As we do this mindfulness exercise,
You might find that your imagination,
Your thoughts,
Will want to intrude with stories about the past or the future.
That's okay.
That's just what minds do to try to protect us,
Giving us stories to keep us alert.
For now,
Allow those thoughts to come and go without engagement or judgment.
Let them flow by as if you were the sky and the thoughts were clouds drifting across.
If you find yourself caught up in a story or a worry when you notice that that has happened,
Bring yourself back to this moment,
Maybe by bringing your attention back to your breath.
Return to this moment of nurturing your body and mind with self-compassion.
So,
Allow everything that has happened before now to fall away and let go of everything that will happen after.
Bring yourself to this moment.
Settle into your seat and allow your breath to be soft,
Relaxed,
Slow,
And comfortable.
Maybe start your inhale by expanding your belly and then let the breath rise up into your lower rib cage and then your upper rib cage.
Reverse direction on the exhale.
Chest falls first,
Belly button towards your spine last.
If you're comfortable closing your eyes,
Close your eyes.
If not,
Just allow your gaze to soften.
Begin to notice how you feel sitting in a seat.
Keeping both of your feet on the floor,
Feel any pressure on the bottoms of your feet.
Allow your hands to rest on your knees or thighs or maybe cup one hand in the other,
Palms facing up in your lap.
Let go of any holding in your belly and allow each vertebrae in your back to stack one on top of the other,
Starting at your tailbone and continuing all the way up to the base of your skull.
Head and neck in line with your spine.
Allow your skeleton to hold you and relax your muscles.
Shoulders melt down away from your ears,
Shoulder blades slightly closer to one another on your back.
As you continue to breathe in,
With each in-breath,
Notice if there's any more holding that you can relax and soften it on your next exhale.
Allow your jaw to go slack.
Watch your breath as it enters your body.
What part of your body needs to move as you breathe in and what has to move to allow you to exhale?
Continue to breathe nice,
Long,
Slow,
Relaxed breaths.
And then when you're ready,
Gently blink your eyes open and notice how you feel.
