You can allow yourselves to close your eyes or soften your gaze and begin to take a few deep breaths in and out.
With each exhale,
Is it possible to let go of any overt tension you might be noticing?
Softening the little muscles on your face.
Letting your shoulders drop a little further away from your ears.
Relaxing through the belly.
Letting your back and body be supported by the chair.
Taking a moment to feel into the support pushing up from below you.
Giving yourself permission to soften a little bit further into that support.
Taking a moment to just sit here breathing.
On the next breath,
Is it possible for you all to reflect on a time that has been difficult in recent weeks?
It could be current stress about some future fear.
Could be a difficult relationship or interaction that you've had.
Could be a work challenge or a family discomfort.
Whatever the situation is,
Is it possible to roll over the experience in your mind?
Noticing what creates the stress or overwhelm.
Who is involved in addition to you?
Noticing the context of the stress or the difficulty.
And is it possible to notice what's stopping you from letting go?
What is the story you are telling yourself about this situation?
A story doesn't have to mean it's not true,
But what are you believing?
What are you believing about anyone else involved?
What are you anticipating will happen?
What are you assuming about yourself or about the other person or the world to make this story true?
Often when we have beliefs about ourselves or what to expect,
This story helps direct our next move,
Helps direct our next action.
How do you anticipate responding or how did you respond?
On the next breath,
Is it possible to shift and look at the story itself?
What did this narrative do for you?
Is it familiar?
And if so,
Can you think back to past times in your life where you've used it?
Does this narrative help you feel safe in some way?
And if so,
What is it protecting you from?
And did it do its job?
Did it actually protect you in ways that it was trying to do so?
Taking another breath before shifting once again,
Is it possible for you to notice the space between you and this story?
Is it possible to notice how you may be different than when this narrative was first created long ago,
How it first helped you in years past?
What makes you hold on to this narrative now?
Sometimes our stories help protect us from feeling pain or we believe it will help us to not feel the pain.
Are you noticing,
Feeling grief or anger or fear?
What is attaching us to this narrative so intensely?
Taking a deep breath in and out.
And what if we were not so attached?
What would we be feeling if we didn't have this narrative playing in our mind?
Noticing what other emotions might be underlying the pain,
The grief,
The anger,
The fear.
What else is here?
Can you validate those other emotions that are also here?
On the next breath,
Is it possible to notice or identify another approach that you could have taken or that you could take now to address this challenging situation?
Is there a different response to yourself or to another?
That you could experiment with.
And while we don't have a crystal ball,
Nor do we know exactly the outcome,
What may open up?
What may happen if you tried this different approach?
Deepening your breath ever so slightly.
Turning your awareness back to your body in this moment.
Moving your body in gentle ways as you prepare to reawaken.
And when you're ready,
You can open up your eyes.
Thank you so much for joining us.
