So finding a comfortable position,
Have a fidget,
Have a stretch,
Roll your shoulders.
Just getting as comfortable as you can in this moment.
Allow your eyelids to close,
Allow yourself to settle,
And just take a moment to be still.
You don't need to change anything about your experience in this moment.
You don't need to push anything away,
You don't need to judge,
Label or analyse.
Just be still.
And I invite you to take some long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
In and out through the nose.
Inhaling into a nice soft belly.
And then starting to slow down and lengthen the exhale.
Just observing the coming and going of the breath.
And we don't want to use any force to do this.
But as you breathe in this way,
As each round of breathing rolls on,
You'll notice you'll be able to inhale a little more deeply.
And that lengthening the exhale will happen naturally.
Deeply in,
Belly gently stretches,
Ribs rise.
Slowly out,
Belly shrinks,
Ribs drop.
And as you do this,
Softening the muscles of your face.
Relaxing across your forehead,
Your eyes,
Cheeks and your jaw.
Dropping the shoulders,
Allowing your arms to be heavy and relaxing your hands.
Relaxing the torso,
Your back,
Easing further into the support beneath you.
Breathing deeply into a soft belly.
Allowing the hips to soften,
The legs to be heavy,
Relaxed,
Supported.
Relaxing all the way down to the feet and the toes.
And taking a big deep breath here.
And let go.
And then allow your breath to effortlessly come and go,
In and out through the nose.
And I invite you to gently bring to mind a difficulty or discomfort you are experiencing in your life right now.
We all go through challenges and life naturally brings its share of ups and downs.
So what's causing you some emotional discomfort at this moment?
It might be a situation,
A recent conversation or even the actions of another person.
Without replaying the details or analysing,
Simply allow yourself to get in touch with this difficulty.
Mindfully hold it in your awareness.
Breathing in,
Acknowledge this discomfort.
And breathing out,
Soften into it gently as much as feels comfortable for you.
There's nothing you need to change,
Just breathe and be present with it.
And how does this challenge make you feel?
Maybe there's a sense of worry,
Anxiety,
Frustration,
Anger,
Confusion,
Fear or just feeling worn out.
Try to settle on one word that captures the strongest feeling you're experiencing right now.
And once you have it,
Gently allow this feeling to be there.
Rather than resisting or trying to push it away,
See if you can create a bit of space around it.
Allow it to be part of your experience right now.
Simply acknowledge this is what I'm feeling and it's okay.
And how and where is this feeling showing up in your body?
Is there a tightness or emptiness in your stomach?
A tightness across your chest?
Tension in your shoulders?
A clenched jaw?
Or a racing heart?
If it feels right,
I invite you to place a hand on your belly or the centre of your chest,
Offering yourself a bit of compassion in this moment.
Gently breathe with this feeling,
This sensation,
And notice where it's present in your body.
Hold these sensations mindfully,
Allowing them to be there without any judgement.
Now that you're in touch with this emotional challenge and how it's showing up in your body,
Let's gently use the breath to start releasing whatever feels ready to let go.
As you inhale,
Let the healing breath fill your body and surround the area where you feel this sensation,
This emotion.
And with each exhale,
Allow yourself to release a little more,
Letting go of any tightness,
Tension or discomfort.
Breath by breath,
Let the emotions,
Resistance,
Words and thoughts tied to this challenge begin to dissolve.
Trust the breath to soothe,
To ease and to soften whatever needs release.
Breathing deeply in and slowly out,
Each exhale offers a gentle letting go.
And if the mind wanders off,
Just gently acknowledge that it has happened.
No judgement.
And return to the breath and begin again.
Breathing deeply in,
Surrounding the word,
Emotions,
Sensations,
The challenge.
And then let go.
And now mindfully letting the technique go and just rest in this space for a moment.
Becoming aware of the support beneath you again and the sensations of touch with that support.
Noticing sounds around you and getting a sense of the space that you're in,
The temperature,
The movement of air.
And when you are ready,
Blink open the eyes,
Taking a moment to notice what you see in front of you.
Notice how you are feeling.
And for the next few minutes,
Be mindful.
Take your time.
Do something kind for yourself.
And well done.
Well done for showing up for yourself today.
Knowing that your experience of this practice,
Whatever it was,
Is meaningful.
Thank you for joining me and I look forward to sitting with you next time.
Thank you.
