A Slow Down Offering

Missy Brown, founder of DPK, is devoted to serving and feels deeply honored to have the privilege of sharing these practices with others. Missy’s life curriculum and deep love of learning are some of what makes DPK unique, authentic and adaptable. She is passionately committed as these practices have changed her life, her children's lives, and she truly believes they have the possibility to change the lives of many generations. One child at a time, one breath at a time.

Transcript

It's so good to be here with you and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. Thank you for being here. Thank yourself for being here. I thank you for being here. Of all the places that you could be right now, You're here. And with all that life is asking of us and families and careers and all that's happening in our homes and outside of our homes. Because you're here on purpose, What would you like to take away from this practice this morning? How would you like to feel? What would you like to leave here and not take with you? Just check in and notice if there's anything that comes up or doesn't come up and it will just find its way without maybe you even having an awareness. And we do this practice for ourselves and for all who we come into contact with. Feeling and continuing to build in resilience and to alert our nervous system that we know how to do this. My invitation is always to be here exactly as you are. So notice what's present this morning. What's happening in your body. What's happening in your mind. Sensations as they come and go or lack of sensations. You're already doing it right so nothing you need to change or fix unless you'd like to be more comfortable in your body or in your environment. What's the kindest thing you can do for yourself right now? Turn on or off your phone, Have a child or a pet nearby, Get a blanket, Open the curtains, Close the curtains, Adjust the temperature. What is one kind thing you can do to allow your body and mind to more deeply rest and to inform the immune system and the nervous system and all the different systems of the body and the brain. Let's take a soft breath in and let it go with the sigh. Two more. Take a soft breath in, Let it go with the sigh. And one more soft breath in. Let go even more. And drop into a space where doing stops. Whether you're standing or seated or laying down. Dropping for a moment or for our entire practice this morning into a space where doing stops if that's possible. It doesn't mean that your mind will stop and doesn't necessarily mean that your body won't twitch or move. But just stepping away from the doing and dropping into the being. Wherever you are, Become aware of the space that you're in. Sensing what's in front of you and behind you. What's on either side of you. If you'd like to allow your eyes to more deeply rest, Bring the top lid down to touch the lower lid or looking at something that's not moving, Maybe downward to the floor or your lap. Allow the tiny muscles around the eyes that look at screens and focus on driving and work, Work, Work, Work, Work. Allow the eyes to rest. If your mouth is closed, Can you feel the top of your lip resting against the lower lip and maybe the teeth resting in the mouth and the tongue resting in the mouth? Whether you feel this or not, Imagine a sense of peace and ease and contentment washing over you. Just for now, Letting go of what's already happened. Just for now, Putting aside what's waiting for you. Feel a point of contact with your body to the surface. If you're laying down, Can you bring gentle attention to your spine or your skull connected to the bed or the earth? If you're seated, Can you sense your seat resting on a chair or a couch? Perhaps the back of your body is upright against something, Or if you're standing, Your feet connected to the earth. Without having to do anything to your breath, Just know that each breath in is filling you with ease. Each exhale leaving an imprint as you settle into the space. Wherever you are, The surface rose up to meet you. So there was nothing that you had to do when you stood or sat or laid down. The surface was right there to hold you and support you. Listen, You notice, And then let be or let go. Feel the body sinking down and letting be or letting go. This breath can be a bridge between our mind and our body, And it holds this magical power. It's always with us. It's there as we need it. So can you just feel it? And when you sense you're outside of this present moment, You can gently call your mind back or allow your breath to bring you back. The face beginning to rest and soften, The brow softening. The skin on the cheeks, Just gently hanging on the bones. The whole jaw releasing tension, So that hinge of the jaw, Letting it be. The neck and the shoulders also can be a place of holding tension. Allow the shoulders to drop away from the ears and melt down the back. The arms and hands at rest. The torso and the back at rest. All the internal organs functioning optimally on their own. Notice if there's a holding in the hips or the belly and invite that to soften. The legs and knees and feet arriving. Now imagine a blanket covering you, Whether you have one there or not. A blanket that's being laid over you and tucked around you, And it may be a heavy blanket, A weighted blanket, It may be a warm thick blanket or a very light covering. But imagine something covering you to really hold you here in this safe place. As you breathe in, Fill your lungs fully and completely without straining. And as you breathe out, Imagine blowing through a straw. A steady, Gentle stream of breath emptying your lungs. Breathing in, Filling your lungs to their capacity. And then through softly pursed lips, Flowing out as if blowing through a straw. Each time you inhale, Fill the body with this fresh breath. Exhale, Letting the body release any tension or holding. As you inhale, Fill your heart with joy and your body with ease. Continuing to exhale through this image of blowing through a straw without serving you. The breath is calm. The mind is calm. The body is calm and the heart is unconditionally open. And return now to your natural breath and let go of this image of the straw. Your mind can often focus on unpleasant things. It's natural and this morning for just a few minutes will intentionally bring to mind something pleasurable. One that has a positive emotion like happiness or joy or gratitude. Doesn't have to be elaborate or cost anything. It may be a delicious meal. A warm mug of coffee or tea. Time spent with kids or grandkids or pets. Perhaps when I mentioned this, Someone came to mind, Not an experience for someone who when you think of them, This sense of benevolence just washes over you. Maybe a quiet moment at the beach or a laugh with someone or seeing the sun rise or sunset. And if nothing comes to mind, That's okay. Just invite a feeling of gratitude or joy. And if an image came up, Sit with it. If an image didn't come up, Imagine the sound of a laugh or the image of something pleasing. Check in with sensations. Is there an underlying hum or a pulse in the body? When I mentioned those few ideas, Was there a sense of a smile on your face or in your heart? If the emotions or states are shifting, They're all welcome. So allow them and then come back to that feeling of delight or joy. Lingering and savoring something positive for a moment here. Just aware of whatever's present and whatever's happening. An image of an experience or a person that brings a smile to your heart. Take a moment to just bring yourself there. And then allow that to soften and bring to mind a sloth. Both of my granddaughters love sloths and one in particular. It's become her favorite animal. And the sloth is slow. It's naturally slow and steady. So continuing to stay in this resting place for a little longer. When I mentioned a sloth, Did an image of slowing down come to mind and was that pleasing or was there resistance? Perhaps nothing came up. Sloths are the world's slowest animals. That's how they're meant to be. And here for a moment, Imagine yourself as a sloth or you can imagine my granddaughter as a sloth. Up high in a big beautiful tree in a lush rainforest. Sloths don't see very well, But imagine that you're a sloth that can see all of the beautiful colors and sights surrounding you. There may be parrots or the brightness of the sun, A tree frog, The wind blowing the trees. And in this place, Being the sloth, It may be warm and there may be shade provided by the trees or cool breezes. You think about moving ever so slowly, Reaching out a paw and taking a hold of a branch. There's a lot of effort to do this because all that you want to do is rest. So you take your time and you move slowly. Sloths can sleep for up to 18 hours a day. And at times that's how I feel. Like I just want to sleep for 18 hours a day. When I do sleep, My mind or my body might often be awake even when I'm asleep. So I bring to mind this image of the sloth just moving so slowly. Each movement then allowing a rest in between. Noticing a sense at times of exhaustion I feel. Also like the sloth, I may just hang upside down or curl up to snuggle into a rest. A peaceful and deep rest. Just to hang out like the sloth knowing that I'm safe and I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. Giving myself permission to rest. Body at rest. Mind at rest. All thoughts and feelings and emotions, Always welcome them for now taking a rest. Resting here. Whether it's the image of blowing the breath through a straw or calling to mind a joyful experience or a person. Or the image of the frog in the tree by the sloth. These repeatable adaptable experiences are inside of us and the more we come here, The more easily we can access them. And as we move towards bringing this practice to a close, If you have an area that needs healing on any level, Allow your own bright light and love to flow there now. And then allow our own love and light to flow to one another here in this community. Extending it beyond our community here to our homes and families and friends in the community that we live in. And then extending it to all beings everywhere, Allowing our love and light to flow to all beings everywhere. And begin to become aware of the body and the breath coming back into this space. And take your time. Don't hurry. Noticing sounds around you and sounds within you. Perhaps sounds you weren't aware of when we began. Noticing the air as it touches your skin and any clothing or blankets on your skin boundary. And as you gradually begin to move, Notice how at rest the body may be, How soft the breath may be, Or how quiet the mind or the heartbeat may be. I dedicate the merit of my teaching to all of my teachers who so graciously gifted their teachings to me and to all of you for so generously being here. We do this practice not only for ourselves, But for all beings everywhere. Wiggling fingers and toes, Taking a body stretch. And as you feel ready, Allowing your eyes to gradually open, Coming back into this space.