Hi there and welcome to your meditation.
For this practice and all practices,
Remember that you can put yourself in any position that is the most comfortable nourishing for your body.
So lie down if you need to,
Grab some extra pillows or blankets or whatever you need to be held as you arrive into this space.
Once you get your position settled,
Just take a moment to feel your body arrive into that shape,
How it's being held,
But also how your energy feels,
Any emotions that are present with you right now.
Notice if connecting to your breath,
Whether that's acknowledging it or gently slowing it down.
Notice if that relationship with your breath can make an impact on helping you feel a little bit more centered or grounded,
If you could feel a shift in sensation or energy.
Now release any attachment to the breath and bring to mind the most comfortable,
Cozy place you can imagine.
Maybe this is some place you've been,
Maybe it's where you live,
Maybe it's some place you've visited or something imagined from a book or just your own fantasy.
Maybe it's from a scene in a movie.
Just trying to bring to mind a space that makes you feel like you can rest a little bit more deeply,
Like there's nothing for you to do there.
It just feels cozy,
Relaxing,
Comfortable.
Maybe it's emerging of multiple places,
Knowing that this is your cozy space and you can make it whatever you want.
Mine is a combination of a place in a movie and a place near my grandparents' chalet in Canada.
As you bring this place to mind,
I don't want you to just envision the space,
I want you to try to get a sense of you being in it.
Maybe visualization comes easily and you can imagine seeing your body in this space.
If you're like me and visualization is a little harder,
Maybe it's more of this physical or emotional sensation of arriving into that place.
Are you seated somewhere?
Are you lying down?
This is a space just for you,
So if you've invited anyone into this space,
Gently ask them to leave and allow it to be your sanctuary and completely about your comfort.
Acknowledge what you need in this space to make it as inviting and enticing for you and your rest as possible,
Right?
Do you need cozy blankets and pillows?
Fireplace?
A cat?
Some books?
What is it that is going to make this space cozy for you?
Maybe none of the things that I just shared because all of those come from mine,
Right?
What do you need?
See if you could try to invoke those feelings of comfort and rest,
The sense of being nourished and supported,
Right?
Is all the prepared food you need there,
Right?
So you don't have anything to worry about or think about.
Everything is taken care of.
There is nothing you need to do here.
Is there any name that comes to mind that you want to call this place?
Your little rest haven?
Your cozy space?
Your sanctuary?
Your nook?
Whatever it is,
Just remember this place so that anytime anxiety arises or pain flares up or the world feels too big and overwhelming or scary,
You can close your eyes and mentally place yourself in this space that holds you during that.
That lets you just be remembering that you can come to it as often as you like in your own time.
You can gently become aware of your breath.
Maybe that means slowing it down if it's sped up to its natural pace and feeling the layers of your body.
Maybe eventually taking a little bit of movement,
Just some little wiggles or stretches or shifts,
And take your time to slowly reintegrate into your day.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I'll see you next time.
