Welcome to today's short practice.
To begin,
Let's just take a few moments here to arrive in the space.
So I'll invite you to find a posture that feels steady,
Yet relaxed.
If you're sitting,
Let your spine be tall,
Like a mountain.
If you're lying down,
Let your body feel heavy and supported by the ground.
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a long,
Slow breath in through your nose.
And gently sigh it out through your mouth.
Again,
A slow inhale.
And a complete,
Relaxed,
Easy exhale.
And let your breath return to a natural rhythm.
There is nowhere to go.
Nothing to achieve.
Just being here is enough.
Bring your awareness to the ground beneath you.
Feel it support.
Notice how it holds you without asking for anything in return.
And now sense into your body.
Noticing where you feel open,
Spacious,
Soft.
And where you feel tense,
Guarded,
Or closed.
Safety feels expansive.
Defensiveness feels tight and rigid.
And simply notice which is present for you here and now.
And if it feels okay for you,
I invite you to whisper inwardly with your breath,
It is safe to be here now.
Repeating this slowly with each exhale,
It is safe to be here now.
If there's resistance,
Welcome it too.
And imagine holding that resistance with the same compassion you'd offer to a child who needs reassurance.
Now invite a sense of trust.
Not trust that everything will work out the way you want,
But trust that you can meet whatever arises.
With each inhale,
Breathe in curiosity.
With each exhale,
Release control.
And fear and curiosity cannot exist in the same moment.
So allow curiosity to fill your body.
And imagine yourself walking through a wide open field.
You can't see anything,
You can't see the end,
You don't know where the path will lead.
But with each step you walk with wonder,
Not fear.
Let this image of walking with curiosity soften your breath,
Your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your face.
Bring to mind a small truth you often keep hidden.
It doesn't need to be dramatic,
Just something real.
And notice what happens in your body when you acknowledge this truth.
Now whisper inwardly,
I am honest about who I am without shame.
I welcome all of me here.
This is loving accountability to see yourself clearly and still stay open.
Notice how it feels to give yourself permission to be honest without collapse,
Without defensiveness.
Now imagine three centres of intelligence within you.
Your head,
The thinker,
The planner.
Your heart,
The feeler,
The connector.
Your gut,
The instinct,
The truth teller.
Take a breath into your head,
Noticing the quality of thought.
A breath into your heart,
Noticing the quality of feeling.
A breath into your gut,
Noticing the quality of knowing.
See if these three can harmonize like instruments tuning together.
Head,
Heart and gut.
Thinking,
Feeling and knowing.
Balanced and working together.
And as we start to come toward a close today,
Bring to mind one thing you're grateful for right now.
It could be the breath in your lungs,
The chance to rest or simply this moment of being with yourself.
Whisper inwardly,
Gratitude is my foundation.
And taking three slow breaths,
Inhaling steadiness,
Exhaling release.
Inhaling steadiness,
Exhaling release.
Inhaling steadiness,
Exhaling release.
Steadiness and release.
And when you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Slowly open your eyes and carry this foundation of safety,
Curiosity and gratitude into your day.
