Hey,
Good morning.
I'm glad you're here.
Let's jump right in,
Shall we?
We're going to start by doing a quick nervous system reset and then I'll take us on a very short walk to visualize our intentions for the day and repeat some helpful affirmations.
Ready?
We'll start with a really easy one.
Wherever you are,
Sitting in bed,
Walking to the train,
Already at your desk,
Just take a moment to breathe in.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And hold.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Good.
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And hold.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Great.
You nailed it.
Okay,
So we're going to do that again,
Only this time we're going to change one thing.
When we hold our breath at the top of that five count,
We're going to squeeze our fists together as hard as we can before we exhale.
Are you ready?
Okay,
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And hold.
Scrunching up those fists,
Digging your nails into your hands,
Harder and harder and harder,
And then release.
Make some noise if that feels okay for you.
Excellent.
One more time,
But this time we'll hum as we exhale,
Unless you're in a position for that to be embarrassing,
In which case just exhale.
All right,
Inhaling.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Hold.
Squeeze it all in.
Get the wrists and forearms involved.
Maybe scrunch your elbows in,
And as you exhale for a five count,
You'll hum.
Go amazing.
I hope you're feeling pretty good by now.
For this next bit,
If you're able to,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
If you're out in the world or at your desk,
Just soften your gaze a little bit.
Let your eyes relax.
I'm taking you on a quick little walk down to a creek.
We're starting up at a park with this moss-covered pavilion that I think would be an excellent place for a barbecue or birthday party.
Just beyond,
There's a gravel path that slopes down into a dense forest.
It's so cool as we step onto the trail,
And this trail changes quickly from gravel to spongy,
Packed earth.
The air is fresh.
This is maybe the freshest air I've breathed in a while.
How about you?
Let's stop here for a minute.
Hang on.
Breathing in,
Sighing or humming out.
Here's an affirmation to repeat if you like.
My strong and healthy body keeps me breathing in this beautiful life.
Thank you,
Body.
Follow me down some soggy wooden steps because I can see a little bridge ahead.
The light is filtered down here.
It gives this forest a sort of glow.
It's very quiet.
I'm not sure if you can hear me,
But I can feel a little bit of the wind blowing through my hair.
The light is filtered down here.
It gives this forest a sort of glow.
It's very quiet,
Except for the faint sounds of birds.
Here's this bridge.
It's built over a small gap just a couple meters long.
I wonder who built this bridge for us,
And did they imagine us walking across someday?
It's pretty amazing what humans build for each other,
Isn't it?
And just think of all the things,
Big things,
Small things,
That you've contributed to human life on this planet.
Okay,
Here comes another affirmation.
We'll do it in chunks.
It's sort of long.
You ready?
I am supported in so many ways by the creativity and compassion of others.
Seen and unseen,
Living and long gone.
My collaborators in this human moment on Earth.
I am supported in so many ways by the creativity and compassion of others.
Seen and unseen,
Living and long gone.
My collaborators in this human moment on Earth.
Thank you,
Humans,
For building a comfortable and beautiful world for each other.
I am supported in so many ways by the creativity and compassion of others.
We're almost down to the creek bed.
It's just down here a few more steps.
Can you hear it?
I love the feeling of my feet on Earth down here.
Way down here on the forest floor,
The soil is so rich,
And the ferns and trees are so thick.
It's so damp.
It's also very dark down here.
And the air,
It's full of the smell of dirt and decay.
Nature doesn't take decay personally,
Does it?
The end of things,
A season,
A rainstorm,
A tree.
It's just part of the bigger cycle of this forest.
The darkness down here is part of the process.
The water from the creek feeds the soil as it's enriched by composting material of leaves and bark that's no longer needed.
And it's out of that dark material that new life grows,
Vibrant and full of potential every spring.
I don't know about you,
But my dark times were always followed by new growth.
I wish I could just skip the hard parts,
But I think that's maybe not how nature works.
And after all,
I didn't come to this planet from somewhere else,
Did I?
I'm a human.
I come from this Earth.
I'm part of this planet and its cycles.
Let's try this affirmation.
Things break down and die.
Ideas and people,
Phases of my life.
I am grateful they were part of me.
And I'm willing to let go.
I bless whatever grows from here.
I bless whatever grows from here.
Things break down and die.
Ideas and people,
Phases of my life.
I am grateful they were part of me.
And I'm willing to let go.
I bless whatever grows from here.
I bless whatever grows from here.
I'm going to pause and leave you here at the bottom of the ravine,
Next to this clear and cool water flowing past.
Just breathe here for a few moments.
And then from here,
You'll start your day.
Remembering the way you began it.
Did you know that the way we begin a day is the way the day goes?
The first place we go in the morning,
Whether it's our phones or meditation,
Is where we'll return for the rest of the day as we seek comfort.
You did an excellent job choosing this way to start.
Thanks for being with me.
I'll ring a little bell for you at the end of exactly one minute.
I hope you take this feeling right now into a beautiful and productive day in your gorgeous life.
