Hi,
Thank you for joining me today.
My name is Susan,
And today I'm going to guide you through a practice designed to help you clarify a direction you'd like to move towards.
Something that can guide your choices,
Your energy,
And your attention over time.
We often think of goals as something tied to a specific time of year,
But in reality,
Goals serve a much deeper purpose.
They give us direction.
They help organize our attention and influence the choices we make,
Without needing to be rigid or perfectly defined.
When we're clear about what we're moving towards,
We reduce confusion and effort.
We're better able to discern what helps and what doesn't,
And how to take small,
Steady steps in that direction.
This practice is about listening inwardly,
And noticing what direction,
What goal,
Feels meaningful for you.
Begin by settling into a comfortable position,
One where you can remain both alert and relaxed.
Notice the chair or the floor beneath you,
Supporting you,
Holding your full weight.
Notice the physical sensation of your feet flat on the floor.
And if it feels okay,
Let your eyes close.
You don't need to do anything right now other than listen.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel your shoulders drop a little bit away from your ears.
If your mind wanders during our time together,
That's perfectly fine.
It happens to everyone at times.
Simply treat it as background noise,
And then bring your focus back to the sound of your breath and the sound of my voice.
Alright,
Bring to mind a goal or a direction that you'd like to move toward in your life right now.
Not a rigid to-do list,
But rather,
Think of it instead as an open horizon that you are standing at the edge of,
Looking toward what's possible.
You don't need a map or a compass to find your way.
You only need to notice what pulls you forward.
As you look out into this horizon,
Notice how the goal begins to represent itself to you,
Perhaps as a symbol,
A word,
An action,
Or even just a quiet internal nudge.
You don't have to force a clear picture,
Just let it arrive like your eyes are adjusting to a dim room.
Whatever appears,
Or even if nothing appears,
Is exactly the right starting point for today.
Notice how your body reacts to the idea of this goal.
Just checking in with any sensations there in your chest,
Your stomach,
Your breath,
The area around your heart,
The back of your throat,
Your brow.
Do you notice a sense of openness,
Or perhaps a bit of tension?
It's okay to treat these sensations like the weather,
By that I mean you aren't trying to change the weather,
You're just observing it.
If there's any resistance that you notice,
Just acknowledge it with kindness,
It's just a part of you trying to keep you safe.
Imagine creating a bit of space around that sensation,
Allowing it to be there without needing to solve it or make it go away.
Now,
See yourself taking just one step forward towards that horizon.
Just a single,
Small,
Easy,
Manageable step.
Feel your foot connect with the path.
What do you notice in the image around you?
As you take this small step forward,
Notice the shift in your energy.
Notice the subtle relief or curiosity that comes with simply being in motion.
Let this feeling of doing begin to settle into your muscles and your bones,
The very core of your being.
And as you picture yourself standing on this new spot,
Identify one quality you want to carry with you,
Perhaps steadiness,
Clarity,
Confidence,
Curiosity,
Determination.
Now,
I invite you to give that quality and the way it feels in your body a color.
What color would you give it?
If linking it with a color doesn't resonate with you,
You can link it with a physical sensation,
Like the touch of your thumb and forefinger together.
Take one more deep breath in,
Locking in this sense of possible movement towards your goal.
And exhale out when it feels right for you.
And as we start to come to the end of our time together today,
Take a moment to notice your sit bones on the chair or the floor beneath you,
And just noticing that this direction,
This step you took today,
It doesn't require any urgency.
This practice is something you can come back to again and again as your life unfolds.
And just wiggling your fingers and your toes,
Noticing any sounds in the room around you.
And when it feels okay,
Open your eyes,
You are back in the room and you are carrying this new sense of direction,
This goal with you into the rest of your day.
Be well.
