Hello,
And welcome to today's orienting session.
Orienting is a gentle yet powerful practice to help build our brain-body connection,
And it forms the basis for many somatic practices.
To begin,
I invite you to start by following your impulse to see what position is most comfortable for you at this time.
Would you like to sit,
Stand,
Lie down,
Maybe even walk around your home or the space you're in?
There are no right or wrong answers here.
What position would feel best for you in your body in this moment?
Begin by tuning into this impulse,
And know that you can change the position you're in at any time.
Unlike many meditation practices,
There is no need to stay still in one position while you do this.
Please feel free to do what feels right for you.
Feel into that impulse.
What message is your body trying to convey?
Then,
As you tune into this idea of orienting,
Bring your awareness to the space around you.
Gaze into the external world.
Let your eyes,
Your attention meander,
Gazing in a very curious,
Exploratory,
Slow way.
There is no rush,
No agenda.
Just allowing your gaze to move softly and slowly,
Like a butterfly lightly drifting from flower to flower.
Simply bring a slow,
Gentle visual connection to the space surrounding you.
It might be in front of you,
To the left or right,
Down towards your toes or up towards the sky.
Know that your body could turn.
There could be a moment where you shift your weight across your feet or sit bones.
If you're lying down,
You may decide to gently turn your head to expand your visual area.
As you orient,
Notice your breath.
Not to change it necessarily,
Although perhaps that happens the moment I mention breath.
And if so,
That is completely fine.
Perhaps you notice that you've been holding on in some way.
Maybe in your abdomen,
Which isn't allowing the air to be as free as it could be.
Or in the chest,
Lower pelvis area,
Or groin.
If so,
Can there be an ease in that area of the body?
While allowing the eyes to see around you,
To see space.
Don't force anything.
Simply draw your attention there and notice your body's response.
The listening with your eyes as you allow them to traverse the space while feeling the subtle shifts in your body as you move.
There might not be many shifts,
Or maybe there are.
If so,
Just continue to sense the ground under you as you transition.
Now I invite you to notice if there is a tendency to look more so in one direction.
What's drawing your gaze?
It's possible that it's environmental.
A window,
For example,
Or a beautiful flower.
So there's more of a draw to look out in that direction.
Simply notice if there's been a preference to look in one direction,
And see what it might be like to bring your focus to a different direction.
All the while noticing the ground under you,
And how it supports your body,
Your breath,
The gentle expansion and contraction,
Like waves rolling in and out of the shore.
If at any time you feel the urge to rest your eyes and go inwards,
That's okay.
There's no set steps for this.
It's really more of an exploration to bring your focus to see around you and orient your body in space.
As you notice the environment,
Continue to notice yourself.
What's happening in your body?
What sensations are you experiencing?
Is there anything shifting in your digestion?
In your temperature?
Are you noticing temperature differently?
Knowing that you don't need to notice anything at all.
You might not notice a change,
And that's completely normal.
Just another little thing to possibly bring attention to.
Can the breath be easy and relaxed?
Is there any tension in the face,
The neck,
The shoulders?
Is the body soft and relaxed,
Or is it holding something?
If so,
That's okay.
There's no need to change anything.
Simply hold your awareness in this area of tension,
And notice what happens as you continue to gaze around the room.
Does the tension change in any way?
Or maybe a different area begins to call for your attention.
Whatever happens,
It's okay.
Continue to breathe,
To look,
And to accept whatever may come up for you at this time.
When you are ready,
Prepare to close the session by bringing a bit of extra movement into the body,
Possibly wiggling the fingers or toes,
Or moving the head from side to side.
Bringing one hand to your belly,
And one hand to your chest,
Close your eyes,
And take a long,
Slow,
Relaxed breath in and out through the nose,
Thanking yourself for taking this time today to tune into your environment and truly listen to your body.
Thank you for joining me today and trusting me with your practice.
Namaste.
