Let's start our practice by taking a nice deep breath in,
Filling up into the belly,
The ribs,
The chest.
Hold it at the top.
Now open your mouth and let it go.
Ask yourself if today's a day you need a second one,
And if it is,
You take it.
As you arrive,
Just begin to connect with your natural breath.
As you connect with self,
Notice where you feel your breath in your body.
Begin our practice today by bringing our attention to the very top of our head,
Where the hair meets the scalp.
Notice if you allow yourself to get really quiet.
Can you focus in on that area?
Finding awareness and attention in two parts of the body isn't easy for everyone.
So if right off the bat there's a bit of frustration or a lack of you feeling connected,
Know that that's okay.
Know that that's normal.
If it doesn't feel too silly for you,
You might even place your hand at the top of your head.
Apply a little pressure to your scalp and then let go.
Notice if after you let go,
Do you feel anything?
Any tingles or temperature?
Maybe as we move through the body,
You can envision a perfectly still lake where the temperature is just right.
The water looks like glass and feels perfect on your skin.
We use that water,
That analogy,
To find softness in our body as we move our attention from our scalp to our forehead.
Moving ease through our eyebrows and into the lids of our eyes.
Notice whether you're scrunching your eyes.
Some idea of trying to keep them closed.
Can you let go of it?
No force.
Notice what that feels like as you release.
Imagine as we scan through the body if you could find that one percent of release through each part,
Just like you did in the softness of your eyelids.
Allow that water to melt down around your ears and through your neck.
Letting go in the area of your shoulders.
Noticing the connection of breath as we move through the body into the area of your chest.
What does your breath feel like on this day?
Is there a bit of length?
Maybe it feels a bit short.
As you continue to imagine this floating or maybe standing in your leg,
Allow the arms to release,
The elbows,
The tops of your hands,
Palms,
And all ten fingers.
Just allowing them to let go.
Allowing yourself to truly arrive into who you are.
Letting your awareness into the area of your belly,
Your abdomen.
Can you let go?
Can you feel the breath flow?
What does it feel like to let your belly rest?
Hold so much in that area.
Give it a bit of ease.
Allow the warmth from the water to move around your hips and your sit bones.
Maybe allow this idea of water to feel like it's holding you.
It's that warm hug.
As we allow it to melt down our thighs,
Our knees,
Our calves,
And our shins.
Maybe we feel a bit of a sense of warmth around our ankles.
Bring your attention into the tops of your feet,
Both right and left.
Just allow your awareness to be open.
Can you actually feel into the tops of your feet?
Can you bring that attention and awareness now through all ten toes as the water moves through and around?
As it reaches the bottom of your feet.
These two limbs that hold you up all day long.
Our feet that create strength,
Length,
Or some even a sense of power as we stand on our two feet.
Allow them to rest and let go of whatever's happening right now.
Maybe to prepare for what's to come.
A new day,
A new week.
As your body finds softness,
Can you give yourself permission to imagine it now floating on this beautiful,
Warm,
Glass lake?
To feel the sun streaming above you and kissing your nose or your shoulders.
Noticing the water as it splashes a bit around.
Maybe coming up to your belly or the tops of your knees.
How does it feel to find complete softness and just rest in a place of sheer beauty?
From your lake,
Whatever your spot looks like,
I'll ask you three questions.
Just reflect and notice what shows up for you as each question is presented.
Lying beneath the sun in your lake.
What is it that matters most to you today?
We can get so caught up in the day to day,
But you're only going to live this day once.
So what is it that matters most to you?
What do you want to let go of today?
Maybe something that no longer serves you.
Who do you choose to be today?
What are the values you choose to express in relationships,
Work,
Rest?
Who do you choose to be?
You might say to yourself,
I choose to be loyal,
Kind,
Courageous.
Take a big breath in and a soft exhale out.
In the space before our class ends,
Choose.
Maybe you set an intention for the day ahead,
For the months to come.
Or maybe you whisper,
Thank you for all you've already done.
Today we'll close out our practice with one final deep breath.
Inhale.
Open your mouth and let it go.
Find awareness back into your body.
Maybe starting at your toes or at the top of your head.
Just gently bringing yourself back into all that is to come.
