Welcome,
Take a moment to arrive here,
To settle into your body wherever you are,
Whether you're seated,
Lying down or standing,
Let your hands rest comfortably and your spine grow tall yet relaxed,
Close your eyes if it feels safe or soften your gaze and then take a gentle but deep breath in,
This practice is about needing resistance,
It's not about pushing it away,
It's also not about fixing it,
It's about simply noticing,
Feeling and moving through it with kindness.
Resistance can show up in many ways,
Tension in the body,
Thoughts that distract,
Feelings that pull or an internal I don't want this right now,
Today we acknowledge it.
So begin by bringing your awareness to your body,
Scan from the top of your head down to your feet,
Notice any areas of tightness,
Stiffness,
Discomfort,
Maybe it's your jaw that's clenched,
Maybe it's the shoulders that are tight,
Maybe it's the chest that feels heavy or the stomach that's unsettled,
Simply notice,
Don't try and change,
Now imagine areas of tension like shapes,
Maybe a knot,
A wall,
A cloud,
Give it space,
Observe its edges without judgement,
As you say to yourself,
I see you,
I notice you,
I recognize you and then shift your attention to your breath,
Notice the natural rhythm,
You might feel it moving unevenly in places where resistance sits,
So with each inhale,
Invite a little curiosity into those spaces and with each exhale,
Let them soften slightly,
Just a gentle release without anything forced,
As you continue,
Imagine a warm and gentle light moving through your body along with your breath,
This light simply moves through surrounding each tense spot with ease,
Notice how the body responds when you meet tension with awareness rather than struggle,
Perhaps it relaxes,
Maybe it stays,
Both are okay,
Then bring your awareness to any mental resistance,
The thoughts that feel heavy,
The emotions that pull,
The tension in your mind or the decisions you've been avoiding,
Notice them as you did with the body and imagine each thought or feeling as a tangible shape in front of you,
A small stone,
A block of colour,
Take a moment to observe these edges,
The weight,
The texture,
Now gently breathe into it,
Imagine the energy of awareness flowing towards this shape and with each exhale,
Imagine the edges softening,
The form beginning to shift,
Stones may crack and crumble,
Clouds may dissolve into mist,
Blocks may melt away and flow like water,
Watch as tension changes state,
Falling apart,
Flowing away,
Shrinking,
Notice how it loosens as you meet it with awareness and compassion,
You don't force it,
You simply allow it to change naturally,
To finally release,
As it transforms,
Notice the space that opens up inside your mind,
Feel the ease,
The subtle lightness,
The flow returning naturally,
You're simply holding space,
Allowing the resistance to move,
To dissolve and to release,
Now place a hand on your heart or belly,
Feel the rise and fall,
The movement that continues no matter the resistance,
Let this rhythm remind you,
Life like breath flows naturally even when there are obstacles,
You are not resistance,
You're the one,
The awareness observing it,
So with each cycle of breath,
Imagine meeting resistance physical and mental with compassion,
Softening edges,
Feeling what is here,
Allowing the natural flow to return,
You might sense a subtle release or a gentle shift,
Even noticing its movement,
So take a few more slow breaths here,
Letting your body and mind absorb this spaciousness,
Allowing yourself to rest in the awareness that resistance does not need to be fought,
It simply needs to be recognised,
Met and moved through with care,
Slowly bring your attention back to the space you're in,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Stretch lightly if it feels good,
Whatever you need to come back,
With the next exhale you can open your eyes and carry this awareness into the rest of your day,
Remembering that meeting resistance with compassion is a practice you can return to anytime.
