First finding a position that feels safe enough for now.
It doesn't have to be perfect,
It just needs to be okay.
And if you can,
Let the body be fully supported.
If you need to adjust anything,
You can do that now.
You can do that throughout the practice.
But after you've done that,
Allow yourself to stop again.
There's nothing you need to achieve here.
There's no way that you're supposed to feel.
And if your system feels busy,
Alert,
Or uneasy,
That is okay.
That is welcome.
You're not doing anything wrong.
We're also not trying to force the feeling of calm.
We're just giving the system,
The nervous system,
A little more space than it had a moment ago.
And just remember that nothing is being asked of you right now.
Perhaps you can begin by noticing one simple thing,
That you are here.
And something is supporting you.
And just notice the places that are held.
The heels.
The calves.
The hips.
The back.
The shoulders.
The head.
And if it helps,
You can let your attention land on one place that feels neutral or the least demanding.
And you don't have to scan for everything.
Just one place is enough.
And if your system feels activated,
It might feel like there's thoughts moving quickly.
There's tension in the body.
There's restlessness.
Like you're scanning for something to fix.
And that's okay.
We're not trying to stop that.
We're just adding something alongside.
Support and space.
And you might notice again that you are supported right now.
Not later,
Not when you calm down,
But now.
And now you can bring attention to the breath if that feels okay.
There is no requirement to track the breath.
And if focusing on the breath feels too intense or it makes you more aware in a stressful way,
Please skip this entirely.
Instead,
You can feel the body breathing without following it.
You can notice the air at the nostrils without tracking the rhythm.
Or just stay with contact points in the body.
Or perhaps just resting in the feeling of being here,
That awareness without an anchor.
And if you do notice the breath,
There is no need to slow it down.
Your system knows how to breathe.
Even if the breath is fast.
Even if the breath is shallow.
It's breathing.
It is doing its job.
And if at any point this feels like too much focus,
Perhaps gently widen your attention again to the whole body.
And we'll now bring attention to the body as we embark on a rotation of consciousness.
Starting by bringing the attention to the right hand.
At the right thumb,
The right index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the ribcage,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
Little toe.
The whole right side of the body.
And now the left side.
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left ribs,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
Left big toe,
And each toe.
The whole left side of the body.
Now to the back of the body.
The heels,
Calves,
Thighs,
Pelvis,
Lower back,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades,
Back of the shoulders,
Back of the head.
The whole of the back party.
Now the front of the body.
The chest.
The belly.
Solar plexus.
Throat.
Face.
The jaw.
Mouth.
Cheeks.
Eyes.
Forehead.
Top of the head.
The whole body together.
And you might notice that your system is still doing what it was doing earlier.
Maybe thinking,
Tensing.
Resting.
Moving,
Feeling unsure.
And all of that is allowed to continue in the background.
We're not trying to shut anything down.
Instead,
We're adding a second experience alongside.
And you might think to yourself that you are safe enough right now in this moment.
Not perfectly safe.
Not forever safe.
Just safe enough for this moment to soften a little.
And if that doesn't feel true,
That's okay too.
You don't need the forced belief.
Just noticing the idea of support is enough.
And if it feels okay,
We might gently come back to the breath or breath alternatives.
If you're focusing on the breath,
You may notice that it comes in and goes out.
But even this is optional.
You can let breath awareness fade in and fade out,
Like background noise.
There's no right anchor.
Your system is allowed to choose.
And if the breath feels activating,
Please return to contact with the ground.
Or sound in the room.
Or a sense of the whole body all at once.
Next,
We'll try to notice sensation in a simple way.
We're not trying to change anything,
Just noticing that experiences can come in waves.
Perhaps the feeling of heaviness.
And then the feeling of lightness.
Heaviness.
And lightness.
The next feeling,
The feeling of tension.
And the feeling of softness.
Attention.
And softness.
The next feeling,
The feeling of warmth.
And then coolness.
Warmth.
And coolness.
And the feeling of restlessness.
And the feeling of stillness.
Restlessness.
And stillness.
And if you notice tension anywhere,
See if you can also notice that there may be a small space somewhere else.
Not trying to fix anything,
Just noticing contrast.
And if you feel very activated,
Even a tiny sense of neutrality counts.
Even one percent less intensity is enough.
We're not trying to get rid of activation.
We're just letting your system not be trapped inside only one feeling.
And whatever is present right now is allowed to be here.
There's no need to interpret what's going on.
There's no need to work with it.
There's no requirement to understand it.
Just noticing this is what's happening in this moment.
And also you are the space where it is happening.
Then nothing needs to be resolved for you to rest.
And you might want to bring to mind a very simple intention.
Just keeping it short and easy.
No pressure.
It can be something like,
I can pause without fixing anything.
Or I can be here in small steps.
Or I can take this moment slowly.
Or it could be your own words.
And repeat them silently three times to yourself.
Let it be soft.
And now there's nothing further to do.
If the body rests,
That's fine.
If the body does not rest,
That's also fine.
If thoughts are active,
They can be active.
If sensations are strong,
They can be strong.
You're not required to move toward any particular state.
And you might notice that sounds are coming and going.
And thoughts are passing through.
Sensations might be shifting.
There might be moments of clarity or moments of blankness.
And all of it is okay.
And if it feels helpful,
Imagine a wide open sky.
Not a calm sky,
Just a big sky.
Clouds are moving through the sky.
Some clouds are fast,
Some are slow.
And the sky does not interfere.
And does not correct the clouds.
It just holds them.
Then you may think to yourself that you are not one of the clouds.
You are the space that the clouds move through.
And even if the clouds feel stormy,
The sky remains.
And once again,
If it feels okay,
You can notice the breath again.
Exerting no control.
Exerting no effort.
Just awareness.
No labeling,
Just sensing life moving.
And again,
If this feels like too much focus,
Let it go.
And if you'd like to stay here,
Please allow yourself to do so.
Otherwise begin to notice the body again.
Not to leave rest.
Just to incorporate the world again slowly.
And you might move fingers,
Toes,
Hands,
And feet.
You might sense the surface beneath you again.
Notice sound in the room.
Light streaming through.
The temperature of the air.
There is no rush to move.
Let movement come slowly if it wants to.
Perhaps a small stretch,
Or a deeper breath if it arrives naturally.
And when you are ready,
You can begin to return.
Not fully different,
But just carrying a little more space than before.
And if there was anything at all during this practice that felt unsettling to you,
Please reach out to a trusted person or simply do something that is grounding for you.
And I'd like to thank you for taking care of yourself today,
Taking the time to do that.
Namaste.
