So find a comfortable way to sit or lie down and the important thing is to really get cozy.
This should not be a struggle.
So just finding the most comfortable position for your body or whatever feels good enough right now.
And let's just start by taking in some nice deep belly breaths all the way down into the lower abdomen.
With some nice inhales and really gentle slow exhales.
Notice how the inhale changes the shape of your body.
Notice how the exhale changes the shape of your body.
And you can let go of control of the breath and just let yourself be normal for a moment.
Just be yourself.
If there are any special meditation postures or straining or striving that's happening,
See if you can relax back a little bit and just rest here for a moment.
And check in to see what is it like to be you right now.
What is it like to be you right now?
Just noticing what's happening in your body.
So scanning your body,
Checking out what you feel in your heart space,
What are you feeling in your throat,
Your chest,
Your abdomen,
Your solar plexus,
Your jaw,
Your forehead,
Your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your back.
And the idea isn't to try to get rid of any aches or pains or tensions,
But to just acknowledge the sensations that you feel.
And to see if you can allow them to be there.
So you might even send some breath to these places in your body.
And just let that breath create a little bit of space around whatever you're feeling.
Just giving these sensations permission to be here.
Whether the sensation is pleasant or unpleasant or neutral,
Just allowing.
This is what it's like in the body right now.
And check out what's happening in your head space as well.
Just noticing what distractions are coming up,
To-do lists,
Overthinking,
Spacing out,
Judging,
Worrying,
Getting lost,
Planning,
Fixing,
Fixating.
And again,
Just as we did with the body,
The invitation is to just allow these thought patterns to do their thing.
You might even send a message to these thoughts saying,
I hear you,
I see you.
You're allowed to be here.
Thanks for trying to help me think.
And see if you can come back to the breathing body to see if you can move away from the thinking mind and down into the heart space or the belly space.
Just lower in the body and feeling the movement of the breath.
It's an event that's happening in your body right now.
And when thoughts pop up,
Distractions pop up,
You get lost,
That's okay.
Just notice what's happening.
Very gently,
Come back.
Come back to the body,
Sitting or lying here.
And the feeling of the breath.
And as we wrap up here,
I'll invite you to place your right hand over your heart and then place your left hand over your right hand so they're stacked on top of each other.
And just feel the touch of your hands to each other,
The warmth,
Where you make contact between your right palm and your heart space,
Your chest,
Your sternum.
And take a moment to appreciate all the different parts of you that are present here,
Inside,
Any parts that have been listening or hiding in the shadows or resting here with you.
Just thanking all of your parts for letting you practice this sacred ritual of connecting deep into the center and being present.
May the merit of this practice benefit all beings everywhere.
