We'll begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated upright or perhaps laying down today.
Taking a moment to get comfortable.
Stretch anything that needs to be stretched.
And then perhaps taking three deep breaths in through the nose,
Down deep into the diaphragm and out the mouth.
Doing that a few times.
And then bringing your breath back to a natural flow without trying to change it.
And focusing your attention on the breath.
Each inhale and exhale and staying with the breath for a while.
Watching the air move in through the nostrils,
Swirling at the back of the throat,
Moving down into the chest,
The belly.
And air moving up,
Back through the back of the throat and out the nostrils.
Maybe allowing each in breath to feel really nourishing.
And each out breath relaxing,
Relieving.
And as we watch the breath,
Noticing which thoughts arise as they inevitably will.
And each time a thought arises,
Bringing the attention back to the breath.
With kindness,
Without judgment.
And now maybe taking a moment to notice the quality of those thoughts that arise.
And perhaps even the quality,
The state of the mind in this moment.
Are the thoughts racing or moving slowly?
Is there a certain theme to them?
And again,
Noticing without judgment.
And again,
Noticing without judgment.
And then asking,
What does the mind need right now?
Maybe reassurance.
Maybe validation.
Maybe the mind needs rest.
Taking a moment to notice.
And now shifting the attention from the state of the mind and the breath to the body.
And we'll do a brief body scan,
Starting with the toes.
Noticing any sensations,
Pulsations,
Temperature.
Any subtle feelings.
Moving from the toes through the arches of the feet,
The heels.
Parts of our body that withhold so much for us.
Shifting the attention to the calves,
Maybe the backs of the legs,
Making contact with the surface,
The ground beneath you,
And noticing what that feels like.
And noticing what that feels like.
Moving the attention to the knees,
The thighs.
And again,
Noticing the sensation of the backs of the thighs,
Against the ground beneath you.
Maybe there's a sense of support or heaviness.
Allowing yourself to be supported from the earth beneath you.
Moving up to the hips.
Perhaps breathing deep into the pelvic bowl,
Where our reproductive organs sit.
Maybe noticing sensations in our seat,
The perineum.
Moving up into the belly.
Perhaps feeling the rise and fall of the breath in the belly.
Does it feel tight or open?
Breathing into that space.
Moving up to the chest and the lungs.
Again,
Feeling the breath move in and out.
Noticing the state of the chest right now.
The state of the space around the heart.
Up into the shoulders,
Again,
Where we hold so much.
Maybe breathing into those areas to soften.
And shifting the attention to the arms.
Noticing where they are in space and what they feel like.
Down into the hands and the fingers.
Again,
Noticing any subtle sensations.
Tingling,
Gentle pulsing.
And noticing if it is challenging to sense the feeling there.
Shifting the attention to the neck and the throat.
Maybe feeling the breath move through as well.
And breathing into the jaw.
Another place we hold so much.
And softening the muscles of the face,
The eyebrows.
And noticing where we hold so much.
Noticing where we hold so much.
And softening the muscles of the face,
The eyebrows.
And after moving through the body,
Perhaps shifting the attention,
Expanding the attention to the body as a whole.
As one breathing,
Alive being.
And noticing the state of the body right now.
Maybe there's areas that feel like they could use a little relaxation.
Maybe there's areas that feel like they could use a little relaxation.
And noticing the state of the body right now.
Noticing if there's any extra attention or love.
Maybe you ask the body,
What do you most need right now?
Maybe rest or movement.
Maybe nourishment or safety.
And noticing without trying too hard,
Noticing what comes up when you ask that question.
And now bringing your attention back to the chest.
To the space around the heart.
And the space around the heart might even include the shoulders,
The arms.
Breathing into the space around the heart,
Noticing the state of the heart right now.
Does it feel open or closed?
Constricted or relaxed?
Gently breathing into that space.
And maybe even imagining ice melting to water.
Water rising to vapor.
In this expansion and opening of the heart.
If that feels accessible right now.
Noticing if any emotions arise.
And acknowledging them.
And letting go.
And acknowledging them without judgment.
Without labeling them as good or bad.
And again asking the heart,
What does the heart need most right now?
Maybe it's looking for compassion or love.
Maybe it needs equanimity right now.
Just noticing.
And then bringing the attention back to the breath.
Following each inhale and exhale.
And with each breath expanding the attention from the breath outward to include your entire being.
The mind,
Body,
Heart and spirit all existing together.
And with all of these parts integrated again asking the heart what does the heart need most right now?
What do I need right now?
And noticing what that question brings up.
Thoughts or memories.
Images.
Emotions.
Physical sensations.
And noticing all that comes without judgment and allowing it to come and go like waves of an ocean.
And then finally you're invited to offer some words of loving kindness to yourself.
May I be happy and have peace.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be may I be safe and protected.
May I be free.
And repeating whatever words feel authentic to you.
And then perhaps offering loving kindness to all beings May all beings be happy and have peace.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings be free.
