Let's make our bodies comfortable.
Having a little fidget,
Placing your legs somewhere they can rest,
Your hands and your arms comfortable maybe in your lap and taking a few deeper breaths.
Next time you inhale,
Taking a slightly deeper breath lengthening your spine a little bit,
Having the back of your neck be a little longer.
Exhaling,
Softening into your seat a little.
Let's see if we can balance a relaxed body and an alert mind.
Just notice our body,
Notice that being.
There are physical aspects of us,
The body,
How's that?
And there are non-physical aspects of us like emotions and thoughts.
How is it all hanging together?
Let's see if we can open our arms to all of it just right now.
Embracing the one who experiences it all with compassion.
Taking a few more breaths and noticing how it feels to become still.
We're going to use an infinity breath today to become into that healthier more relaxed state of mind,
Our alpha state.
So the infinity breath uses the infinity symbol like the figure eight centred on our heart.
So imagine your attention on your heart as you inhale you can imagine a loop that comes out above your head and time with your breath.
When you finish that in breath you're back to your heart.
When you're ready to exhale you imagine a loop that goes beneath your feet and as you finish that out breath you've got back to your heart in a figure eight or infinity shape.
Inhaling up above your head,
Imagine that any way you like.
Exhaling it down in a loop beneath your feet.
Our breath is still relaxed and comfortable.
If your mind wanders just return.
Inhaling in a loop above the head,
Returning to the heart.
Exhaling in a loop beneath your feet,
Returning to your heart.
Exhaling in a loop beneath your feet,
Returning to the heart.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
I'm releasing that breathing practice,
Resting for a moment in a more relaxed,
Healthier state of mind.
Our infinity breath reminds us that there are extremes.
Sorry.
There are polarity in life.
And that we do well to return to the centre.
After visiting the extremes.
And as we walk we experience these extremes sometimes.
They bring us strong emotions.
And that there is peace in the centre.
After visiting the poles,
The extremes.
Whether we are very active or very passive.
Can we return to the centre?
Sure.
And forgive ourself for those extremes.
And forgive ourself for those extremes.
Whether we are confident or terrified.
Whether we are full of direction.
Whether we are full of direction or stillness and passivity.
Are we able to honour,
Love and accept ourselves just as we are?
And if we can,
How does that feel?
If we visit the pole of masculinity,
We might be assertive,
It might get out of balance and be aggressive.
We visit the other pole of femininity,
Be still,
Well that may get out of balance and become too passive,
Helpless and despairing.
If we can acknowledge that journey to the poles,
To the extremes.
Take a big exhale,
Let it all go.
You may choose,
I choose to love,
Honour and accept myself just as I am in this moment.
All the great bits,
All the bits I like less,
The bits that work as strengths in my life,
The bits I feel are flaws,
This is me,
And I love myself,
I embrace myself,
Accept myself.
Just as I am in this moment.
Warts,
Split ends,
Ugly flabbery bits,
Everything.
How does that feel?
Resting in the centre,
Acknowledging it all,
Resting in the centre in peace.
Resting in the centre in peace.
Resting in the centre in peace.
Ram Dass told me that all our suffering is showing you where your mind is still clinging to control.
And it feels true for me.
And as we walk through the centre,
Around the poles,
The extremes.
Each offers us opportunity to grow.
To do things differently if that is our choice.
And to love ourselves a little more.
So,
When you're ready,
Taking a few deeper breaths.
And preparing our body to return to our regular waking state.
Allowing your fingers and toes to move a little bit.
Being aware of the peace inside ourselves even then.
Having a stretch if that's for you.
Thank you for practicing with me.
