Hello and welcome.
Welcoming you into this embodied mindfulness practice using our feet,
Our foundation.
For this practice we will need a ball that can be a massage ball,
A tennis ball,
A lacrosse ball,
Anything that is round and smooth.
I'm practicing on the carpet but you might be on a yoga mat and I've got socks on,
It's cold and wintry here in Melbourne but you might also have bare feet.
This practice can be done standing,
You also might choose to explore the practice sitting down seated in a chair on the end of the couch.
This embodied mindfulness practice will invite you to explore,
To feel,
To sense sensations in your feet.
There's nothing to get right or achieve knowing that you can choose to rest,
To do something different than my guidance or linger anywhere a little longer than my guidance as well.
Encouraging you to make this practice spacious,
A place of discovery and exploration.
So as we prepare to begin it might feel nice to take a few sighs letting your breath escape through your mouth you can wave through your spine or roll through your neck arriving here together.
You can choose to keep your eyes open or float your eyelids closed and as you're ready bringing your attention to the soles of your feet feeling and sensing into the connection between the soles of your feet and the space,
The surface,
The ground that is beneath you.
And you could explore here how to invite in more sensation into your feet perhaps pressing through the ball of your foot,
Pedaling out through your feet.
You might even rock forwards,
Rock back feeling that connection between the whole sole of your foot and the ground.
You might even explore lifting up through each of your toes and seeing if you can place them down one by one.
Gently observing if your shoulders can soften down your back just a fraction.
Releasing out through your jaw,
Your cheeks,
Your tongue.
And as you bring your weight a little more into your left foot and bring the ball underneath the heel of your right foot.
The ball underneath the heel of your right foot,
The right ball of your foot grounded heavy sinking down into the surface underneath you.
Exploring here how can you feel more sensation in the heel of your right foot.
Pressing down into the earth noticing sensations arising in your right foot.
And then inviting that ball to rest beneath the ball of your right foot.
So your heel grounded heavy sinking down into the surface underneath you.
And how can you create more feeling and sensation in the ball of that right foot.
You might feel the texture of the ball on your skin,
Feeling into tingling pressure.
And gently observing if you are accumulating any tension through your fingers,
Perhaps they can release and soften.
And as you feel ready beginning to roll the ball beneath your foot.
And you might be feeling a lot of sensation here.
You are in control of the pace,
The pressure.
Inviting in less or more sensation into the whole sole of this right foot.
Observing if you are holding your breath,
Inviting a sigh maybe on your exhale.
Rolling that ball underneath the sole of your right foot.
Letting your awareness,
Your open,
Spacious,
Tender awareness land.
And feeling the sensation,
Pressure,
Tingling,
All of that aliveness beneath your right foot.
And you might choose to continue for as long as feels useful and supportive.
You might bring your right foot back down grounded.
Notice any shifts or changes,
Anything that is highlighted.
By your right foot,
Perhaps contrasting it to the left.
Celebrating,
Honouring anything that you feel and sense.
All of that aliveness,
Awake and energy beneath the sole of your right foot.
And the invitation to explore the other side with me now.
Bringing your weight more into the right foot,
Grounded,
Heavy,
Sinking down into the ground.
And bringing your ball beneath the heel of your left foot.
The ball of your left foot pressing into the earth.
What sensations can you feel and sense in your left heel?
What is capturing your attention?
And it could be now or in a few breaths time,
The transitioning to the ball beneath,
The ball of your left foot.
The heel of your left foot on the ground,
The surface beneath you.
And how can you invite in a little more sensation into the ball of your left foot?
Seeing if you might soften through your cheeks.
Letting your tongue grow heavy in your mouth.
Maybe even opening and closing your mouth a few times.
To really allow a slackening,
A releasing of your jaw.
And you can choose when to begin rolling that ball beneath the sole of your left foot.
Tending to any places that are inviting your tender spacious awareness.
These sensations,
Feeling,
This language of your body.
Welcoming a sigh on your exhale if that feels useful and supportive.
You might shake out through your wrists,
Ensuring your fingers,
Your hands remain soft and heavy.
This embodied mindfulness practice,
Paying attention to sensations.
Sensations arising as we move that ball beneath the sole of our left foot.
You might like to continue with this practice for as long as feels useful,
Supportive.
But whenever your body says that's enough,
Bringing both feet,
Planting both feet on the earth.
As you might hear my beautiful dog Ginger taking a drink of water just near where I'm practicing.
What do you notice about sensation feeling beneath the soles of your feet?
What is capturing your attention?
You might gently rock and sway,
Shifting your body weight through various parts of your feet.
And maybe there's a sense of being more connected to the ground.
Perhaps you notice something else.
If it feels okay,
You might place your hands on your heart space.
Thanking yourself for your practice.
Thanking your feet,
Your foundation for carrying you through your day,
Your week.
Feeling and sensing into that aliveness,
That awakening that you have created.
Stepping into presence.
So beautiful to practice together.
Wishing you a beautiful day.
Take good care.
