Good morning.
Welcome to this practice for starting your day with a clear mind and an open heart.
How you begin your morning often sets the tone for your entire day.
And so this practice is designed to help you start from a centered,
Grounded place.
To begin,
I invite you to find a comfortable seated position.
You might be on the edge of your bed,
In a chair or on a cushion.
Wherever you are,
Sit with a sense of dignity.
Alert,
But not rigid.
Relaxed,
But not collapsed.
Place your feet flat on the floor,
If you're in a chair.
Let your hands rest comfortably on your thighs or on your lap.
And close your eyes or lower your gaze softly.
We'll begin by taking three breaths to arrive here together.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
And your mind may already be full this morning.
Full of thoughts about what you need to do today.
Full of plans.
Full of worries.
Full of things you didn't finish yesterday.
And all of that's completely normal.
In this practice,
We're going to create some space.
So take a deeper breath in through your nose.
And exhale fully through your mouth with a sigh.
Again,
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth,
Let it out.
And one more time,
Big breath in.
And release it all.
Good.
Now returning to breathing through your nose.
We're going to use the breath to clear mental flutter.
Imagine that each exhale is like wiping a foggy window.
So with each breath out,
Your mind becomes a little clearer.
So breathing in,
Gathering the fog.
Breathing out,
Clearing the window.
In,
Gathering.
Out,
Clearing.
And continuing this for a few breaths at your own pace.
Your thoughts will still come.
And that's fine,
You're not trying to have no thoughts.
You're just creating space around them.
Each breath makes a little more room.
Breathing in,
Gathering.
Breathing out,
Clearing.
And notice if your mind feels even slightly more spacious now.
A little less crowded.
A little closer to your natural state.
Clear.
Open.
Ready.
And now bring your attention down into your body.
Feel your sit bones making contact with whatever you're sitting on.
Feel the weight of your body being held by the earth.
You don't have to hold yourself up,
You can let gravity do that work.
Feel your feet on the ground,
Really feel them.
The soles of your feet.
The weight of your legs.
Take a deep breath down into your belly,
Allowing your belly to expand as you inhale.
And let it soften as you exhale.
This is your center.
Your home base.
Your anchor.
And from this grounded place in your body you can meet whatever your day brings.
Not from a racing mind.
Not from tension.
But from here,
From center.
Breathing into your belly.
Feeling your feet on the ground.
And this body has carried you through every day of your life.
And it will carry you through today too,
So trust this.
Feel it.
Land in it.
And now place one or both hands on your heart center.
Right in the middle of your chest.
Feel the warmth of your hand.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath beneath your hand.
Your heart has been beating all night while you slept.
Beating right now.
Faithful.
Constant.
Take a moment to appreciate this,
Your heart,
Your life.
Breathe into your chest,
Allowing it to expand,
Letting your heart space open.
And with each inhale imagine your heart space becoming more spacious,
More open.
With each exhale softening any protection around your heart.
So breathing in,
Opening.
Breathing out,
Softening.
We protect our hearts for good reasons.
Life can be hard.
People can hurt us and we've learned to guard ourselves.
But what if just for today you could start with your heart a little more open?
Not naive,
Not unprotected,
Just open and willing to meet life.
Willing to be moved,
Willing to care,
Willing to connect.
And breathe into your heart space.
Think of one person you'll encounter today.
Maybe a family member,
A colleague or a stranger at the coffee shop.
What would it be like to meet them with an open heart?
To really see them?
You don't have to do anything,
Just consider it.
Breathe into your heart,
Let it be open.
As you continue breathing gently ask yourself,
What qualities do I want to bring to this day?
Not what you need to accomplish,
Not your to-do list,
But what quality of being?
Maybe it's presence or patience,
Maybe it's kindness or courage,
Maybe it's playfulness.
But what wants to come through you today?
Once you have a sense of this quality,
Take a deep breath in,
Imagine breathing it into your whole body.
If it's patience,
Breathe in patience,
Feeling it fill you.
If it's kindness,
Breathe in kindness and let it permeate you.
Whatever your quality is,
Just breathe it in and make space for it.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine you're already embodying this quality,
You're already being this way.
So in receiving the quality,
Out becoming it.
This quality is already in you,
You're not acquiring it from outside,
You're just allowing it to come forward.
Before you open your eyes and begin your day,
Take a few moments here for gratitude.
You woke up today,
You're breathing,
You're alive,
That's not a small thing.
What else are you grateful for?
Maybe it's someone you love,
Maybe it's your health,
Maybe it's simply this quiet moment.
You don't need to force gratitude,
Just notice what arises.
Placing your hands back on your heart,
Silently say to yourself,
May I meet this day with a clear mind and open heart.
May I be present for what comes.
May I be kind to myself and others.
May this day unfold with grace.
And take one final deep breath in.
And release it.
Slowly open your eyes when you feel ready.
A clear mind,
An open heart,
A grounded body.
Go forward into your day,
And thank you for practicing.
