Wherever you are and whatever you're doing,
See if it's possible to give yourself a break and take some time to really honor yourself wherever you are in your process,
In your thoughts,
Your emotions,
Anything going on in your life right now.
See if you can put any distractions aside and focus inwards.
Maybe begin by taking a few full,
Slow,
Long breaths,
Bringing you into the present moment.
With each exhale,
Notice if there are any places in your body that you can soften,
That you can bring into presence,
And that can melt into the support of the earth.
You can bring a hand to your body somewhere where it might feel supportive to have some contact,
Some touch,
As though your hand is a compassionate witness to whatever you're going through,
Whether it's stressful or uplifting,
Whether it's numb or mundane.
Just notice if there's a place on your body that could use a little extra care and attention.
And if that feels okay,
You can bring your hand there,
Allowing your hand to rest,
To offer some warmth,
Pressure.
And for the next five or ten breaths,
Keep it really simple.
You can say to yourself on each inhale,
In,
And on each exhale,
You can say out,
Silently or out loud.
No need to control your breaths,
Just allow your body to breathe you in whatever way feels okay right now.
As you breathe in,
Feel the way that your body expands with each breath,
Feel your ribcage,
Your lungs,
Your belly,
All the way to the back of your body,
Sacrum,
The whole spine,
The shoulder blades.
And on each exhale,
Soften,
Rest,
Release,
If at all possible.
And when the mind wanders,
Because it will,
Because that's what it does,
It's not a problem,
You just notice it's gone off and you can note thinking.
Come back to the next breath,
Saying in or out,
Whichever you're on,
Bringing your attention into the physical sensations of the expansion and contraction of each breath.
You might feel your hands lifting or falling with each breath as well.
And whatever you're experiencing right now,
Any emotion,
Any thought,
Any sensation,
Whether it's pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neither,
See if it's possible to allow it to be here,
Maybe even to welcome it,
Say hello to it.
I know that it can be hard.
Sometimes we want to feel comfortable,
Most often,
Most of us.
So just notice what happens if there's something there that you're pushing away or numbing out.
If you allow your hands to go there,
Imagine your hands say hello to it.
As though they say hello to an old friend,
Having whatever experience they're having,
Making space with it gently with your breath.
There's nothing to change,
Nothing to fix or figure out.
This is your time to just be with whatever is here,
With a sense of curiosity,
Care,
And listening.
And if it feels interesting to you,
You might look and see if there's a part of you that's here in this moment that's supportive,
Steady,
Caring,
That can help you create space for all that's moving through,
No matter what it is that's here,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neither.
Is there a part of you?
It might be a felt sensation in your body,
Could be an imagined part of you,
Like the inner masculine,
The inner feminine,
Could be an image of a dear friend,
And whatever happens in your body in response to that,
That's the support.
Take some breaths,
Just notice if something shows up,
Something arrives here.
No need to look too hard.
Just see if it's possible to let that part be here with you,
Holding space for whatever's here.
If you can't find that part,
That's fine.
Simply keep breathing.
Some people have an easier time imagining these types of things.
There's no right or wrong,
Good or bad,
Just a suggestion.
And with each exhale,
Drop the weight of your body down onto the earth,
Feeling the support there between the contact of your body and the place that you're sitting or standing or lying.
See if it's possible to release yourself into the support there,
Allowing the earth and that surface to come up and meet you and hold you.
And you might imagine that you'll be here for a very long time,
For years,
For hundreds of thousands of years.
What would you have to do in your body,
In your mind,
In your heart,
In your breath to make it possible to meet this moment and each one after it with a sense of ease,
Steadiness,
Curiosity?
Would you have to shift a bit or move?
Would you have to soften something or straighten something up?
Would you have to adjust the gaze of your eyes,
More open or more soft or more closed?
Would you have to offer more gentleness in some way?
Imagine you are like a mountain that sits here for hundreds of thousands of years as the storms come and go,
Pass over.
You're here,
Solid,
Supported,
With many landscapes,
Many changes,
Many storms and many calm days.
Visitors who come and go,
Animal beings,
Human beings,
Spirit beings.
When the temperatures change,
The sun and moon come and go.
And you are there like a mountain with a never-ending heartbeat.
With a breath that keeps breathing.
With the company of the many mountains around you,
Each in their own rhythm,
Their own unfolding,
Their own ecosystem.
Continue to include in your awareness,
The inhale and the exhale,
Saying in to yourself on each inhale silently if it helps,
Keep your attention and out on each exhale,
Softening,
Releasing your weight down onto the earth.
There is space here for everything,
Every part of you,
Every thought,
Every emotion,
Every wanting and not wanting.
There is space.
You are welcome here.
And if your hands are resting somewhere on your body,
Just continuing to notice that contact,
Feeling the company they're keeping with you,
Taking a few full breaths,
Soaking up anything at all that feels helpful in this moment,
Even if it's just a tiny something.
Taking a note of what that is,
How it feels in your body,
Your heart and your mind,
Carrying that with you throughout your day or night.
.
