Beginning by settling into a position for practice.
You can lay down if that's comfortable.
You can be seated in any way that you'd like.
You could stand.
Whichever position is most comfortable for you right now.
And you might place some cushions under the knees.
Maybe a blanket under the head or over your body.
Anything that helps the body feel held.
And remember that this is your practice.
You can adjust in any way that you need.
And you could allow the eyes to close or soften your gaze.
Whatever feels most comfortable.
Notice that there's nowhere else to be right now.
There's nothing to achieve.
You don't need to perform anything.
Just take a moment to welcome yourself exactly as you are.
Becoming aware of your intention for this practice.
This is called the sankalpa.
You might want to keep it simple,
Kind,
And true.
It could be something like,
I trust myself.
More inner wisdom lives in me.
Or it could be,
I can listen inward.
Or you can choose your own words if another phrase feels more natural for you.
And once you've settled on those words,
Repeat your sankalpa quietly to yourself three times.
And you might begin to notice the natural rhythm of settling.
You might notice the breath moving,
The rise and fall of the belly.
Or other subtle movements that are within.
And if focusing on the breath doesn't feel supportive today,
Simply notice where your body contacts the surface beneath it.
The sounds around you.
The feeling of being supported.
Really dropping down into the body and feeling the whole body resting.
We're going to begin the rotation of consciousness.
That's moving awareness through the body without necessarily moving the body.
You can,
If you need to.
But just mostly seeing the body through your mind's eye.
Starting with bringing the awareness to the right hand thumb.
The index finger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
Palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right waist.
Fire.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul of the Foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe,
And the little toe.
And switching over now to the left side.
Bringing awareness to the left-hand thumb.
Index finger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist,
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpits,
Left waist.
5.
.
.
Ankle.
Heal.
Soul of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third,
Too.
Fourth toe.
And the little toe.
Moving your awareness now to the back body.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Spine,
Lower back.
Tell us.
The backs of both legs.
The heels.
Bringing your awareness now to the front body.
Crown of the head.
Forehead.
Our brows,
Space between the eyebrows.
The eyes.
The cheeks.
Nose.
Lips.
Ja.
Throat.
Chest.
Heart center.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Front of the pelvis.
The whole right leg.
The hold left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole of the back body.
The whole of the front body.
The whole head.
The entire body together.
The whole body resting.
Now you might notice sensations of heaviness in the body.
The body just heavy.
Deeply heavy.
Sinking into the surface that's beneath the body.
And now inviting the opposite sensation.
Lightness.
The whole body.
Light.
Spacious.
Floating with ease.
And contrasting the sensations from heaviness.
To brightness.
Light.
Heavy.
Light.
And letting both dissolve.
And you might notice warmth in the body.
Spreading gently.
And now,
Coolness.
Fresh coolness.
Not sensing warmth.
And then coolness.
Warm,
Cool.
And then releasing both.
And then bringing awareness to the natural flow of the breath if that feels comfortable.
If that does not feel comfortable,
Please notice another steady rhythm,
Like the beating of the heart.
Or any sounds in the room.
Or a feeling of support beneath you.
And without changing anything,
I'm going to count gently backward from 11 to 1.
And each exhale or each going of a sensation can feel like a wave of settling.
And I'll start now.
Eleven.
10.
9.
8.
7.
Six.
Five.
4.
Three.
And one.
And now you might imagine a quiet inner space.
A sanctuary where you can trust yourself.
It could be a path in the forest.
It could be a shoreline where the waves are calm.
It could be a warm room.
It could be a temple.
Or it could just be open sky.
And see whatever comes naturally.
Or simply sense the feeling of being steady.
In this place,
There is a source of wisdom waiting for you.
Maybe it appears as light.
Maybe it appears as a guide.
It could be an older version of you.
And it could be a felt sense.
And you might ask inwardly,
What would you have me know today?
And whatever arises is quite complete.
It is enough.
It could be a word,
An image,
A feeling,
Or nothing at all.
And you can rest here in the feeling that that wisdom doesn't need to shout.
Trust can be quiet.
Trust can grow slowly.
Trust can return.
And then you might want to repeat your sankalpa,
Your inner intention.
Again 3 times.
Whether that was,
I trust myself.
Inner wisdom lives in me.
I can loosen inward.
Or words of your own choosing.
And if you would like to stay here,
Please allow yourself to do so.
Nor you could begin returning.
Gently becoming aware of the room around you.
And tuning into sounds near and far.
Feeling the temperature of the air on your skin.
Sensing the surface that is supporting you.
And taking a moment to notice your body lying here or sitting here or standing here.
And whenever you're ready,
You might gently invite some small movements in the fingers and the toes.
Perhaps some movements in the wrists and the ankles.
Perhaps a stretch if that's needed.
And if you're at your eyes closed,
You may open them slowly whenever you want.
And may you carry with you the quiet knowing that trusting yourself is already within you.
And if there was anything at all during this practice that felt unsettling,
Please reach out to a trusted person or do something that feels grounding for you.
And thank you so much for taking the time to take care of yourself today.
Namaste.
