Come into a comfortable position,
Placing your feet on the floor,
And resting your hands in your lap or at your sides.
Invite your eyelids to slowly blink closed.
Take a moment here to notice the feeling of support for your body against the surface beneath you.
Allow the muscles in your face to soften and your shoulders to drop away from the ears as you settle into your body and connect with your breath.
We'll begin by inhaling deeply into your belly,
Filling it with air.
Pause at the top for a moment and then exhale slowly and fully out of your mouth.
Breathing in again deeply,
Holding it for a moment at the top,
And again exhaling slowly and fully.
Good.
Now take one last full breath in through the nose,
Pausing at the top,
And exhaling fully out of the mouth.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm and flow.
Bring your attention to the rising and falling of your belly as you breathe.
You don't have to do anything special here,
Just pay attention to your breath.
The body knows what to do all on its own.
You don't have to force it or control the breath in any way.
Just follow your breath lovingly and with the tension in and out.
As it rests in between breaths,
Relax and trust that it will resume.
No expectations,
No worries.
You may notice from time to time that your mind is wandering or find that thoughts might float through,
Distracting your attention away from the focus on your breath.
This happens.
This is what our minds do.
Maybe you're thinking of what you have to do next.
Perhaps you're simply restless.
That's okay.
Our thoughts,
Like waves in the ocean,
Will rise and pass.
There's no need to control them or make them go away.
Simply observe them with kindness and curiosity.
Then guide your attention back to the awareness of your breath without forcing anything.
You can let go of planning and doing for right now.
There's nowhere you need to be and nothing you need to be doing.
For this time,
You can let go and follow the natural movement of your breath.
Maybe life is challenging for you right now.
Or maybe you don't have all the answers you seek.
But here you are,
Right now,
Perfectly imperfect.
Taking this time to honor your strength,
Your resilience,
And your courage.
Taking this opportunity to honor yourself with love and compassion.
Dropping into this place of calm and quiet that is within you.
This place of rest and calm for you.
It's safe to give in to the quiet awareness of this moment.
There's a deep calm and wisdom that you invite in with this kind and gentle attention to the present moment.
And to the focused attention to your natural breath.
You may return to this place of restoration,
Peace,
And calm as often as you wish.
Your breath is always available for you as a connection to the present.
And you can return again and again as a kind and gentle act of self love.
And as we near the end of this practice,
Follow three more full cycles of breathing.
Being present for each one.
And remembering this place of awareness that is always available to you because it's within you.
And as you feel ready,
Allow your eyes to open and get reacquainted with your surroundings as you prepare to reengage with your day.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice.
Have an amazing day.
Namaste.
