Okay,
So let's just begin to settle into our practice together.
Settling into this new moment.
This is a moment that we've never had before,
We'll never have again.
And before we close the eyes,
If that feels comfortable,
I just offer the invitation to look around.
And taking in the sights around you,
The colors,
The shapes.
Can even orient behind you if you wanna make sure you're looking behind and just,
Yeah,
Noticing that in this moment,
We are okay.
And very slowly and gently closing the eyes if that feels comfortable,
Otherwise softening the gaze,
Looking a few feet in front of you.
Arriving here and now.
We might invite the body into a posture that feels both awake and alert and also relaxed and at ease.
So if we're feeling tired and we need to lie down,
Please do that.
Otherwise,
Finding a comfortable seated posture might require a little bit of adjusting.
We need to roll the shoulders,
Relax the jaw,
Soften the belly.
And as we're settling more fully into this new moment,
Allowing the breath to deepen as we breathe fully into the lungs and the belly.
And as we exhale,
Elongating the exhale and letting go.
And breathing in a full breath.
Exhaling,
Letting go.
Slowing down one breath at a time.
Allowing our next breath to be received with a soft belly.
Letting go of the breath whenever it's ready as we allow the breath to fall into a natural rhythm.
And noticing what it feels like to breathe.
Where do we feel the breath in the body?
Sometimes we feel it more naturally in the nose.
Sometimes it's in the rise and fall of the chest or the belly.
Sometimes it's a sense of the whole body breathing.
Seeing if we can follow this felt sense from the beginning of the inhale all the way to the end of the exhale.
And letting go of the breath as we exhale.
Resting our attention on what it feels like to breathe.
And sometimes our mind might take us to the future or the past.
This is normal.
It's a perfect opportunity to begin again.
Can I feel just this breath?
There's nothing more to do,
Nothing to fix or change.
Feeling the inhale,
Feeling the exhale.
We might explore a gentle mantra as we breathe in.
Breathing in,
I have arrived.
And as we breathe out,
Breathing out,
I am home.
Just repeating this mental whisper.
Breathing in,
I have arrived.
Breathing out,
I am home.
Beginning to gently shift the attention to notice the earth beneath us,
Supporting us.
We might notice the solid ground that holds us up.
And to the extent that we're able,
Beginning to let go through the body.
Softening,
Softening the muscles.
Softening any holding.
And trusting that we'll be supported by the earth beneath us.
We might explore softening around the eyes.
Separating the teeth ever so slightly and softening the jaw.
Relaxing through the neck and the shoulders.
Relax through the chest and the belly.
Relaxing through the neck and the belly.
Soften through the spine.
Letting go of any tension from the hips down to the feet.
We can give ourselves permission to let go.
Let go and be held and supported by the earth.
We can begin to more fully invite this quality of softness into our experience.
There's a gentleness,
Acceptance,
Kindness.
And as we invite softness into our experience,
We might notice what arises.
There may be an image that represents this quality of softness.
Maybe there's a word or a phrase.
Or maybe it's just a feeling in the body.
Allowing softness to be here with us.
Giving ourselves permission to feel peace,
To let go,
To soften.
We can allow this energetic quality to be our ally in this practice today.
As we very gently bring our attention to a part of the body that has mild discomfort.
So at this point,
We don't need to turn towards something that is deeply traumatizing or painful.
Just noticing a mild discomfort in the body.
Very gently bringing our attention to the body,
Can we become curious about this experience?
We might just begin to notice the edges of the discomfort.
As Tara Brock reminds us,
We can meet our edge and soften.
What is it like to bring this quality of softening to the edges of this discomfort in the body?
And if it feels comfortable and safe,
We can move more towards the center of the discomfort.
But if that doesn't feel safe in this moment,
We can just stay on the edge.
Intentionally softening.
Softening.
Sometimes it's helpful to offer words of reassurance.
I give myself permission to soften around this discomfort.
Allowing this discomfort to be held within a softer quality.
This soft energy.
Almost as if we're befriending this discomfort.
Really getting to know it.
What's it like?
What does it feel like?
Bringing this kind,
Gentle softening.
We can stay with this part of the body if it's calling for that,
Or we can gently move to a different part of the body.
This experiencing just mild discomfort.
Bringing the softness to this part of the body.
Noticing once again,
Just the edges.
Bringing kind attention.
What is it really like?
And we listen.
Part of the softening is listening without having to fix or change right away.
And to whatever level feels comfortable,
We can allow the softness to move further into the area of discomfort.
And if it ever feels overwhelming or too much,
We can always back away.
Returning to our breath.
Returning to the feeling of the earth beneath us.
Reconnecting to this quality of softening.
I might offer the invitation for this softness to move throughout the entire body.
Even if we need it to move beyond the boundary of the body,
We can invite it to do so.
This kindness.
This softening.
Throughout every cell of the body.
Expanding to create this holding space around the body.
And taking a couple of minutes here in silence to rest and to be held in this spaciousness,
This softness,
This kindness.
And taking a moment to check in.
We might ask ourselves,
How am I doing in this moment?
And listening to what arises.
If it feels comfortable and authentic,
We might place a hand on the heart.
Offering ourselves a gesture of compassion and well wishes.
May we be held in the great heart of compassion.
May we give ourselves permission to soften and let go.
May we be held in the great heart of compassion.
May we give ourselves permission to soften.
And for that,
May we be held in the great heart of compassion.
Fully rest.
And taking two slow cleansing breaths here.
May this practice support you on your healing path.
And may this practice reduce the suffering of all beings everywhere.
Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes if your eyes were closed.
And just take your time here.
Thank you so much.
