Take a moment to feel yourself sitting in your chair.
Let both feet rest on the floor.
Let your hands settle in your lap.
Loosen your jaw,
Let your shoulders drop a little.
You don't need to clear your mind before we begin.
You don't need to feel perfectly calm.
If your mind is busy,
Full or scattered,
That's fine.
We're not trying to force your mind into silence.
Now take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose and a longer breath out through your mouth.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And letting that breath go.
Notice what happens to the air as it enters your nose.
It's movement down your throat,
Top of chest,
Middle of chest,
Belly.
The rising of your body as the air enters your lungs.
And the way the air leaves your body.
The slow deflation of belly,
Chest,
Throat.
As you breathe in,
Notice that sensation.
As you breathe out,
Notice it again.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to perform.
Just this breath.
Another breath in.
Slow,
Deep breath.
Exhale.
Sigh it out.
And if thoughts begin pulling at you,
Notice that.
You may notice planning,
Remembering,
Rehearsing,
Mental noise.
It's normal.
You don't need to fight your thoughts.
Notice that your mind has moved and when it's come back.
Come back to the breath,
Back to the body,
Back to this moment.
Now let your out breath become slightly longer than the in breath.
Not forced,
Just a little longer.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Sighing it out.
Slower breath out.
Let your exhale tell your body that it can be calm.
Let go of any tension.
Loosen any tension around your eyes,
Your scalp,
Forehead,
Throat.
Feel a wave of relaxation moving down your shoulders,
Arms,
Chest,
Waist,
Hips,
Thighs.
Feel yourself resting heavily in your chair.
Feel that wave of relaxation down your calves,
Ankles,
And your feet resting on the floor.
Now bring to mind the work you're about to do.
Just the next most important thing.
Not the whole day.
Not the whole list.
Not all of the things that are still waiting.
You'll get to those.
Just bring to mind the one most important piece of work you need to get done today.
The work that matters.
Hold it lightly in awareness.
And notice if your mind wants to rush.
If it does,
Come back to your breath.
You don't need to do anything right this minute.
You will begin with that one important thing.
And let that be enough.
Take a slow breath in.
And a long breath out.
Feel the support of the chair.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Feel yourself right here,
Right now.
And before we end,
Say quietly to yourself,
One thing at a time.
I can begin calmly.
Now take one final breath in.
And a slow breath out.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
