Welcome.
Today,
I invite you to unwind,
To find softness and relaxation in your body,
Perhaps at the end of your day.
So before we begin,
I invite you to find the most comfortable position for your body right now,
Whether you want to lie down or sit comfortably,
Perhaps on a chair with your back supported.
Finding the position where your body can fully let go and surrender to being held in the present moment.
So once you've found whatever that is for you,
Making sure you're warm enough,
Supported enough by any pillows or cushions,
I invite you to close your eyes or lower your gaze with a soft focus,
Letting the sound of my voice and the inflow and outflow of your breath gently guide your attention inward,
Starting a process of mindfulness,
Of mindful awareness.
Notice where your hands have landed for this practice,
Whether they're gently resting next to you or on your lap,
And inviting the intention to just widen the palms of your hand,
Unwinding anything that you might be holding onto,
Any tension there.
And as you let your breath deepen,
Notice the full inhales and the release on the exhale,
Flowing in and out,
Letting that be your anchor as you bring your awareness to your feet now,
Noticing the weight of your own feet,
Either on the earth or touching another surface,
And seeing if you can let them become a little heavier,
Gently resting on whatever they're connecting with.
It might even be fabric from your socks or a blanket,
Letting go of any tension that's not needed right now.
Letting your awareness widen now to take in your whole body,
Your physical body in this moment.
As you let your breath continue to guide you into a softening and noticing the pull of gravity underneath you,
The support of the earth,
Constantly rooting us down,
Letting us rest,
Our bodies stay connected.
With that image in mind,
What would it be like to let your body give in to the pull of gravity a little more?
If you're lying down,
That might be really flattening your back into the support underneath you.
And if you're sitting,
Letting your butt cheeks root you down onto the chair or cushion,
Really feeling every cell of your body relaxing,
Receiving this moment of rest.
This time for you to just be here as you are breathing,
Softening in your body.
Noticing if you're holding any tension in your shoulders,
Imagining them drop down just a little bit away from your ears.
Checking in with your mouth,
Your lips,
Your jaw.
Sometimes we may hold tension by clenching our teeth and our jaw.
Being curious what it would be like to gently bring the corners of your lips closer to your ears and a small smile.
Smiling to your internal state of presence,
Smiling to your body,
To your breath.
And as you breathe in here,
Even inviting a sense of gratitude in your heart center,
In the middle of your chest.
Gratitude for your body,
For your awakeness,
The capacity to cultivate mindful presence.
Really letting gratitude be like warm waves of the ocean flowing through you in your body.
And if you feel called to,
You can replace gratitude with a different word or feeling like self-love,
Warmth and compassion.
Connecting your emotional body to your physical body.
Cultivating loving kindness,
Appreciation for what's here.
And seeing what that feels like.
Are you able to receive waves of warmth,
Of loving intentions,
Gratitude for yourself,
For this physical existence?
And notice if that feels a little more difficult for you or more neutral,
More abstract.
Without judgment,
Noticing what that's like.
Connecting body and heart in this way.
And I invite you to take a few more deep breaths and check in.
Notice what's alive for you now in your body,
In your heart,
In your mind.
Has anything shifted since the beginning of the practice?
Maybe you feel calmer,
More relaxed,
More present,
More tired,
Maybe hungry,
Or anything else.
And again,
Just noticing without judgment,
What's here.
As you get ready to come back,
Once again,
Feeling the weight of your body,
Wiggling your toes and fingers.
Waking back up.
Transitioning back into the space around you once you're ready by opening your eyes.
And trusting that you can return to this state.
Cultivating relaxation through mindful presence and the body and breath at any time.
May you be well as you go on your path.
