You don't have to hold it all.
In stressful times,
The body responds first.
Most of us are carrying more than we realize.
The body tightens,
The breath shortens,
Effort becomes constant.
The nervous system shifts into protection.
This isn't weakness,
It's biology.
What's less often named is that the body also knows how to release.
When its senses support,
Stress chemistry softens and relief becomes possible.
This practice is simply an invitation to let that happen.
Nothing to fix,
Everything to love.
Take a moment to arrive,
Notice that you are here in your body,
In contact with the world.
Right now,
Somehow,
Your body is holding an effort.
A muscle is engaged,
Attention is alert.
There is a subtle sense of doing,
Even if you're resting.
Can you find where you are holding?
In the jaw,
The shoulders,
The chest,
The belly,
Or as a quiet ache around the heart?
You don't need to analyze it,
Just notice where effort or weight has been living.
This holding makes sense.
It's how the body tries to care for what feels heavy,
And you do not have to hold it alone.
Begin by noticing gravity.
The simple fact that the earth is holding all of your weight.
Feel where your body meets the surface beneath you.
The chair,
The floor,
The ground.
You are already being held.
Let your weight drop a little more,
Not collapsing,
Yielding.
Allow the shoulders to be heavy,
Let the pelvis settle,
The belly soften,
Let the back be supported.
Give 5% less effort.
Nothing dramatic,
Just enough to feel the difference.
Now widen your awareness slightly,
Beyond the places of contact.
Notice the space around your body.
As if the space itself is receiving you,
Making room for your shape,
Welcoming you exactly where and how you are.
You don't have to push into it,
You can melt into it.
The body responds when it no longer must need to brace against the world.
Find a clearsation of support now.
The weight of your legs,
The spread of your back,
The steady hug of gravity,
The gentle containment of space around you.
Moving as you move,
Shifting as you shift,
Dancing as you dance.
Stay with these sensations for a few breaths.
Let your body receive its support.
Let yourself rest into this.
As this practice comes to a close,
Remember your support is always with you.
Gravity will not go away and the space around you that holds you will never disappear.
When you're ready,
Gently bring awareness back,
Carrying with you whatever sense of steadiness or softness or ease you've touched.
You are being held now.
