Hi,
I'm Michael Caine and welcome to this somatic mindfulness practice.
Thanks for taking out time for yourself today.
This meditation is an invitation to slow down,
Reconnect with your body and sensations,
And create a sense of ease,
Regulation,
And capacity.
Together,
We'll use mindfulness to rest in the present moment and center our awareness and somatic practices to deepen our connection to our bodies and support its natural ability to settle and regulate.
We begin by finding a safe and comfortable position,
Whether seated,
Lying down,
Or any posture that feels supportive for your body.
Take a few moments to adjust and connect to your environment.
Allow yourself to settle,
Knowing that there's nowhere that you need to be and nothing you need to be doing right now,
Letting go.
Let's begin by taking an easy,
Full breath in through your nose,
Breathing into the whole body from head to toes,
And pausing for a couple of moments,
And then gently exhaling through your mouth,
Letting the exhale be twice as long as the inhale.
Repeat this two or three times at your own pace,
Allowing your body to soften with each exhale.
Now,
Begin to bring your attention to your surroundings.
Gently open your eyes if they're closed and notice what's around you.
Without judgment,
Take in the colors,
Shapes,
And textures of the space or environment around you.
Let your awareness naturally move around the space you're in.
This is called orienting.
Now,
Allow your eyes to land on something that feels pleasant or neutral,
Perhaps a calming color,
A natural object,
A pet,
Or a point of stillness.
Let yourself take it in fully,
Allowing your body to notice how it feels to connect with something pleasant,
Steady,
And safe in your environment,
Exploring and resting with these pleasant sensations you notice.
When you feel ready,
Begin to soften and close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Bring your attention to the point of contact between your body and the surface supporting you.
Feel the weight of your body and the way the earth holds you.
See if you can notice the sensations of support and connection.
Can you allow your body,
The weight of your body,
To be supported?
Now,
Gently shift your attention to your breath.
There's no need to change it.
Just noticing the natural rhythm of your inhales and exhales as the breath comes into the body and leaves the body.
Where do you feel the breath most clearly?
Perhaps the nostrils,
The back of your throat,
Your chest,
Or your belly.
Noticing the sensations of the air entering and leaving your body.
Tracking the breath,
Following the breath.
Let the breath be an anchor to the present moment in your body.
If your mind begins to wander,
That's perfectly okay.
That's the nature of mind.
Simply notice where it went and gently guide your attention back to the breath.
Each time you do this,
You strengthen your capacity for presence.
Now,
Let's shift our mindful attention from the breath to the body.
Let's explore what's happening in the body in the same way that we did with the breath.
With curiosity and kindness,
We're going to slowly scan through the body,
Starting at our feet.
Notice any sensations you feel here.
Perhaps warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling,
Or even numbness.
There's no need to judge or change anything.
Simply notice the sensations and be curious.
There's no need to change anything or make anything different.
But if you encounter a part of your body that feels especially calm or grounded during this practice,
Feel free to stay with that sensation for a bit.
Noticing how it feels to connect with a sense of ease or stability in your body.
Noticing any sensations,
Tingling,
Vibration,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Flow,
Tension.
There are no right or wrong sensations.
Simply pleasant,
Unpleasant,
And neutral sensations.
Now slowly move your attention up through your legs,
Pausing to notice the calves and the knees.
And remembering again that there's nothing that should be happening and nothing that shouldn't be happening.
Everything is happening by itself.
Then moving your attention to the thighs and the hips.
As we're scanning through the body,
If you encounter an area that feels tense or uncomfortable,
Pause there for a moment.
If you can take a gentle breath in,
And as you exhale,
Imagine softening into that area.
You can also shift or pendulate your awareness between a challenging sensation and a place of ease if it becomes too challenging to be with.
Moving your attention back and forth between the two,
Between something that feels challenging and something that feels like a resource.
Something more pleasant.
Continue this exploration,
Moving up to your pelvis and belly.
Continuing to allow and be curious of any sensations,
Whether they are pleasant,
Neutral,
Or unpleasant.
Now noticing your torso and your lower back.
Explore the chest,
Shoulders,
And upper back.
Explore the arms and hands.
Again,
Noticing any sensations as you notice and scan the body.
When you reach your neck,
Jaw,
Eyes,
And face,
Notice if there's tension you can soften or release,
Especially the jaw and the tongue.
If not,
Simply allowing it to be just as it is.
Now,
Let go and see if you can open to and notice the whole body from head to toes.
This is our home,
Our vehicle in this life.
See if you can embody a sense of gratitude for this body.
Not needing anything to be different.
Simply noticing this raw,
Open experience of this body.
As we begin to close,
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Feel the rhythm of your inhales and exhales.
Letting the steadiness of your breath anchor you.
Take a few moments to notice how you feel now compared to when you began.
There's no right or wrong way to feel,
Just simply observing.
Once again,
Coming back to how it feels to be connected and supported.
Notice the chair,
The cushion,
Or the ground that's supporting you.
Notice your pelvis and legs and feet.
Allow yourself to feel the sensations of support.
When you feel ready,
Gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Inviting movement back into your body.
Open your eyes if they're closed and take in your surroundings again.
Orienting.
Know that you can return to this practice anytime you need grounding,
Regulation,
Or a sense of peace.
Or,
If you want to build more somatic awareness and capacity.
Thank you for showing up today.
Thank you for sharing this time with me.
I hope this practice supports you in finding more balance and ease in your day and in your life.
May you be safe and well.
Thank you.
