Let's begin by getting comfortable.
You might want to close your eyes or simply soften your gaze,
Whatever feels best for you.
And there's nowhere else you need to be right now,
Nothing you need to get right.
These next few minutes are just for you.
And when you feel ready,
We can start by taking a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
And breathing out through your mouth.
Again,
Taking a slow breath in.
And slowly breathing out And then just letting your breath find its own natural rhythm.
There's no need to change it or control it.
And we'll take a moment to just notice what's supporting us right now.
Maybe it's the chair beneath you or the couch,
The floor under your feet.
Or even the bed if you're laying down.
You don't have to hold yourself up all on your own.
Just for these next few minutes,
You can let yourself be supported.
And maybe check again with yourself.
How are you feeling today?
Not how you think you should be feeling,
But just how you are.
Maybe things feel a little heavy.
Maybe your mind has been busy.
Maybe you're carrying sadness or disappointment or stress or uncertainty.
Whatever you do,
Find,
See if you can just acknowledge it without needing to change anything.
And taking another slow breath in.
And as you breathe out,
See if your shoulders can soften just a little.
Maybe your jaw lets go of any tension it's been holding.
Maybe your forehead smooths.
And if you've been carrying something difficult,
Like a heartbreak or grief,
Stress,
Physical discomfort or maybe just the weight of a season that's asked a lot of you.
You don't have to carry it.
Quite so tightly right now.
For now,
Just letting your breath be your anchor.
Imagine you accidentally cut your finger.
You wouldn't expect it to be healed by tomorrow morning.
You'd clean it,
Maybe put a bandaid on it.
And then you trust that your body knows what to do.
Most of the healing would happen quietly without you even noticing.
And our hearts and minds work in pretty much the same way.
Healing isn't something that we can force.
Something we can create the conditions for by resting when we need to,
Speaking to ourselves with kindness.
Asking for support.
By giving ourselves time.
Some days you'll notice things feel a little lighter.
Another day,
Something might happen that brings the hurt back to the surface.
You can feel like you've gone backwards.
But healing doesn't move in a straight line.
It has ups and downs,
Good days and harder days.
None of that means you're failing,
It's just part of being human.
Taking another slow breath in.
Imagine breathing some warmth into the parts that need it most today.
Maybe your chest or your heart.
Or your shoulders.
And if difficult emotions are still here,
That's okay.
Sometimes healing is learning that we can meet our pain with some kindness instead of criticism.
Some patience instead of pressure.
If today's feeling hard,
See if you can remind yourself that you don't have to have everything figured out.
You just have to meet yourself where you are.
Taking one more slow breath in.
And slow breath out.
And as we start to finish our practice,
If you can,
Silently repeat these words to yourself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I trust that healing takes time.
May I give myself permission to rest.
And may I meet myself with kindness.
And beginning to bring your awareness back to the room around you.
Maybe wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Whenever you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes if they were closed.
And thank yourself for giving yourself these few minutes today.
As you move through the rest of your day,
I hope you can carry a little of this kindness with you.
