Today,
I'm bringing you a practice called The Room of Doors.
It's about the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we choose to leave behind and the ones that we choose to visit.
So it'll be a gentle invitation to leave some doors closed and open others.
And I hope you'll enjoy it.
So let's get started.
So,
Beginning by finding a comfortable position,
Whether that's lying down or sitting or even standing.
You might lean against a wall if you do that.
And allowing your body to adjust to the surface that's beneath you,
Feeling fully supported,
Taking a few moments to adjust,
Perhaps moving the shoulders or the hips.
And if you're sitting or lying down,
Maybe placing a blanket over your body if that's comfortable.
And you might rest one hand on the heart or the belly or both.
That would be both hands then.
Or simply allow the arms to settle by your sides.
And if you feel comfortable doing so,
You may close the eyes or obviously keeping them open as an option.
Keeping them softly open is an option.
And if it feels comfortable for you,
Taking a slow breath in through the nose and letting it out through the mouth.
Alternatively,
If focusing on the breath that way does not feel comfortable,
You may focus on the rise and fall of the belly as you breathe.
And if you did focus on your breath,
Let it return to its natural rhythm.
There's nothing to change.
And perhaps beginning to notice the places where your body meets the ground or the surface that's beneath it.
You might feel it at the back of the heels,
The calves,
The thighs,
The weight of the hips and the pelvis,
The ribcage,
The shoulders,
The arms,
The back of the head.
Feel how the ground is holding you up.
You do not need to hold yourself up.
You can simply let yourself be supported.
And see if you can allow the body to soften a little more.
Even just 1%.
And as we go further into this practice,
Please remember that you are always in control.
You are always in choice.
Nothing is forced.
Nothing needs to be opened.
You can move closer or further away.
You can pause at any time.
You can stay exactly where you are.
The pace you choose is the right pace.
We'll start by the rotation of consciousness,
Bringing attention to the right hand.
Focusing on the thumb,
The index,
The middle,
The ring and the little finger.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand.
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm and shoulder.
Right side of the chest,
The waist,
The hip,
The right thigh,
The knee,
The calf,
The ankle.
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot.
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
And now bringing your awareness to the left hand.
Left thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring and little finger.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand.
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Left chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle.
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot.
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and little toe.
Now feel the whole body together.
The entire body resting here.
Still and supported.
And now imagine a place that feels calm and safe or neutral.
It might be a real place or something that you imagine.
Perhaps it's a quiet room,
A peaceful landscape or simply a soft open space.
There's no need to see it clearly.
Just sensing the feeling of it.
Letting the body settle into this place.
And within the safe space,
Imagine that you are in a room.
A quiet and spacious room.
The room feels steady and grounded.
Safe,
Safe enough.
And around the room,
There are several doors.
Each door is different.
Different shapes,
Different colors,
Different textures.
Some doors may feel familiar.
Others may feel neutral.
And some may feel like they're not for today.
Just taking a moment to simply notice the room.
There's no need to approach any door.
Just being here.
Notice that each door can remain closed.
Nothing will open unless you choose to do so.
You're in control of the distance.
You're in control of the timing.
You're in control of whether anything opens at all.
Even standing in the room is enough.
And perhaps you may take this moment to let your body feel what it's like to be in a place where you have choice.
If it feels right,
You may approach a door.
You may notice that there is one door that feels neutral or gently inviting.
It's not intense.
It's not overwhelming.
Just something that feels okay.
And if nothing calls to you,
You can remain exactly where you are.
But if there is a door,
You might slowly move in a little closer.
Or simply turn your attention to that door.
But doing so at your own pace.
Now standing near this door,
Notice what it feels like to be here.
You don't need to open the door.
You can simply stand beside it.
You could just sit nearby.
Or you could step back.
You're in control.
Take a moment to feel your feet.
Your body.
Your breath.
The sensations in your body.
Staying connected to the present.
And if it feels comfortable,
You might imagine placing a hand on the door.
Feeling its surface.
You can choose to open it just a little.
Or leave it completely closed.
Any choice you make is valid.
And if you choose to keep it closed,
There is a complete and meaningful choice.
And if you choose to open the door,
It can be just a small opening.
Just enough to glimpse what's inside.
Nothing more.
You're not stepping in.
You're not entering.
You're just noticing from where you are.
And at any moment,
You can close that door again.
Remember that you are in control.
And if you feel ready and you had that door open,
You may gently close it.
Or step back.
And notice how that feels in your body.
You might even return to the center of the room.
Where all the doors are around you.
Closed or open.
Exactly as you have chosen.
And perhaps taking a moment to feel the room again.
The space.
The stillness.
The sense that you can choose.
That you can approach.
Or that you can step back.
The sense that you can open the doors or you can leave them closed.
This is your space.
And your pace.
And you may wish to bring to mind a simple intention.
Perhaps it's I trust my pace.
Or I am allowed to choose.
Or I move at a pace that feels right for me.
And repeating that chosen phrase silently.
Letting it settle.
And now if it feels comfortable,
You can release all the imagery.
You no longer need to see the room.
There's no need to focus on the doors.
Just taking a moment to rest.
The body is supported.
The breath moving naturally.
The quiet sense of choice remaining.
And if you feel ready,
You may bring awareness back.
To the breath.
To the body.
To the surface beneath you.
To the room around you.
Invite small movements into the fingers and the toes.
Perhaps stretching the arms,
The legs.
Keeping the eyes soft if you like.
Taking a moment to notice how you feel.
And remember that you can return to this room at any time.
You can choose which doors to open.
And which ones to leave closed.
And if anything at all felt unsettling during this practice.
Please reach out to a trusted person.
Or engage in an activity that will feel grounding to you.
And I'd like to thank you for taking time today to take care of yourself.
Namaste.
