Hello and welcome.
Take a moment to settle in.
You don't need a perfect position.
Just a position that doesn't ask anything of you.
If it feels okay,
Allow your eyes to close or soften your gaze.
And before we do anything else,
Let's make this clear to the body.
Nothing is required of you during this time.
You are not here to improve,
Fix,
Or understand yourself.
You are here to rest inside this moment.
Let the breath arrive exactly as it is.
No correcting.
No deepening.
Just noticing that it's happening on its own.
And gently,
Very gently,
Bring your attention to the places where your body is being supported.
The chair beneath you.
The bed.
The floor.
Let yourself feel held,
Even if only a little.
You may notice tension you didn't realize you were carrying.
Perhaps in the jaw.
The shoulders.
The belly.
There is no need to release at all.
Just let the body know.
It could soften if it wants to.
Take one slow breath in through the nose.
And a longer breath out through the mouth.
That exhale is a signal.
A message to the nervous system.
You can stand down now.
For now.
Tonight,
We are not asking the world to be calm.
We are letting you be calm inside the world.
If there is fear present,
Name it quietly.
If there is sadness,
Exhaustion,
Or numbness,
Let it also be included.
Nothing here is wrong.
Nothing here needs to be pushed away.
Imagine now that your attention is numb.
Narrowing.
Like stepping out of a loud room into a smaller,
Quieter one.
This is the small circle of now.
Inside this circle,
You are breathing.
You are supported.
You are here.
That is enough.
The mind may still try to scan the future.
Replay conversations.
Hold the weight of things you care about.
When that happens,
Don't correct it.
Just return.
Again and again.
To the simplest truth.
Right now.
I am breathing.
Right now.
I am safe enough.
Let those words land gently,
Without forcing belief.
Safe enough does not mean everything is solved.
It means there is no immediate danger in this moment.
It means your body does not have to stay on high alert tonight.
Allow your shoulders to drop a fraction.
Let the tongue rest in the mouth.
Let the space behind the eyes soften.
If it helps,
Imagine a warm,
Steady presence nearby.
Not watching you.
Not judging you.
Simply keeping a quiet watch.
As if someone is sitting by the fire while you sleep.
Making sure nothing is required of you.
You can rest here.
The world can be loud.
The news can wait.
Questions can wait.
The fixing can wait.
There will be time for clarity.
There will be time for courage.
Tonight is for regulation.
Tonight is for returning the body to itself.
Each breath out is a small letting go.
Not of responsibility.
Not of urgency.
You don't have to hold everything together in order to be worthy of rest.
You are allowed to be held by this moment.
If sleep come,
Let it.
If awareness remains,
Let it be soft.
Before we close,
Quietly offer yourself this truth.
I have done enough for today.
My nervous system is allowed to rest.
I am safe enough right now.
Let the silence do the rest.
Stay here as long as you need.
And when you move back into your evening or your sleep,
Let the silence do the rest.
Carry this gentleness with you.
You are not alone.
You are not behind.
And nothing more is needed tonight.
Rest well.
