Hi,
I'm Molly,
And I'm glad you found this practice today.
I invite you as you settle in to bring your full self to the cushion,
Allowing any and all emotions that may be present for you.
Perhaps you feel some grief today.
And whether it's old or new,
Grief doesn't follow a timeline,
No matter how much we wish it would.
We often expect that as time goes by,
Our pain will lessen.
And while it does overall,
That doesn't mean the bad days will be completely behind us.
Because the honest truth is that grief never fully goes away.
It will dull,
Yes,
And become smaller and smaller,
But there will be days when you're reminded of your loss.
And it's important to give ourselves the space to feel it,
To acknowledge and honor that part of us that is still grieving.
When I find myself sitting with grief,
I'm reminded that my breath is my anchor.
Our breath is incredibly powerful,
And it can help us find relief and bring ourselves back into the present moment.
Back to ourselves.
And so I invite you to find a comfortable seat.
And begin to notice your breath.
You can practice with eyes open or closed,
Whatever feels best for you.
Let's begin by inhaling through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
One more time,
Big inhale through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
Continue breathing,
Just focusing on the sensation that you feel within your body.
Perhaps you feel your breath in your chest.
Maybe you feel it in your nose.
Or maybe you're focusing on the sensation of the exhale through your mouth.
Taking this time to connect with your breath.
And as you settle in,
Noticing where you feel grief in your body.
Does your grief feel dull or sharp?
Perhaps it feels heavy.
Noticing where that grief is sitting within you.
And as you picture this grief.
Your grief.
Does it have a shape or color?
Maybe it's bright.
Maybe it's dark.
What does it look like to you?
Taking this time to really get to know that grief.
Getting curious about where you're holding it in your body.
And once you have found that place and you know what your grief feels and looks like,
Breathing into that space,
Allowing the body to expand.
And as you exhale,
Allowing your body to release.
Allowing your body to soften.
Your shoulders to drop.
Continuing to breathe.
Noticing the tension softening with each exhale.
And maybe your mind has started to wander.
And that's completely okay.
It's normal.
Just gently bringing your attention back to your body and breath.
Continuing to breathe into that space of grief.
And if it feels supportive,
You can place a hand over your heart.
And one over your belly.
Or perhaps you hold your face in a loving embrace.
Let's take one last inhale,
Making it the largest breath of your day.
And on the exhale,
Letting out an audible sigh.
Letting it all go.
And as you bring your attention back to your body.
Noticing the support of the ground beneath you.
Becoming aware of where your body meets the surface.
Acknowledging that you are helped.
You are supported.
Becoming aware of the space around you and any sounds in your space.
Taking a moment to check in.
How are you feeling in this moment?
Beginning to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
And when you're ready,
If your eyes are closed,
Gently opening them.
Grief is a natural part of life and something that we will all experience.
And while the pain of loss may never completely disappear,
We can always return to our breath,
Offering ourselves compassion and care.
