Welcome to this guided meditation,
A somatic awareness practice for tuning into your body.
Take a moment as we begin to find a comfortable position,
Whether that's seated or lying down,
Whatever feels most supportive to you right now.
Allow yourself to settle,
Let the body be held,
Allow your hands to rest naturally either on your lap,
By your sides,
Or gently placed on your belly or heart.
And if it feels safe,
Allow your eyes to soften and eventually to close.
Or if you prefer,
Keeping the eyes open,
Simply lowering and softening your gaze.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose and then a long,
Gentle exhale through your mouth,
Letting go of anything you've been carrying.
Again,
A deep breath in and a soft releasing breath out,
Allowing the shoulders to drop,
The jaw to unclench,
The belly to soften.
Feel yourself arriving here just as you are,
Leaving behind the momentum of the day,
Any thoughts or plans.
This is a space for you to simply be.
Now begin to bring gentle awareness to your breath.
Notice how your breath moves naturally through you,
Without effort,
Without control.
Feel each inhale as it enters the body and each exhale as it leaves.
Perhaps you notice the coolness of the air that comes in through the nostrils and the subtle warmth as it moves out.
With each breath,
Invite a softening in the body.
Maybe feel the muscles of the face gently relaxing,
The space between the eyebrows softening.
The jaw loosening.
Feel the breath traveling all the way down to the belly.
Notice the belly expanding slightly on the inhale and softening as you exhale.
With each breath,
Imagine yourself settling deeper into your body,
Like sinking into a warm supportive space,
Letting go of any need to rush or do.
Simply being here with your breath.
Now gently bring your attention to the very top of your head.
What do you notice here?
Perhaps there's tingling,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Or maybe even a sense of numbness.
There's no right or wrong experience,
Only noticing.
Slowly guide your awareness down to your forehead.
Feel the skin here.
Is there tension?
A sense of openness?
Simply noticing.
Move your awareness to your eyes.
Notice the eyelids resting,
The muscles around the eyes.
Maybe there's a flicker of movement or stillness.
Let them be exactly as they are.
Now bring your attention to the cheeks,
The mouth,
The lips,
The jaw.
Notice if the jaw is clenched or tight.
No need to judge or interpret.
Simply notice.
Feel your awareness traveling down to the neck and the throat.
Notice any sensations,
Tightness,
Lightness,
Maybe even a subtle pulse.
Now bring awareness to your shoulders,
Feeling the weight of the shoulders.
Notice if they're being held up or if they can soften down away from the ears.
Gently guide your attention down the arms,
The elbows,
The forearms,
The wrists,
And finally to the hands and fingers.
Notice if there's energy here,
Tingling or temperature differences.
Feel the contact points where the hands are resting.
Now shift your awareness to your chest.
Feel the natural rise and fall with each breath.
Perhaps you can notice the heartbeat beneath the chest.
Notice how the chest expands with each inhale and contracts gently with the exhale.
Stay here for a few more moments,
Just feeling the breath move through the chest.
Bringing awareness down now to your belly.
Let the belly be soft,
Unguarded.
Notice any sensations of movement,
Tension,
Or ease.
Maybe even emotions resting here.
And allow space for whatever is present.
Nothing to fix,
Only to feel.
Now move awareness into the pelvis,
The hips.
Feel their connection to the surface beneath you.
Notice the support that's always holding you.
Let your awareness travel down into the thighs,
The knees,
The lower legs,
The ankles.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your feet.
Notice the soles of the feet,
The heels,
The toes.
Notice if there's any tingling,
Warmth,
Or contact with the ground.
Take a moment now to feel the body as a whole,
From the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.
A connected,
Breathing,
Sensing body.
Fully alive,
Fully here.
And now I invite you to become curious.
Is there any area of your body drawing your attention?
Maybe this is a sensation,
Tightness,
Heaviness,
Warmth,
Or perhaps even an absence of sensation.
Maybe there's a part that feels a little uncomfortable,
Or maybe soft and light.
Rather than analyzing or judging,
Gently allow your awareness to rest with that area.
Feel into it as if you're getting to know it.
Notice if there's movement,
Stillness,
Pulsation,
Shifting.
Stay with the raw sensation itself.
Perhaps silently naming it tightness,
Tingling,
Spaciousness,
Pressure,
Numbness,
Ease.
Allow yourself to breathe into this space and notice if anything changes as you bring your awareness there.
Or perhaps it stays the same.
Both are welcome.
There's no need to force or fix.
This is simply an invitation to be in relationship with your body's signals.
Each breath a gesture of kindness and curiosity.
Now slowly begin to expand your awareness once more.
Feel the support beneath you,
The chair,
The floor,
The earth.
Notice how the ground holds you.
Bring attention back to your breath.
Soft,
Steady,
Natural.
Sense the entirety of your body.
Present,
Alive,
Breathing.
Take a moment here to offer gratitude to your body.
Gratitude for all the ways it carries you,
Supports you,
Communicates with you.
If it feels good,
You might place a hand over your heart or belly,
Acknowledging yourself for taking this time to pause and reconnect.
And when you're ready,
Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Maybe inviting a stretch or a movement that feels nourishing.
Softly,
In your own time,
Allow the eyes to open,
Returning to the room,
To this moment.
Bringing with you the sense of presence,
Awareness,
And care that you've cultivated.
Thank you for joining me for today's practice.
