
It's human to make mistakes,
And I'm still worthy of love,
Just as I am.
Allow these words to settle,
Repeating them softly as needed.
Finally,
Give gratitude to this part of yourself in your own way.
Remember that it's a piece of your humanity,
Calling for your attention,
Your care and compassion.
Now,
Start to invite your attention to move into the area of the chest.
When you're breathing in,
Maybe you can feel a soft expansion of the ribcage.
The chest,
Very slowly,
Pulsing with life.
And if you feel drawn to it,
You might place your left hand over your heart center.
And let your attention drop inwardly,
Taking a moment to feel your whole body.
Follow the natural rise and fall of the breath.
Maybe you can add to it a sense that you can breathe in and out through the heart itself.
And as you're there,
Feeling into that place of the heart,
Take a moment to contemplate,
To consider,
Is there somebody who you know,
Someone who you see to be very loving,
Someone who perhaps sees you in your lovingness,
In your goodness.
It can be someone who's still here with you,
Or someone who has passed away,
Or even a loving pet or other animal.
And then,
I want to invite you to take a moment to think about or imagine that person or animal touching you right there at your heart center.
Really take a moment to sense this loving presence touching your heart.
Imagine that love expanding.
Let it fill your entire body,
Wrapping you in warmth and care.
Wrapping you in warmth and care.
And then,
Once again,
Notice the overall feeling of the body.
Gently bring your attention to your eyes,
Eyelids,
And all the small muscles around them.
Let them soften and feel even.
Relax your forehead,
Make it feel light,
Almost like if it's not there.
When we visualize,
We often tense our eyes,
Our forehead,
And the frontal part of our brain.
So,
For now,
Just try to soften and let go of that tension.
And now,
Move your attention to your feet,
Ankles,
And toes.
Invite a sinking sensation into each toe,
Both feet,
Your heels,
And ankles.
And take a moment to feel gratitude for each toe.
Appreciating how this part of your body supports you in walking,
Balancing,
Dancing,
And so much more.
Shift your awareness to your ankles and feet.
Acknowledging the intelligence of these parts of your body.
Allowing you to move through the world and experiencing life in a physical way.
And slowly move your attention to your legs and hips.
And float your legs with gratitude all the way up to your hips.
Now,
Feel into your pelvis and your upper body.
And notice your breath as it moves into your belly.
Feeling your body rise and fall with each inhale and exhale.
Becoming more in harmony with your body.
With your body's natural intelligence.
And bring your attention to your arms,
Neck,
And shoulders.
As you do so,
Take a gentle,
Easy breath through these areas.
And as you exhale,
Feel gratitude for these parts of your body.
Appreciating their mobility and the functions they support.
And move your focus to your head.
An area full with incredible functions.
An area full with incredible functions.
Begin with your mouth,
Chin,
Cheeks.
Inhale through your nose,
Infusing it with breath.
Inhale again and shift your attention to your nose and ears.
And exhale with love and softness.
Breathe into your eyes and forehead,
Letting go of any tightness.
Soften all the small muscles.
Allowing your eyes to smile while easing your temples.
And perhaps you can send an inner smile to your brain.
Letting it relax into a heavy,
Yet blissful state.
Appreciating this remarkable center where smells,
Sounds,
Flavors,
Moments of insight,
And both outer and inner visions are processed and created.
Now allow your attention to move to your skin.
And take some time to feel your skin.
Feel the air touching your skin.
Feel the air touching your skin.
Feel the air touching your skin.
Feel the air touching it.
Appreciate your skin's ability to sense.
To sense loving hugs.
The clothing you're wearing.
To feel objects.
And connecting you with the natural elements of your skin.
Sensing the warmth of nature.
Sensing the air,
The water,
The warmth of the sun.
Allow yourself to feel deep gratitude for your skin.
Providing you with this wonderful sensory connection to our planet.
And now spread your attention over your entire body.
And deeply appreciate the love and extraordinary functionality that is residing within you.
And as we're slowly coming towards the end of this practice,
I want to share a poem with you.
And I invite you to receive these words with your whole being.
And allow these words to settle wherever they are needed the most.
The poem is called,
My Beloved Child,
Break Your Heart No Longer,
By Swami Kripayali.
My beloved child,
Break your heart no longer.
Each time you judge yourself,
You break your own heart.
You stop feeding on the love which is the wellspring of your own vitality.
The time has come,
Your time,
To live,
To celebrate,
And to see the goodness that you are.
Let no one,
No thing or ideal or ideas obstruct you.
If one comes,
Even in the name of truth,
Forgive for its unknowing.
Do not fight,
Let go,
And breathe into the goodness that you are.
Take a moment to thank yourself for dedicating this time to connect deeply with your body and being.
Begin to notice the sounds around you.
And take your time to gently surface from this practice in a way that is soothing you.
You can take a soft,
Full,
Deep breath.
Slowly begin to gently move your toes,
Your fingers.
Slowly waking up your body at your own pace.
Let some light in by opening the eyes.
Let some light in by opening the eyes.
And very slowly taking your surroundings.
And notice if there are any insights or feelings that arise.
Anything that is important for you to acknowledge.
So that you can feel complete with this practice.
