Welcome to this practice.
This practice can be done lying in bed or anywhere that you have been resting.
Your eyes can be gently closed or soft and open.
Whatever feels more comfortable to you.
Begin by bringing your awareness to your breath.
Take a slow,
Deep inhale through the nose,
Allowing the chest and belly to rise.
And exhale,
Slowly release.
Take a few more breaths here,
Moving with your own rhythm.
Allowing yourself to shift from thinking and doing to simply feeling and being.
Visualize each inhale as a wave of freshness and clarity.
And each exhale as a gentle release of anything that no longer serves you.
Notice how your body feels right now,
Before we begin to move.
Simply observing.
Gently ask yourself,
How would I like to show up today?
What energy or quality would I like to carry through my morning?
From this space,
Set a simple intention for your day.
It could be something like,
I intend to move through this day with ease and presence.
Or I intend to meet today with curiosity and patience.
Take a moment to repeat your intention silently or softly out loud.
And seal it with your breath.
When you are ready,
Allow the breath to spread out into the spaces of your body,
Into the fingers and the toes.
And begin to bring a soft wiggle,
A soft wiggle to the fingers and the toes.
Just a gentle awakening,
As if you're inviting the smallest movements into the body.
Let the fingers and toes flutter lightly.
And begin to gently point and flex the feet.
Inviting synovial fluid into the joints,
Lubricating the joints.
When you feel ready,
Pause here and start to curl the knuckles of the feet.
Drawing the toes inward to create soft little foot fists,
Curling and releasing.
At the same time,
Allow the fingers to spread open and then gently gather back in.
So like opening and closing the hands into gentle fists.
Take a few more rounds at your own pace,
Letting the toes curl and then release.
And the fingers open and softly close.
Feeling the movement awaken the joints.
And when you're ready,
Pause here and keep the hands in little gentle fists,
Like loose fists.
Begin circling through the wrist and the ankles,
Clockwise and counterclockwise.
Moving slowly in one direction and then gradually in the other.
Let these movements stay easy and slow,
Like you're oiling up the joints.
Inviting a sense of space,
A sense of softness through the body.
And when you feel ready,
Let the hands soften and rest.
On your next inhale,
Slowly reach your arms overhead,
Stretching tall like a full body yawn,
Lengthening from the tips of your fingers all the way through your toes.
And breathe into the spaces between the ribs,
Along the spine,
Through the hips,
Inviting openness and ease.
And as you exhale,
Gently melt the arms back down to your sides,
Palms resting softly.
Pause here and take a moment to notice the spaces between each movement is just as important as the movement itself.
This is where the body integrates and settles.
Take a slow,
Full inhale and exhale,
Side out.
When you're ready,
Gently place the soles of your feet on the surface beneath you.
Allow the knees to bend naturally and comfortably.
And as you exhale,
Feel the low back softly melt into the surface beneath you,
The back body grounding and supported.
As you inhale,
Slowly release the pressure,
Allowing the natural curve of the spine to return.
Exhale gently pressing the low back down,
And inhale softly releasing.
Let the pelvis continue to rock with the rhythm of your breath,
As if the breath itself were creating the movement.
Find a rhythm that feels unique to you,
Opening the conversation between the feet,
The legs and the spine,
As you rock through the pelvis,
Breathing into any areas of the body that are calling out.
When you've had enough,
Pause and listen.
Observe the ripples and echoes of the movements.
Begin to gently draw your right knee in towards your chest,
And wrap your arms around it in a soft,
Supportive embrace.
You might place your hands over the knee,
Inviting it just a little closer without force.
Just a quiet drawing in.
This is Apanasana,
Often called Wind Relieving Pose,
A simple shape that helps ease tension in the low back,
And softly supports the rhythm of digestion.
Take a breath here,
Letting the body receive the support of the pose.
And when you're ready,
Gently release the foot back down,
And then draw the left knee in,
Hugging it toward the chest with the same ease and care.
And begin to move slowly,
From side to side,
Alternating knees,
Letting your breath guide the pace.
Inhale one knee draws in,
Exhale a soft release.
Allow this gentle movement to reconnect you,
From the soles of the feet,
Through the legs,
All the way into the spine.
When the movement feels complete,
Allow yourself to arrive back at center.
Both feet grounded,
Reconnecting with the surface.
Now heel-toe your feet out a little wider than the hips,
And let the knees softly sway from side to side,
Like a gentle windshield wiper motion.
Your knees don't have to go far,
Just enough to create a soft movement through the hips and lower back.
Move slowly with the rhythm of your breath,
And if it feels okay,
Allow the head to turn in the opposite direction of the knees,
Creating a gentle wave through the body.
And if you'd like to add a little playful brain teaser here,
Begin to slowly flip one palm up,
And the other down as the knees sway side to side,
Awakening the brain,
And softly encouraging new neural pathways to form.
Let the movement be slow and curious,
Inviting a little coordination between the body and the brain.
No need to get it perfect,
Just allow yourself to feel,
Move,
And notice what's happening in this moment.
And when you're ready,
Return everything back to center,
And knock the knees in to touch,
In a restorative rest.
Pause and listen.
Take an inhale,
And exhale with an audible sigh.
Each sigh is like a downshift for the nervous system,
Helping the body settle and soften.
As we begin to move into the space of the chest,
Begin lightly tapping across the chest and collarbones with your finger pads,
Like soft raindrops gently falling.
Let the touch be light and rhythmic,
Awakening the tissues and inviting circulation,
Creating a gentle opening through the heart space,
Slow and rhythmic.
Now slowly make your way along the jawline,
Cheeks,
Temples,
And forehead,
All the way up to the crown.
Gently tap all over the scalp,
Let the taps ripple through the scalp,
Stimulating the subtle pathways beneath the skin,
Releasing tension,
Exploring sensation,
Almost like a gentle knock,
Saying I'm here,
I'm present.
When you're ready,
Release the hands by your sides.
Pause and listen.
Bring your knees slowly towards your chest,
Wrapping your arms around your legs in a soft supportive hug,
Maybe a little rock from side to side.
If it feels comfortable,
Begin to let the knees gently part,
Allowing the soles of the feet to turn toward the ceiling.
You can reach for the outer edges of the feet or hold behind the knees,
Finding the version that feels most supportive for your body today,
Finding your version of happy baby,
A soft playful opening through the hips and the low back.
You might even begin to gently rock from side to side,
Massaging the spine,
Easing into the back body,
Or simply remain in stillness.
Begin to send your breath into the hips,
The low back,
Allowing each inhale to create space,
Each exhale to soften and release.
When you're ready,
Slowly release the soles of the feet back down.
You can keep your knees bent here or extend them long.
Rest both hands over your heart,
One on top of the other,
And feel the gentle connection as you breathe here,
As if your heart itself could expand and breathe with you.
Gently circle your hands over the heart,
Three slow circles to the right and three to the left.
As you move,
Notice how your body feels after this practice,
The subtle shift you created from deep within through breath,
Movement,
And awareness.
Recognize that you've created a reset from the inside out,
A quiet restoration that lives in your body,
In your heart,
In your being.
Allow this awareness to settle into your heart space for safekeeping,
Knowing that you can return to it at any time,
That this calm,
This presence is always within you.
Take a moment here to honor yourself,
Your breath,
Your heart,
And carry the sense of ease and centeredness into the rest of your day.
Take a deep breath in and exhale fully.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Wishing you peace in your body,
Peace in your mind,
And peace in your heart.
Namaste.
