Welcome.
Today we're going to take a moment to reconnect with our body's signals of yes and no.
There is no need to try to fix or change anything.
Simply be present and curious.
Let's start with an awareness of our breath.
There's no pressure to breathe at a certain pace.
Just observe your breath and be present with where you are right here and now.
As you settle in,
Notice where your body makes contact with the support beneath you,
Whether it's a chair or the floor or your yoga mat.
Notice the warmth where your body meets that surface and the stillness starting to envelop you.
We're going to start to gently scan our body as we journey from our head and moving down to our feet.
Begin at the top of your head.
Notice if you feel any sensations here.
Maybe you feel tension or stillness.
Notice your forehead.
Is your brow furrowed or soft?
Observe the sensations around your jaw.
Does it feel loose or tight?
Is your tongue resting or pressed against the roof of your mouth?
Bring your awareness to your neck and throat.
Do you feel a sense of constriction or ease?
Moving to our shoulders.
Are they lifted or perhaps sloped forward?
If you're lying down,
Do they feel heavy and grounded against the floor?
If you're seated,
Are they leaning into something or pulling away?
Feel into your chest and notice your ribcage rising and falling.
How would you describe the rhythm of your breath?
Is it more like a locked drawer or a breeze through an open window?
There's no right or wrong answer.
Simply what you are experiencing in this moment.
Drop your awareness to your belly.
Does it feel soft like a cloud or more like a tightly wound rope?
Observe your lower back.
Notice if you feel any pressure,
Tightness or space.
Bring your attention to your hips and pelvis,
The root of your body.
Do they feel heavy and grounded?
Or do they feel unsettled as though they're pulling back?
Scan through your thighs.
What does their weight feel like against the surface supporting you?
Moving down to our knees.
Do they feel like they want to move or do they feel settled and restful?
Notice the physical sensations.
Feel your awareness travel down the lengths of your calves all the way down to your ankles.
Allow your attention to focus on your feet.
Where are they making contact with the ground?
Are your toes curling back or spread out wide?
Do they feel like they want to stand or to run or to stay right where they are?
Let all of these observations settle within you.
There is no need to analyze these sensations.
Just let your body speak to you in the first language you've ever known.
Feeling.
Now that we've spent some time tuning into our bodies,
I invite you to gently call to mind a moment in your life when your whole body was telling you yes.
Maybe it was a big life choice or a small decision that felt deeply aligned with you.
A moment when you said yes to something or someone and it turned out to be right.
Where were you?
What could you see?
What sounds surrounded you?
Did you notice a scent in the air?
Was your body still or moving?
Were you smiling without realizing it?
What did your yes feel like in your body?
Where did you physically feel warmth,
Space or ease?
Did you notice your chest feeling more uplifted?
Were your shoulders soft?
Did your body feel as though it were leaning forward toward this path?
Now let's recall a memory where your body was saying no.
Maybe you overrode this sensation.
Maybe you didn't.
But you could feel that something was off,
Even if you didn't have the words to explain it at the time.
What did that moment feel like in your body?
Was there a sensation of tightness or tension?
A sense of pulling back?
Maybe you clenched your jaw or felt your stomach sink.
We are not here to judge these sensations.
Only witness them.
There is no need to relive these stories.
We're simply feeling and listening to what our body was trying to say.
If it feels safe for you to do so,
Bring to mind a situation you're currently facing in your life.
Maybe it's a decision,
An invitation or a relationship dynamic.
Anything where clarity would be helpful.
As you imagine yourself in that situation,
Notice what sensations you're experiencing in your body.
Do you feel as though there is a pull forward?
Is there a sense of warmth,
Curiosity or ease?
Does your body feel as though it's retreating or curling?
Do you notice any tightening or resistance?
There's no need to figure anything out right now.
Just notice how your body responds as you imagine this situation.
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to say no.
And to say yes.
Your body always knew.
And that knowing is still inside of you.
Begin to breathe more deeply.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Place your hand over your heart as you thank your body for always trying to guide you along the path of your own personal truth and authenticity.
You can return to this wisdom at any time.
Even when your mind feels unsure,
Your body is always speaking if you take the time to listen to it.
Thank you for showing up for this practice and for honoring your body's quiet wisdom.
