Welcome to a short practice to help your true self emerge.
We will begin with a controlled breathing practice to help settle the nervous system.
Then,
I will guide you into a gentle somatic inquiry.
Finally,
We'll close with an art prompt called Under the Surface,
With several journal prompts designed to help you reflect on your life's readiness.
Let us begin.
Find a comfortable seat.
Place your feet flat on the floor,
Or have your legs crossed,
Whatever feels most natural for your body right now.
Let your hands rest softly in your lap.
You may close your eyes if that's comfortable,
Or gaze softly towards the floor.
Begin simply by noticing your breath.
Not changing anything yet,
Just notice the breath.
And now choose one place in your body to anchor your awareness.
The belly works beautifully,
Noticing the gentle expansion and recession with each breath.
Or bring your attention to your heart center,
Again noticing the gentle rise and fall with each breath.
Now begin gently to lengthen the breath.
Breathing in for a count of three,
And breathing out for a count of four.
Again in for the count of three,
And out for the count of four.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
And breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Continuing for a few rounds of breath.
On the next inhale,
Extend a little further,
Breathing into a count of four,
And then breathing out for a count of five.
Let the exhale be slow and complete.
Continue.
And now once more,
If it feels available,
Breathe in for a count of five,
And then breathe out for a count of six or seven.
The exhale is where the nervous system finds its ease.
There is no rush,
Nothing to do here,
But breathe.
We'll stay here for a few more rounds.
Now allow your breath to return to natural.
And take a moment to simply observe any obvious sensations in the body.
Starting with your feet,
Then moving up through the legs.
Notice if there is any tension or gripping in the legs.
As you move your awareness up through the hips and belly space,
Notice if you can soften the belly.
Continue to move the awareness up the spine,
Through the heart center,
And into the shoulders.
Notice if you can soften or release tension in the shoulders.
Move the awareness now down through the arms,
Into the hands,
Noticing any energy or sensation in the hands.
Now move the awareness up through the arms,
Into the neck,
And up to the backside head.
Noticing your jaw,
Your nose,
Your eyes,
Your eyebrows,
And forehead.
Notice if you can soften the muscles in your eyes,
Eyebrows,
And forehead.
Now notice the crown of the head,
And notice any sensation there.
Notice the entire left side body,
The entire right side body,
And the whole body.
Notice the whole body.
Now I invite you to turn your attention inward and downward.
Down beneath the surface of your day,
Beneath the roles you play in your daily life.
Beneath the things you've been managing.
Beneath the version of yourself that moves through the world,
Taking care of everything or everyone.
Underneath all of that,
What is there?
It might be something quiet,
A quality of feeling,
A sense of something that hasn't fully been expressed yet.
It might be a part of you that has been waiting patiently,
Without complaint,
For the right conditions to emerge.
So just notice what's there without judgment,
Without needing it to be anything in particular.
If you feel any sensation in your body as you do this,
A warmth,
A softening,
A gentle aliveness somewhere,
Breathe into that space just to acknowledge it,
Just as a way of saying I see you.
And now hold this tenderly.
Your true self has not gone anywhere.
It has not been diminished by whatever has pressed down on it from your mind or from the outside world.
It is intact.
It is whole.
It has been here underneath the surface,
Waiting for a quiet moment exactly like this one.
Quiet enough,
Still enough to be felt,
Or to be seen,
Or to be heard.
So notice what is surfacing for you.
Is it a talent yet to be expressed?
Is it a part of you that says,
I love you?
And also notice how it surfaces for you.
Do you notice form,
Colors,
Or a literal whisper?
Take one more full breath in,
And on the exhale,
See if you can feel even for just a moment the presence of your true self,
A part of you that is waiting to emerge.
Continue with the breath.
When you're ready,
Gently bring some movement back into your fingers and toes,
And let your eyes open softly.
Today's art prompt is Under the Surface.
Find a piece of paper and whatever drawing or other art supplies that you prefer,
And create an image of what wants to emerge.
What is underneath the surface,
Ready to grow like the first bulbs of spring poking through the soil?
This image might be a swath of color,
Or abstract shapes,
Or lines moving in a direction you did not plan.
It might be a word,
Or a symbol,
Or something entirely abstract.
Let your first instinct lead,
And as you work,
Hold this question softly.
What part of my true self is ready to emerge?
What has been folded and waiting just beneath the surface for the right conditions to come through?
When you're done,
You might journal with this image,
Asking,
What wisdom does it have to share?
Or,
What one to three specific actions can you take to help this part of yourself emerge?
Does it have anything else to offer?
As we close for today's practice,
Thank you for taking the time to practice stillness.
Thank you for giving yourself permission to turn inward.
Because there is something in you ready to emerge.
It is ready and waiting beneath life's noise.
Beneath your armor.
Beneath the challenges that seem impossible to conquer.
This part of you is intact.
It is loving.
And it has been waiting for a moment exactly like this one to say,
I'm here.
