It's always interesting to think about or to observe and feel into our positioning when we meditate or when we do any of this work around paying attention and working with the nervous system.
Trying to find the position that feels both comfortable but keeps us a little bit alert so we don't just fall asleep.
And with all of our various pains or challenges,
Sometimes that position is hard to find.
As you find a position where you find yourself in a place where you can let go a little bit,
Hopefully a lot,
That's when you want to just look at yourself physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally,
Spiritually.
Just having a look.
And there's so much to take in just through watching,
Through noticing.
So many sensations,
Thoughts and visualizations and the feeling of the air,
Aromas,
Taste in our mouth and all of the tension that is built up in the body.
No matter how relaxed we may think that we are,
There's still quite a bit of tension in our body.
So it's always worth noticing,
Looking,
Feeling and then wherever we find some of this tension,
Just releasing a little bit of it at the outset just by letting the limbs relax,
Letting the shoulders relax,
Letting the eyelids close and relax.
And then noticing where the breath is located,
Shallow in the chest,
Or having the ability to take a deeper soft breath down into the abdomen.
The movement from a chest breath to a belly breath allows us to let go of something.
Let's go of that tightening.
A little bit of the armor releases the brace for impact,
Sensation in our body that happens when we're stressed.
So just letting that breath move down into the belly,
Letting the belly come out softly as you take the breath in and just letting it relax as you breathe out.
At the outset,
Just allowing that breath to happen naturally and slowly and gently.
Recognizing as you switch the breath,
Take deeper,
Gentler,
Fuller breaths into the belly.
When you're not paying attention,
The breath is happening as well.
That your body,
Your body-mind,
Intelligence beneath your conscious awareness is always making a decision on your behalf,
Whether you're safe or not.
And most of the time we find ourselves in the daytime at work or just doing regular daytime things,
Finding ourselves breathing rather shallowly in the chest,
Or even holding our breath.
So there's a perception somewhere in the system that we're not safe.
We're not completely safe.
So now we take some time to,
To create a space for ourselves that is safe.
Time to meditate,
Time to let go and direct with our conscious mind,
A signal to our mind-body that it's okay.
It's okay right here and right now to let go.
So breathing a little more deeply into the belly,
Softly letting that breath out.
As you breathe out,
Just allowing a little bit of tension to be released,
Allowing a little bit of that perception of danger to be gone,
Sinking into the safe-d,
Safe environment,
Safe practice that you've created.
As we continue to let go through the breath,
We allow something to open within us.
We're giving released.
We're taking away the barrier to the normal natural life force that wants to emerge as us into this world with joy and optimism and creativity.
And we can take in and imagine the possibilities of who and what we are and what we can be without the need to defend right now,
Without the need to block it,
Protect it.
So taking in the breath and just softening,
Opening,
Letting go of muscular tension,
Letting go of ideas,
Letting go of anything that has been building up,
Holding on,
That we're worrying about,
Fearful about,
Because right now here we're safe.
And as you breathe,
Start to make that breath fuller,
Bigger,
Really taking in breath into the belly and then up into the chest,
Getting to that point where you meet the resistance of the shape of your body.
There's a little tension there that wants you to move back and let go.
And on the out breath as you get to the end of the out breaths,
Pulling in,
Doing the opposite,
Squeezing into the abdomen and chest,
Pulling up the diaphragm until there's just no more air to be released.
Doing all of this gently and noticing these contours,
Noticing these restrictions.
What is a natural barrier in the pulsing of being?
And noticing your ability to modify this breath.
The vast majority of the time you're not paying attention and you're just being breathed.
And you're taking over,
Taking over an unconscious process,
Making it conscious,
Using your awareness to take and release,
To receive and let go.
Allowing on the in breath,
The recognition of all that nourishes you.
All that brings you into being in each moment.
Everything that is necessary for your magnificent life to continue.
And on the out breath allowing for everything that is getting in the way.
Everything that is dampening or restricting.
The nourishment of a healthy you to be released.
Let go.
Breathe down.
And recognizing as well the interplay between your breathing in,
Breathing out and relationality with the earth and with the trees,
With the plants,
The atmosphere.
Everything is breathing,
We're breathing together.
Taking what's nourishing,
Leaving what's potentially toxic for us,
But nourishing for other life.
And on your next breath in,
When you fill it all the way up,
To that edge where the body resists,
Then just hold it,
Lock it for a few seconds,
Wherever you're comfortable.
And then let that go.
All the way to the out breath,
Squeezing in,
Pulling up,
Collapsing down,
And then holding there.
And releasing for a new breath in.
Really noticing,
Putting yourself deeply into this process,
All your attention on it.
Being curious about these feelings,
About this need to breathe in and breathe out,
Without thinking about it,
Just noticing it with curiosity.
The sensations bring us closer to this moment.
And as our bodies relax and we get closer to this moment,
We open this door,
This portal to what is within us that wants to be,
Wants to come through clearly,
Through the vessel of our body and our mind into this world.
Sense of inspiration,
Sense of being,
The sense of who we really are,
That we know can come into this world if we just get part of us out of the way,
The part that's afraid that builds up barriers,
Puts restrictions on our behavior.
Just continuing to breathe in and out with these holds on the end,
Keeping as much attention with the feeling,
The sensations,
The sounds.
With each breath dropping a little bit deeper into our being,
Into our inner world,
This mysterious place where we emerge.
And after your next out breath,
You can just let go.
Let go of the breath completely.
Allow the breath to be breathed on its own,
Likely be gently in the belly now.
And then take a minute or two and just be.
Pull back your attention to just watch and notice all the sensations without grabbing onto any one of them.
Notice the vibration in the body.
And just be with your quiet body and mind for a minute or two.
And then just be with your quiet body and mind for a minute or two.
And then just be with your quiet body and mind for a minute or two.
As we become able to connect with this gentle feeling in our body,
The quiet vibration begins to become more conscious.
We can begin to connect with it through our day.
Look for it when we're stressed,
Look for it when things get busy.
So now a few full breaths in a little bit quicker than we were doing before.
And then as you're ready,
Just begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes.
Coming back to the body gently and slowly opening the eyes,
Taking in all of that information.
Bringing a little bit more of that deep self into being,
Into the day.
