Bring to mind an auditorium.
Some people are seated in the front row,
Some people are in the back,
Some people are in the orchestra seating,
And some people aren't even there.
Think of the auditorium as a boundary setting.
This is a boundary setting that can support the body,
The heart,
The mind.
So as we think of this idea of setting boundaries with the people in our lives,
Some people are in the front row,
Some people need to be moved to the back,
Some people need to be escorted to different parts of the auditorium,
And others can't even be invited to the event.
This is the boundary setting.
Come into the most comfortable position for this meditation.
Seated in a chair or a cushion on the floor or even laying upon a yoga mat on a blanket or in the bed.
Close your eyes or simply lower your gaze,
Your preference.
Soften the body.
Allow the earth to support you.
Allow the gravity to hold you.
Drawing awareness to your breath.
Focusing on the cadence,
The pace of the breath without changing or altering it in any way.
Noticing where the breath is most prominent in the body.
Taking a moment to notice this space,
This place without judgment or criticism but with a healthy curiosity.
And then begin to deepen the breath.
Filling up the belly,
The side body and ribs and the chest.
And then exhale that breath out allowing the chest to fall.
A couple of more deep breaths in.
Expanding through the belly.
Lifting of the ribs.
Expansion of the chest.
And then exhale the breath out.
One more deep breath in and full breath out.
Taking your mind to any spaces or places in your life where you have or you can create boundaries.
Maybe this is something that is new to you that you need to create a practice around.
Holding that ideal in your mind.
Taking these words in.
Boundaries look like sipping tea in peace,
Resting eyes,
Respect,
Praying,
Dancing,
Saying no,
Saying yes,
Worshiping yourself.
Boundaries sound like humming,
Call and response,
Singing,
Chanting,
Nature speaking,
Shouting hell no,
Shouting hell yes,
Whispering to yourself.
Boundaries feel like grace,
Softness,
Liberation,
Ecstasy,
Somatic movement,
Exhaling,
Inhaling,
Yielding to yourself.
Taking a deep breath in for the count of four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Holding for four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out for four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And hold for four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
So practicing a box breath here.
Breathing in.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Practicing that three more times at your own pace.
And on that third and final exhale,
Release that breath.
Drawing attention into the body.
As you hold this attention in the body,
Tensing your face,
Closing your eyes and lips as you tense the face in as you breathe in.
And as you exhale out,
Release the tension in the face.
And tensing the arms and shoulders,
Perhaps making fists with your hands and tensing the shoulders up towards your ears as you breathe in.
And as you exhale,
Release and soften.
And drawing the navel in towards the spine,
Gripping the glutes as you tense,
Tense and breathe in.
And as you exhale,
Release the belly,
Release the glutes.
Energizing and tensing the legs and feet,
Perhaps curling the toes,
Making fists with the toes as you breathe in.
And exhale,
Release and soften.
Finally,
Tensing the whole body.
Tensing the legs and the glutes and the belly and the chest and the shoulders and arms and face as you breathe in.
Exhale,
Release the tension.
Let it go.
Soften.
Take a moment here to check in with how you feel,
What you're experiencing,
How you're breathing.
Taking these words to heart and mind once more.
Boundaries look like sipping tea in peace,
Resting eyes,
Respect,
Praying,
Dancing,
Saying no,
Saying yes,
Worshiping yourself.
Boundaries sound like humming,
Call and response,
Singing,
Chanting,
Nature speaking,
Shouting hell no,
Shouting hell yes,
Whispering to yourself.
Boundaries feel like grace,
Softness,
Liberation,
Ecstasy,
Somatic movement,
Exhaling,
Inhaling,
Yielding to yourself.
And from here,
You can gently blink your eyes open and go into the rest of your day.
