I encourage you to get into a comfortable position that can be lying down or it could be sitting up.
Find what works and feels best for you and your body.
As you get comfortable,
Begin to recognize the breath,
Becoming more and more aware of the inhale and the exhale.
Notice the subtle movements in the shoulders and in the chest and the belly and the cheeks and in the nostrils.
Tune into the natural temperature change that takes place as you inhale and exhale.
We all tend to have those days when nothing seems to be going the right way.
You make plans and inevitably those plans change.
You may not be feeling well physically.
You might feel emotionally exhausted.
Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed with personal responsibilities,
Work responsibilities,
Household responsibilities.
And I know when I get into this mindset,
I often label the day as being bad.
And in the moment,
It feels good to say it's a bad day.
But when I really tune in,
I notice the inaccuracy of this statement because no day is 100% bad.
There is almost always something good,
However small it may be.
And by challenging this thought,
This statement,
You can train the mind to recognize both the good and the bad.
Take a deep breath in and a long,
Intentional breath out.
And begin to accept clarity within the mind,
Invite clarity in the mind.
Recognize that there are both good and bad things within your day.
And that none of these moments are entirely permanent.
This too will pass.
When you do have painful moments throughout your day,
You are capable of responding with compassion and you can change the story that you're telling yourself.
Take a deep breath in and a long,
Intentional breath out.
And I invite you to bring into your mind something difficult that you have experienced today.
And be very specific.
Bring into the body that general feeling.
And allow it to naturally form.
And as this feeling of your bad day arises,
Pay attention to the physical experience.
What does your body feel like?
Where do you feel this bad day?
And notice the physical feeling and also the thoughts that begin to form.
And I really encourage you to challenge the judgment.
Rather than picking it apart,
Lean into the discomfort.
And allow for those things to flow.
Ask yourself how it feels to be having a rough day.
And with this awareness and recognition,
Begin to offer yourself compassion.
And love and kindness.
And retain some recognition and awareness of this experience in the mind and body and also begin to challenge it.
Offering yourself some words of affirmation in the process.
Yes,
This is a moment of pain.
It's a moment of discomfort.
It's a moment of hurt.
May I bring compassion to this pain and also awareness with caring and love.
And after repeating these words of affirmation and validation and also challenging those feelings and thoughts.
I invite you to let them go.
Let the phrases go,
Let the thoughts go and the feelings go.
And now bring something into mind that has brought you joy in today.
However small it may have been.
Maybe it was waking up on your own.
Maybe it was that very first sip of coffee this morning.
Maybe it was the smile on your child's face.
Maybe it was that short and momentary snuggle just before moving into your day.
See if you can tune into that moment.
Lean into that joy.
And as this comes into mind and into the body.
Connect with that experience as it was felt.
Recognize that although you may be having a hard day,
It is not entirely bad.
Connect to this moment as freedom from that pain.
May you appreciate and be grateful for those moments of joy and happiness.
And bring those feelings.
And to the rest of your day.
I invite you to wiggle the fingers and wiggle the toes,
Bringing some energy and movement into the body with compassion and love.
For your mind and for your body.
You just have this one.
Show gratitude for it.
And when you're ready,
Flutter open the eyes,
Come back into your space,
Moving forward with a new sense of freedom to choose what you feel in the moment.
