So let's begin by finding a place where you can relax and where you can commit to being soft,
To being gentle,
And to let go.
So once you've found that spot and you're feeling comfortable,
Go ahead and close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath.
So just noticing your inhale and your exhale as it floats in and it floats out.
And noticing your breath and bringing all of your attention and all of your focus on your breath.
And noticing your heart and your chest expanding on the inhale.
And on the exhale,
Feeling it release and let go.
And breathing into your belly and feeling your belly expand on the inhale.
And as you exhale,
Feel it let go and release and feel your navel just pulling in ever so gently.
And as you inhale and exhale,
Just breathing in the energy of tenderness.
So when you feel into the word tenderness,
What comes up for you?
What do you notice?
For me,
I notice and I feel softness,
Gentleness,
Sensitivity,
And deep affection.
So as you inhale and exhale,
Feeling into tenderness within your body.
So literally go to the places that you know that you hold tension.
So maybe it's in your shoulders.
And breathe in tenderness into your shoulders,
Inhaling and exhaling tenderness.
And find another spot within your body you can feel is holding tension.
And breathe in gentleness,
Kindness,
And tenderness.
And just feel your whole body filling up with tenderness.
And as you fill it up with tenderness,
Notice that it becomes soft,
More open,
More available.
Through tenderness,
We begin to feel more love within ourselves and we begin to experience love all around us.
So sense,
Visualize,
Or imagine a time in your life or experience that you have where you feel very uncomfortable,
You feel a lot of tension.
Something about yourself that maybe bothers you or that challenges you,
Something that you're not comfortable about yourself.
And see this whole situation,
Call on a past moment in time,
Or even just feel into your body right now.
And then bring in the feeling of tenderness into this situation,
Into this challenge.
And notice what tenderness can do to this situation and what does it mean to be tender in this moment.
Are you having more patience with yourself,
Less expectation,
Are you being more sensitive to your own needs,
Are you having more opportunities for self-care?
So as you call this in,
Also see what you are willing to commit to doing when this occasion arises again.
And this is a commitment just to yourself,
But what experience of tenderness can you bring to this situation and can commit to?
Breathe that in and exhale.
Now go into a challenge that you have with someone else,
An expectation that you have with someone or a specific dynamic that feels rigid,
Feels uncomfortable,
That feels entangled or gnarly.
And as you feel into this experience,
Notice what it does to your body,
Notice where your thoughts go.
And then notice when you bring in that energy of tenderness,
See if you can soften up this situation.
Notice what happens if you can be more tender or sensitive to the other person's needs or more tender and more sensitive and more loving for your own needs in this situation,
In this specific dynamic.
Notice if you receive any specific insight on how to handle this challenge if it is to arise again and what you can commit to bringing in when it happens again,
What feeling of tenderness can you bring to this situation and commit to it.
And as you lie here in this moment in time,
Filling your body with tenderness,
As you exhale just feel yourself softening even more,
Feeling your body letting go.
And let's take a few breaths together just to feel in this practice,
Inhaling,
Feeling yourself being held and cared for by your own breath.
And as you exhale,
Sending that energy out into the space all around you.
And once again,
Inhaling,
Inhaling self-care,
Self-love,
And exhaling that energy out into the space all around you,
Allowing it to ripple out into your life.
And for this last one,
Place your hand on your heart,
Breathing in tenderness right into your heart space.
And once again,
Exhaling,
Allowing that energy to ripple out.
Namaste.
