Come into a position where you feel both comfortable and alert.
This could mean you're lying down,
You could be in a reclined position propped on a cushion or a blanket,
You could be sitting upright,
Or maybe you have your legs up the wall in an inversion.
Tune into what your body needs today.
As you settle in,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze,
Beginning to take this journey inward.
Let's take three deep breaths together.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling up the belly,
And on the exhale,
Open your mouth,
Letting all the air out.
Feel your shoulders drop away from your ears as you empty all the air from your stomach.
Take a second deep breath in,
This time filling up the belly and the lungs,
Holding at the,
Then open mouth,
Let it out.
Take a third deep breath in,
Let this be the fullest breath you've taken,
Filling up belly,
Lungs,
Chest,
Holding at the top,
Then opening your mouth and letting all the air out.
Now keeping the lips sealed,
Start to breathe in through the nose and out through the nose.
Let your awareness settle on the sound of your breathing.
Can you hear your body inhaling and exhaling?
Expand your awareness beyond just the sound of the breath.
Can you hear any other noises in your environment?
Maybe you hear cars passing outside,
Birds chirping,
Kids playing in the street.
Take the next few moments to notice the sounds around you.
You may notice that your mind identifies what it hears.
If you hear a car going by,
You know it's a car.
For this practice,
Try not to identify every sound,
Just focus on the actual experience of hearing.
Notice how the sound rises and then falls away.
Notice how far away the sound is.
Notice the direction the sound is coming from.
As you hear the sound,
Experience it fully,
But as it passes,
Don't continue to dwell on it.
Let it go and open your awareness to other sounds.
Let go of this listening exercise and allow your focus to settle on the breath.
Let's go deeper by considering the archetype of Agape.
Agape is a devotion and unconditional love.
It can be felt as an overwhelming love of family,
Partner,
Community.
You may be able to recognize it by a deep feeling of gratitude.
Agape is alive when we are in awe and wonder,
When our breath is taken away by something or someone that we experience.
Agape asks that you consider what you worship every day,
Consciously or unconsciously.
Where is your time and energy spent?
Turn your focus inward,
Asking yourself,
What am I elevating?
Sit with this question without trying to analyze or think,
Just allowing any answers to come up from deep within.
What am I elevating?
As you practice tuning in to your intuition,
You may notice that you don't always hear words.
You may have gotten images or impressions,
Or even seemingly random thoughts or memories.
You may not have gotten anything at all.
Perhaps something will come up later.
Take the next few breaths to process your experience.
Listen to and repeat the following affirmation.
Every day I make more time for the things I love.
Every day I make more time for the things I love.
As we reach the end of today's practice,
Bring the palms together at heart center,
Slightly bowing your head.
Take a moment to reflect on your experience.
Were you able to connect with your inner wisdom?
Did you practice listening and being open?
Allow this experience and any insights that you have gained to stay with you as you bring your awareness back to your physical surroundings.
Take your time and whenever you are ready,
Open your eyes and allow your body any movement that it needs.
