Finding a comfortable way to sit on a chair or a cushion on the earth,
Allowing the body to feel held by gravity,
And sensing that connection with the earth's surface.
And sensing that connection with the earth beneath.
Then inviting the breath to flow effortlessly in and out,
With a sense that the body is breathing for you.
It knows how to breathe.
And you can simply rest your attention on that gentle in-breath and out-breath.
Perhaps noticing that subtle shift from doing mode into being mode,
Where you may start to feel a little more settled.
Now bringing a very intimate attention to the spine,
Noticing perhaps how it elongates a little as the breath flows in,
And how it softens down as the breath flows out.
Each vertebrae moving slightly as part of the whole spine,
Lengthening on the in-breath,
And softening a little on the out-breath.
And bringing an attention to your shoulders now,
Imagining your father and your father's family standing behind your right shoulder.
And whether this is your biological father or someone who played that role for you,
It doesn't matter.
Softly sensing into that support,
And now picturing your mother and your mother's family standing behind you at your left shoulder.
You may even imagine their hands touching your shoulder.
It's not even necessary to know your parents.
We can sense them bringing the image to mind.
And using your imagination now,
Following those ancestral lineages all the way back to the beginning of human life on Earth.
Perhaps connecting with the image of two enormous wings behind you,
With the tips touching where the very first people walked on the Earth.
Sensing into the first breath of the first people,
And how that has been passed all the way from ancient time through to this present moment,
And to the breath that you're taking right now.
Opening to that felt sense of connection to all who've gone before.
Maybe also imagining all those who will come after you,
Related by blood,
Marriage,
Or by intention.
Softening into a feeling of interconnectedness across time and space.
Remembering that you are never alone.
Your ancestors live within you.
And once again sensing into the points of connection with the Earth.
Noticing this breath in this moment.
Letting your awareness return to your own body.
And bringing the practice of interconnectedness to a close.
