Hello and welcome.
My name is Larissa Hall Carlson.
Today's practice weaves purifying breathwork and open awareness meditation to begin your day with a clear head.
To begin,
Find a comfortable steady seat and lengthen the spine,
Taking a position of poise and alertness.
Soften or close the eyes.
Inhale deeply and exhale with a sigh.
Let's do that again gently releasing tension and tightness.
To wake the body through the breath,
Bring the attention down to the belly and begin to deepen the breath there.
Each inhalation allow the belly to soften and expand.
On each exhalation,
Gently pull the belly button back towards the spine,
Deflating the belly and clearing out the stale air.
Continue this deep belly breathing at your own pace,
Inviting more air into the lungs,
More invigorating life force energy into the channels.
Massaging the belly,
Helping to stimulate and aid digestion,
Loosening up tension and tightness,
Bringing more aliveness to the abdomen.
If you'd like a bit more stimulation,
The next time you inhale,
Take a deep breath down towards the belly and then allow that inhalation to gently rise up into the chest,
Filling and expanding the upper lungs.
Then exhale fully,
Gently squeezing empty.
Continue at a steady and livening rhythm.
Never force,
Never strain,
But always invite more openness into the lungs,
More energy into the body,
More clarity into the mind.
After the next exhalation,
Release all control of the breath and return to a natural breath.
Notice the effects of those deep and livening breaths.
Take a moment to feel the whole body.
Feel for the whole body sitting down.
Is it possible to invite awareness to expand and sense the entire body at once?
The entire body sitting still.
Sensing stimulation,
Vibration,
Pulsation,
Movement of light throughout the entire body.
Rest the awareness now on the surface of your skin,
The largest organ of the body.
Feeling the sensation,
The temperature,
The texture of the clothing fabric against your skin.
Scan and feel for the sensations of the air against the skin,
The temperature of the air in the room,
The moisture of the air against the skin.
Is it possible to sense the skin breathing?
Where does the skin's barrier end and the surrounding space begin?
.
Invite awareness to float to sensations of breathing.
Feel for the whole body being breathed.
Notice your lungs expand and contract.
Sense your skin expanding and contracting.
Is there a difference between the air in the lungs and the outside air?
Where does one end and the other begin?
Allow awareness now to scan the space above your head,
Noticing any sounds or subtle vibrations in the space above you.
Invite awareness now to scan the space below you,
Noticing where your body touches down.
Sensing the pulsing aliveness of the earth and space below you.
Maintaining your steady,
Relaxed seat.
Shift awareness to the space in front of you,
As far out as your senses can reach.
Expand your awareness now to the space behind you,
The space behind you in the room,
Perhaps the space beyond the back wall of the room.
Maybe even sensing light from the most distant star.
Now,
Let awareness comfortably expand in all directions within and around you,
Simply observing the moment as it is.
If the mind wanders,
Gently guide it back to the breath as it expands and contracts.
And expand your awareness in all directions around you from that point.
Gently begin to deepen the breath again at the belly,
Releasing the spacious meditative awareness,
Grounding down more deeply into the here and now.
As you pause and breathe and relax,
Notice if anything has shifted.
Perhaps more clarity,
Lightness,
Or ease.
With this enhanced awareness,
Gradually invite the eyes to flutter open,
Wishing you spacious presence for the day ahead.
