Hello,
This is a short somatic practice to free the breath and also to unwind your nervous system.
This practice can be done lying down,
Either in bed or on the floor.
So when you're ready,
In a supine position,
Make sure that your head has a nice support so that your chin doesn't feel higher than your forehead.
You can use a pillow or a blanket to support your head.
And I'd like you to bend your knees and place your feet around hip-width distance on the floor.
So take a moment to just notice the effort that you're using to hold your legs in this position.
Is it effortful or is it easeful?
Notice the weight of your spine.
Can the weight of your spine fully release on the floor into the ground?
Notice if you're using your abdominal muscles to hold your legs.
If you feel some effort in using your abs to hold your legs in this position,
Just gently walk your feet a little bit closer towards your buttocks.
And now notice if you're using your quadriceps or your hip flexors to hold your legs in this position.
And if that is effortful,
Walk your feet a little further away from your buttocks.
And I'd like you to play with the distance from your feet to your buttocks.
Maybe take another moment or so to do any other minute adjustment until you can feel that your legs can stay in this position in almost complete ease.
As if the shin bones and the thigh bones of both your legs are supporting each other.
And once you find a comfortable position for your legs where there is a balance between effort and stability,
Begin to notice your breath.
And just notice if there is any movement that's coming through your breath.
Notice the next time you inhale,
Where does the breath move to?
And as you exhale,
What is the quality of your body in that instant?
And slowly start to string your inhalation through to the end of your exhalation.
Notice if there is any rhythmic movement within the inner body.
A movement that is governed by your breath pattern.
Begin to notice if the midline of your body,
Which is your soft spine,
Notice the movement of your spine as you breathe in.
As you exhale.
Are you able to feel an undulation of your spine?
Is it smooth?
Is it fluid?
Or maybe it's not.
Does the movement of your spine correspond with the quality of your breath?
And just watch how each breath cycle is evolving and changing.
Now let that go.
Bring your awareness now to the space between your shoulder blades.
And the next time you breathe in,
Notice if the shoulder blades move with your breath.
And as you breathe out,
How do the shoulder blades respond?
Does one side of the shoulder blade move more than the other?
Does one side move differently from the other?
Do the shoulder blades move at all?
Just explore with curiosity.
As there is no right or wrong,
Or good or bad.
It's just what is.
And the next time you exhale,
Leave that.
Bring your awareness now to your jaw.
Just notice if there is any tension in your jawline.
And begin to sense the right side of your jaw and the left side of your jaw.
Is there any difference?
Does one side seems tighter or is holding more tension?
Notice what is your jaw doing the next time you breathe in and breathe out.
Now from behind your eyelids,
Just notice if your eye socket holds any tension.
Once again,
Maybe one side seems a little bit more spacious or maybe not.
Notice how your eyeballs are swimming within these eye sockets.
And then bring your awareness to the space between your eyebrows and the space around your forehead,
Space along your hairline,
Any sensations along your scalp.
And then just take a few more breaths here.
Notice if the breath corresponds with any sensations in the areas of your face and your scalp.
And then leave all that.
And just notice the quality of your breath now.
Feel your relationship with gravity.
Listen to the space around you,
Notice what has changed.
And come back to just notice the movement of your spine with your breath.
Notice that more ease,
More fluidity.
And slowly straighten your legs,
One leg at a time or both legs together.
Allow your feet to turn out slightly naturally and feel your whole relationship with your environment.
With the ground beneath you,
Sky above you,
The space around you.
Take a few more breaths.
Allow the breath to be natural,
Relaxed,
Steady.
And when you're ready,
Wiggle your toes,
Move your fingertips.
Feel how these tiny movements ripple through the whole body.
And then slowly blink open your eyes.
Let the gaze be soft and take in your environment with open eyes.
Thank you for doing this practice with me.
Namaste.
