Welcome.
To begin,
I invite you to find a comfortable position.
You might be lying down or sitting in a way that allows your body to be supported with that effort.
Take a few moments to gently adjust the body,
Allowing the spine to be natural,
Allowing the shoulders to soften and the jaw to unclench.
And when you're ready,
Allow your eyes to close or lower your gaze.
Let's begin with one slow intentional unforced breath in and a long easy breath out.
No need to change your breathing for now,
Just let the breath find its own natural rhythm.
Notice that right now,
Even before doing anything else,
Your body is already being supported by the chair or the floor or the bed beneath you.
Nothing you need to hold up,
Nothing you need to brace.
Just notice that support is already here.
You might even gently feel the points of contact where your weight meets what is holding you.
The back of the body,
The legs,
The arms,
Perhaps the head.
And instead of lifting away from that support,
See what it's like to allow a little more of your weight to be received,
Just a few percent more.
So not collapsing,
Not forcing,
Simply allowing.
Many of us move through life subtly holding ourselves up,
Muscles working just a little harder than they need to,
The breath slightly restricted as if preparing for something.
So take a moment now to notice where you might be still holding,
Without judgment.
Notice the belly,
The shoulders,
The hands,
The muscles around the eyes.
And if it feels available for you,
Invite those places to soften,
Just a little.
Imagine what it might be like to not have to carry yourself entirely on your own right now.
To let the ground do some of the work,
To let gravity hold you.
There is nothing you need to earn in this moment.
This support is not something you have to prove yourself worthy of.
It's already here.
And bring your awareness now to your breath.
Not controlling it,
Just feeling it.
The gentle rise and fall.
The quiet movement of life breathing you.
Notice how the inhale arrives and the exhale releases without your effort.
Even your breathing is supported by the body.
Sometimes receiving support can feel unfamiliar,
Even vulnerable.
You might notice a subtle resistance,
A habit of staying slightly guarded,
Slightly prepared.
And if you sense that,
Simply acknowledge it.
Nothing has gone wrong.
This too is welcome here.
And then very gently ask yourself,
What would it be like to be supported without earning it?
And let that question land softly without searching for an answer.
Perhaps you can allow the back body to be a little heavier.
The muscles around the heart soften.
The belly receive the breath.
See if you can feel the difference between holding yourself and being held.
No need to get it perfect,
Just sensing.
And for a few moments now,
Let yourself rest in this.
Supported by the ground.
Supported by the breath.
Supported by the quiet awareness noticing it all.
There may be a deep intelligence in the body that already knows how to let go.
How to be carried.
How to rest.
You don't have to teach it,
Only allow it.
And if the mind wanders,
Simply return to the feeling of being supported.
Over and over again.
Weight received.
Breath moving.
Nothing to change.
You were never meant to do this life entirely alone.
Even now,
Life is meeting you.
Holding you.
Breathing you.
Take one slightly deeper breath here.
And let it sigh out the mouth if that feels good.
Allowing your shoulders to drop.
Notice what happens when you stop efforting even briefly.
Notice the quiet.
The simplicity of just being here.
Before we close,
Take a moment to sense the possibility that support is not limited to this meditation.
It may be available in small ways throughout your day.
In the chair that holds you.
The ground beneath your feet.
The people who care.
The pauses you allow yourself.
You don't have to carry everything alone.
Begin now to deepen the breath slightly.
Invite some small movements back into the fingers and toes.
Maybe roll the shoulders or turn the head gently.
And when you feel ready,
Allow the eyes to open.
Take your time.
And bringing with you the reminder that support is closer than you think.
