Come into a seated position,
Legs crossed,
Shoulders relaxed,
Hands resting on knees,
With the crown of your head pointed towards the sky.
As you settle in,
Make sure your entire body is relaxed.
Take a scan of the body starting at the feet,
Up through your legs,
Your hips,
Your belly and chest.
Let your shoulders sink away from your ears,
Let the arms relax,
The hands release,
Unclench the jaw,
Relax the face and head.
If you noticed any tension or discomfort,
Make an adjustment to be a little more comfortable.
As you relax,
Turn your focus to the breath,
Inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply through the nose.
Today we'll practice the 4,
7,
8 breathing exercise.
This breath acts as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.
We will be breathing in through the nose for a count of 4,
Holding for a count of 7,
And exhaling for a count of 8.
This is a breath retention practice and if it's not comfortable to hold your breath for the full count of 7,
Release the breath as soon as you need.
We'll practice 3 rounds together,
Then I'll give you a few moments to practice at your own pace and you can count as slow or as fast as you'd like.
For this breath you'll keep the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth.
Start by making a complete exhale through the mouth making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for 2,
3,
4.
Hold your breath for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale completely through your mouth making that whoosh sound for 3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Close mouth inhale,
Hold,
Exhale through the mouth.
Now take a few moments to practice this breath on your own.
Exhaling for 4,
Holding for 7,
Then exhaling for 8.
Hold on to the peacefulness and stillness you have cultivated through this breathing practice.
The practice helps quiet the mind which makes it easier to tap into our deepest selves.
And now that you've cultivated a little more space in between your thoughts,
You can sit with a question to see if your inner wisdom will respond.
Let's go deeper by considering a question that is inspired by the tarot card,
The sun.
The sun tarot card shows four large sunflowers growing tall behind a brick wall beneath a large bright sun.
In front of the wall is a naked child on a white horse.
And the child represents the joy of being connected with your inner spirit and his nudity is a sign of his innocence and purity.
Getting this card indicates that your positive and radiant energy will follow you and bring you happiness and joy.
If things are difficult,
This card indicates they are about to get a lot better.
Turn your focus inward as you consider what situation in my life will a positive attitude help me the most.
Sit with this question without trying to analyze or think,
Just allowing any answers to come up from deep within.
What situation in my life will a positive attitude help me most?
Let's go deeper by considering a question that is inspired by the sun tarot card.
As you practice deep listening you may notice that your inner wisdom doesn't always use words.
You may have gotten images,
Impressions,
Thoughts,
Memories,
Or maybe your mind took you to a certain situation.
Anything that came up could have meaning.
Take a few breaths to process what came up for you and consider if you want to act on anything that you learned.
Listen to the following affirmation and whether you feel like it's true or not,
Repeat it to yourself and let it resonate deep within.
I am aligned with my inner joy.
I am aligned with my inner joy.
As we reach the end of today's practice,
Bring your palms together at heart center,
Slightly bowing your head,
And 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 insight you have gained to stay with you as you bring your awareness back to your physical surroundings.
Take your time and when you're ready,
Open your eyes and allow your body any movement that it needs.
