Finding yourself somewhere comfortable.
A comfortable position you can allow yourself to simply be.
There's nothing you need to achieve now.
Nothing you need to fix.
Nowhere else you need to be for these next few moments.
This is your time.
Allow your eyes to close if that feels comfortable for you.
And begin by noticing your breath.
Not changing it.
Or trying to make it deeper.
Simply noticing the gentle rhythm of breathing in.
And breathing out.
Allow yourself to arrive.
Notice the places where your body is supported.
The surface beneath you.
The weight of your body.
The feeling of being held.
Without needing to hold yourself up quite so much.
Perhaps you can soften your shoulders.
Unclench your jaw and allow your hands to rest.
A little more heavily And if you notice any tension,
You don't need to force it away.
Simply acknowledge that it's there.
And maybe give it a bit of space.
We carry so much with us,
Don't we?
The things we need to remember.
The conversations we replay.
The things we wish we'd done differently.
Worries about tomorrow and the little things that somehow become big things when we're tired.
Sometimes,
Without even realising it,
We carry the weight of everyone else's needs alongside our own.
And perhaps you've brought some of that weight with you today.
You don't need to name it.
You don't need to understand it.
For now,
Simply acknowledge that whatever you've been carrying You've been carrying it for long enough.
And for these few moments you have permission.
To put some of it down.
Imagining now if it feels right for you that you're standing beside a quiet stream.
The water moves gently over smooth stones,
Following its own natural rhythm.
Nothing is rushing nothing is forcing its way forward.
The water simply moves.
Making space for whatever lies in its path.
And as you watch the water.
Imagine placing some of your worries beside the stream.
Perhaps it's a thought that's been following you around all day.
Perhaps it's an expectation you've placed on yourself.
Perhaps it's simply the feeling.
That you should be doing more.
Bang more.
Or holding everything together.
Place it down for now.
You don't need to throw it away.
You don't need to pretend it doesn't matter.
Just allow yourself a little distance from it.
Noticing the difference between carrying something and simply acknowledging that it's there.
You can care deeply without carrying everything.
You can love others without forgetting yourself.
And you can take a rest without having earned it first.
Now gently bring your awareness back to your body.
Notice you're breathing again.
Feel the rise and fall of your chest.
Perhaps the gentle movement of your belly.
With your breath.
And with each out-breath.
Imagine your body becoming a little heavier.
Your shoulders softening.
Your forehead smoothing.
Your hands unclenching.
There is nowhere else you need to go.
Nothing else you need to do.
Just this breath and then the next.
Perhaps you might like to bring one hand to your heart.
Or rest a hand gently on your belly.
Feel the warmth of your own touch.
A small reminder.
That you are here.
With yourself.
That beneath the noise of the outside world,
Beneath the lists and the responsibilities and the expectations,
There is still a place within you that can be quiet.
A place where you can listen.
A place where you don't need to explain yourself.
A place where you are allowed to simply be who you are.
Exactly as you are today.
And if it feels helpful.
Silently offer yourself these words.
I do not need to carry everything.
I am allowed to rest.
I can return to what matters,
One thing at a time.
Let those words settle without needing to make yourself believe anything that doesn't feel true just yet.
Perhaps one of them resonates.
Perhaps another feels difficult.
There is no right response.
Simply give yourself permission to meet yourself where you are.
Beginning now to notice the space around you again.
The sounds in the room.
Or perhaps the sounds beyond it.
Feel the surface beneath your body.
Notice the air against your skin.
And take a slightly fuller breath.
If that feels comfortable.
You don't need to return to the rest of your day with everything resolved.
You don't need to have found all the answers.
Perhaps all you've done is create a bit of space between yourself and the things you've been carrying.
And sometimes that bit of space is enough to help us see things differently.
And as you prepare to move on with your day.
Remember that you can return to this feeling whenever you need to.
You can pause.
You can breathe.
You can put something down even only for a minute.
And you can start again.
Gently in your own time.
When you're ready.
Begin to bring a little movement into your fingers and toes.
Perhaps roll your shoulders forwards,
Up,
Back and down,
Or stretch in whatever way feels good.
And when it feels right you might gently blink open your eyes.
Take this moment with you.
Not as another thing to remember or another task to complete but as a quiet reminder that you too deserve the care and kindness you so freely give to others.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
