This reclined practice supports us in loosening the constrictions and relaxing the armoring that may burden the heart.
When the heart feels hardened over,
Armored and layered with negativity and cynicism,
Tenderly opening and allowing for spaciousness can support us in beginning to unveil,
Layer by layer,
The preciousness of our innately kind and compassionate heart.
Allowing for slow,
Intentional movement as you set up your space for this relaxation practice.
A thin blanket or towel and a pillow can provide comfort for your body as you recline onto a mat or a carpeted floor.
Allow your legs to extend and place a pillow under your knees and adjust to provide comfort for your lower back.
A thin towel or blanket can support the back of your head,
Keeping your chin level for the health of your cervical spine.
The front and back of your neck should feel comfortable without any straining or holding.
Fully relaxed.
Your hands resting with ease in contact with your body.
Bringing one hand to rest on your belly,
The other resting in the area of your heart space.
Sense the feedback from the earth as your whole body rests here.
Held and supported.
The heels or the soles of your feet connected.
Your pelvis heavy,
Grounded.
The length of the muscles that support your spine connected.
Back of your head softly cradled.
Allow yourself to feel into the sense of being relaxed and supported.
Opening space to bring kindness and care to yourself.
Relaxing any tensions in the ankles.
Cultivating a softness in the pelvis.
Releasing any constrictions in the hip area.
Softening the belly.
Allowing the shoulder blades to extend down towards your hips and settle and connect to the surface of the floor.
Gently encourage the shoulders to glide down and away from your ears,
Creating a space on the sides of your neck.
Release any clenching in the jaw.
Soften any tightness in the throat.
Allow your attention to travel to your hands.
One hand connected to your belly,
The other resting tenderly in the heart space.
Drawing in a deeper,
Fuller breath and feeling the lift of the belly as the air travels and expands to the area of the heart.
Opening and expanding.
Exhale through the mouth,
Making an audible ha sound,
Signaling the body to relax.
Three more times,
Inhale deeply,
Smoothly with a steady breath at your pace.
And exhale.
Ha.
Couple more times.
Moving at your rhythm.
And at the bottom of the next exhale,
Sealing the lips if it feels comfortable.
Continuing to cultivate a soothing,
Easeful breath.
Simply taking this moment to become fully aware of the wave of the breath as it gently moves with your body.
Feeling into the rise and fall of your hands connected.
Recognize and connect to your breath moving on the inside.
Feel into this enhanced aliveness and fluidity with every inhale and every exhale.
Creating a sense of space and opening with the rise and fall of the breath of the heart space.
Gently guide your attention to places in the body that feel accepting,
Kind and gentle,
With a sense of ease and spaciousness.
Noticing any gripping,
Softening any areas that feel clenched and tight.
Relax the forehead,
The eyebrows,
The jaw,
And the throat.
So the breath can deepen and continue to loosen.
Consider the mind.
Notice if any judgment or layering on of a spiraling narrative is entangled.
So encourage this loosening with the gentle softness of the breath.
Allow yourself to fully include and feel what is present.
Trusting in yourself,
Trusting in the capacity of your kind and generous heart.
Lightly and slowly continue to observe if there are any negative stories that may replay and tangle the mind.
Without pushing these feelings or emotions away,
Tenderly include them gently in the sensations while loosening from the constrictions and tightness with the soothing flow of your breath.
Turn your attention back to the feedback and sensations of the body.
Allow and give permission to the mind to rest and soften.
Sensing into just that,
The body,
The breath,
Arriving to a felt sense of home in the heart.
Begin to draw some deeper,
Fuller breaths.
Extending the arms behind you over your head and stretching,
Reaching through the left and right side of your body.
Feeling the energy that radiates.
Return both hands to your heart space.
Breathing into this expanded area.
This felt sense of embodied awareness.
Opening to this opportunity for an expanded perspective that includes this capacity for your tender heart.
This concludes our practice together.
Thank you for allowing me to guide you.
