Good morning.
If you're already moving out the door,
Down the sidewalk,
On your way to wherever the day is taking you,
Then you're in exactly the right place.
These next few minutes are a reset,
A chance to let the morning settle and to begin the day on your own terms,
One step at a time.
There's nothing to change about how you're walking.
Keep your normal pace.
Keep your eyes open.
And stay aware of what's around you,
The curb,
The crossings,
The people.
We're simply going to bring a little attention to two simple things.
Your breath and the ground beneath your feet.
So as you keep walking,
Let your shoulders drop.
Just let them fall away from your ears.
Soften the jaw.
And soften the hands.
There's nothing to hold onto this morning.
And now without changing anything,
Just notice your breath.
The air coming in.
And the air going out.
See if you can let the breath drop a little lower into the belly.
Not forced,
Just easy and full.
And you might let the rhythm of your walking and the rhythm of your breath begin to find each other.
Breathing in for a few steps.
And breathing out for a few steps.
In.
.
.
And out.
Now let the breath take care of itself and bring your attention down to your feet.
Feel each step landing,
The heel and then the whole foot meeting the ground.
That contact,
Again and again,
Is the ground holding you up.
Steady.
Solid.
You don't have to carry the morning,
The ground is carrying you.
With each step,
You might quietly say to yourself,
I'm here.
I'm here.
Let your awareness widen now,
Out into the morning around you.
The air on your face,
Cool or mild or fresh.
The light and the sounds of the world starting to wake up.
Just taking it in without needing to do anything about it.
And whenever the mind jumps ahead to the meeting,
The inbox,
The list,
That's completely normal.
Just notice it and come back to this breath and this step.
This is the reset,
Not somewhere else later,
Right here while you're moving.
As you keep walking,
Let the attention soften and open.
You can carry this with you,
This steadiness,
This easy breath.
The day may ask a lot of you,
But you get to begin it grounded.
One breath,
One step,
And then the next.
May your path be peaceful.
May you move through this day with ease.
And whenever you're ready,
You can let your practice come to a close.
