Hello friend.
Thank you for being here.
Let's take a few minutes to get cozy and relax together.
Set yourself up in your seat for today.
This could be seated on the floor with a pillow,
Cozying up in a chair or couch,
Leaning up against something,
Or you could lie down for this practice.
Really,
We're just coming into a place where you can be present and relaxed,
Where we can take the distraction of an uncomfortable body out of the equation and focus on our breath.
Mentally,
Take a moment to set aside whatever has happened before your practice and whatever might be happening after your practice.
This is a time for you,
A time to be present.
To slow down,
To connect to your breath,
And to find a little calm within.
So maybe you close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And begin to invite your awareness inward.
We're going to start practice with a few deep belly breaths together.
All this means is we're just going to breathe deep into our belly rather than just breathing into the chest.
So go ahead and bring your hands to rest on your belly.
Your hands are just here as a guide.
And I want you to imagine that you are breathing into your hands here.
So whenever you're ready,
Inhale the biggest breath you've taken in all day.
Breath traveling all the way down to your belly.
And exhale through your mouth long and slow,
Letting it all go.
Again inhaling feeling the belly expand feeling your hands rise Exhaling through the mouth,
Letting go.
Let's do one more together.
Long exhale,
Release.
Now if this deep intentional belly breathing feels really good for you right now,
Go ahead and keep it going as long as you'd like.
Otherwise,
Allow your breath to return to a natural rhythm,
Whatever that looks like today.
As we move into our practice,
There is nothing that you need to do or remember.
Try to let go of any expectations and just give yourself permission to do nothing for a bit.
To really rest.
To fully arrive in presence.
To find a sense of letting go.
You have everything you need in this moment.
Right here,
Right now,
It is just you.
And your breath.
As we sit together today,
I would like you to bring to mind the idea of a slice of butter melting atop a stack of hot pancakes.
This fluid,
Seamless,
Gradual letting go of the butter into the sweet,
Soft pancakes.
Imagine yourself melting into stillness in this same way.
Allow the earth beneath you to catch you,
To hold you.
To lift you up.
With each passing breath,
Feel yourself surrendering.
Feel your body.
Heavying.
Melting.
Your arms,
Release and relax.
Your hands soften.
Your legs ground into the earth.
Your feet and toes.
Relax.
Let go through the pelvis,
The hips.
Release through your low back.
Your middle back.
Your upper back.
Let go through the belly.
The chest.
Your heart is soft.
And open and ready to receive.
Release through the shoulders Unclench your jaw.
Allow your tongue to fall away from the roof of your mouth.
Your brow softens.
Your eyes rest easy in their sockets.
Your face relaxes.
Your entire body is heavy.
And relaxed.
Melting into the earth like butter on a stack of hot pancakes.
Soft and easy.
Tension rolling off of you like maple syrup dripping down the sides.
Floating in this feeling of surrender.
Of complete and total relaxation.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
I thought the earth remembered me.
She took me back so tenderly.
Arranging her dark skirts.
Her pockets full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before,
A stone on the riverbed.
Nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts.
And they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me.
The insects,
And the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell as if in water.
Grappling with a luminous doom.
By morning,
I had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.
Sleeping in the Forest by Mary Oliver.
Whenever you're ready,
Slowly invite your awareness back into your body.
Taking any soft movements that feel good.
Once again noticing your breath.
Bring your hands together at your heart,
Palm to palm or palms to chest.
Taking a moment here to notice how you feel.
And to thank yourself for showing up and for giving this time to yourself.
I am so grateful that you have chosen me to be your guide.
Let's take one final deep breath in together.
And exhale,
Let it go.
I can't wait to sit in stillness with you again so soon.
Until next time.
Take care.
