Find a way to sit as comfortably as you can imagine right now.
That might mean getting some props to put underneath your sit bones,
Underneath your hips so that if you're sitting on the floor and sitting cross-legged,
Your hips end up being a bit higher than the creases of your knees as you sit.
It might also mean supporting yourself by sitting in a chair or by moving what you're sitting on to a wall and placing your back up against the wall for support.
Whatever you need to do to find a way to become present in this moment rather than struggling in your body,
Do that.
When you're done with all that propping,
Close your eyes.
The reason for having eyes closed is to get a sense of being more internal with your experience.
When our eyes are open,
Things tend to get more about our external experience and what's going on in our environment.
This is an invitation to begin to turn inward and notice different things about yourself as you sit for the next few moments.
This meditation is not about trying to push away thoughts or feelings or sensations,
But more about opening doors to as many different ways of noticing as is possible right now.
And there's no right or wrong way to do it,
Or better or best way to do it.
Just a way that works for you,
Which you will find as you let your weight fall down into your sit bones.
Feel a sense of lengthening up to your spine.
Bring your focus to your breath.
Know that there's not a right way or wrong way to be breathing right now in this moment.
Not a changing or fixing.
Bring a sense of curiosity.
What's it like to breathe in?
What's it like to breathe out?
Consider the possibility that noticing what it's like to breathe today might somehow be the beginning of informing yourself about your state of being in your body and life and work and relationships.
All those things,
Those external stressors tend to come in and affect how we breathe.
So here's a chance to notice.
What's your breath like right now?
Is it big?
Is it little?
Deep?
Shallow?
Is it slow or fast?
Or any other kind of quality or quantity that you notice about your unique personal way of breathing right now.
Just a moment or two more noticing your breath.
Now try a different kind of breath here even though it might feel strange.
Take a big breath in through your nose and as you exhale open your mouth and let your breath fall out with a kind of sigh to it.
Something like.
.
.
Like your exhale is a way of letting go or putting down of something that's got some weight to it.
Through your nose,
Out through your mouth.
Do that kind of breath two or three times and notice what happens when you do it.
The next time one of those breaths comes along,
Go ahead and let it help you shift your awareness from noticing your breath to noticing your physical body.
That might begin with how your physical body is receiving your breath.
Take some time to bring as many of your senses open to notice your body right now.
Using your feet,
Your legs,
Your hips,
Your torso,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your neck,
Your head,
All different parts of your body.
Then as you begin to become more aware of your body,
Notice what parts seem to be getting your attention right away.
There might be a part or two or three where your attention goes immediately.
Those parts of your body might seem more highlighted,
Louder,
Larger.
As you notice these parts of your body that are calling your attention,
Know that there's no need to fix them or change them or make them any different.
Just notice.
There's also no need to figure out why they're calling your attention.
Just let noticing be noticing for now.
No need to sort it all out.
Just a few more moments here.
Using curiosity and noticing to your physical body.
Take another one of those falling out breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Let your awareness shift again.
This time to notice your emotions.
Notice what's there right on the surface.
Right here,
Right now as you sit.
Notice also those emotions that might feel buried a little deeper,
A little harder to get to.
Know there's no right or wrong way to feel.
No need to fix or change or adjust.
Just noticing your emotions right now in this moment.
As you notice your emotions,
It's possible there are some day-to-day life things that are attached to those emotions.
Things happening in your day-to-day life right now that are so present that they've come with you to your yoga practice today.
Notice those too.
Now take another falling out breath in through your nose,
Big exhale out through your mouth.
Let your attention shift to your thoughts.
Thoughts can come in many ways.
It might be words or images,
Ideas or memories.
And some of those thoughts might have day-to-day life things attached to them too.
Know that there's no right or wrong way to be thinking.
Just noticing those thoughts.
The content of your thoughts.
The quality of your thoughts.
What are they about?
Do they come quickly or slowly?
What's it like to notice your thoughts as the casual observer?
Take another falling out breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Notice the part of you that knows without thinking.
Sort of internal best friend.
Might be a place that you make decisions from.
Might be a place that sometimes feels hard to access.
Notice what that place is like.
Take another big breath in through your nose and let it go out through your mouth.
Return to the whole you.
All parts.
Breath and body and thoughts and feelings.
Internal best friend.
All parts of you.
Take a couple more falling out breaths in through your nose,
Big exhale out through your mouth.
Letting everything go for now.
Take a moment now to notice anything you've become aware of in this short time of closing your eyes and checking in with yourself.
Anything that stands out that you've become aware of about your breath,
Your body,
Emotions,
Thoughts,
Your life.
Gathering up what you've noticed so far,
How can this yoga practice today serve you best?
Why are you here to do yoga right now?
Maybe there's something you're hoping to receive.
Maybe a way of being with yourself you'd like to try out that's different from how you usually are with yourself.
So in this way create an intention for yourself with your practice today.
Namaste.
