So before we begin remembering our intention that this practice is not about changing ourselves or making ourselves any better in any way,
The practice is about meeting ourselves just as we are in this moment,
In the messiness of our lives and ourselves and meeting ourselves with presence and love and care and compassion.
So the practice is an act of love,
An act of friendship and an act of kindness towards yourself.
When you're ready now you can put a hand on your heart if you like and a hand on your tummy and you can close your eyes if you want or keep them open if that feels better.
And now gently in your own time bringing your awareness to your breathing and just noticing the breath in the chest,
In the belly.
Noticing and being with the gentle waves of our breath and noticing when the mind has moved or wandered into thought and we don't judge this because we know it's the nature of the mind to think in the same way as it's the nature of our hearts to beat.
But we recognise when we are and we label it thinking if that's helpful.
And then really gently and kindly coming back to our breathing and resting with our breath.
Feeling our breath from the inside.
Allowing your breath to bring you home.
Coming home to yourself.
Home to the moment.
Home to the here and now.
Nothing else to do and nowhere else to be.
But noticing when the mind moves into thinking,
Into past or future or judgements or thoughts about ourselves and others and we can recognise this and label it thinking without judging the thinking mind,
Having compassion for our poor busy monkey mind.
Gently letting go of whatever thought is there and gently coming back to our breath.
Coming back to our bodies.
We can notice any tension we're holding in the body and starting with our forehead and relaxing any tension in the forehead.
Letting any tension melt and soften and relax.
Relaxing the muscles around the right eye and the left eye and in between the eyes.
Relaxing the right jaw,
Letting it open and drop and relaxing the left jaw,
The base of the tongue,
The gums,
Feeling the whole face melt and relax and soften.
Back of the neck,
Letting the right shoulder drop and soften and letting the left shoulder drop and soften.
And letting the tummy ease and soften and melt.
Letting the whole body soften even 5% more while keeping the back straight and strong like a mountain.
So we're relaxed,
Relaxed but awake and aware and just resting with our breath from this place and bringing the same kindness and care to your breath that you would to watching a little baby who you loved breathing.
Infusing her attention with care,
Infusing her attention with compassion and with love.
Knowing that it's an act of love and care for herself to gently be with our breath.
Letting our mind rest and letting our bodies rest and just noticing where your mind is now and noticing if you've moved into thinking again and if you have with care and compassion and kindness letting go of that thought and gently returning to yourself.
Coming home,
Coming home to the moment,
Home to yourself.
Melting into the moment.
Melting into this ocean of loving,
Compassionate presence.
Breathing in and out loving,
Compassionate presence.
Trusting and knowing that this is your true nature.
That our thoughts and our feelings they come and go like the clouds in the sky but our true nature is like the blue sky always there beneath the clouds.
So breathing in this loving,
Compassionate presence to yourself and out for others.
To yourself and out for others.
To yourself and out for others.
And checking in with how you feel now in your body,
In your mind and in your heart.
Trusting and knowing that however way you feel is absolutely okay and asking yourself is there anything you need?
Anything your body needs?
Anything your mind needs?
Anything your heart needs right now?
And maybe making an intention to give yourself what it is that you need.
And letting go of the practice now and opening your eyes.
