Welcome.
I am so glad you are here.
As we start to settle into this brief but powerful sit,
I encourage you to try and limit any distractions that might be in your space,
Whether it's a computer,
Whether they're notifications that you have on,
Just allowing yourself permission to shut down everything so that you can use this time to go inward,
To listen to what our inner knowing wants us to hear.
So if you feel safe and it's accessible for you to close your eyes,
Please feel free to do so.
A soft gaze looking down in front works just as beautifully.
It's all an effort to minimize our distractions and focus on the moment.
And as we start to settle in,
You might find some resistance initially.
The thinking might still be an overdrive,
Pulling you to the planning,
To the future,
Or the remembering in the past.
And as those thoughts present themselves as they will inevitably throughout our sit,
We'll release them like clouds moving along the sky and settle back in to this breath and then this one.
And so it goes.
You're likely starting to feel your body settle in,
Starting to feel your muscles relax,
Starting to feel the tension dissolve as we feel the weight of our body sitting in the chair or perhaps lying down,
Gently allowing yourself to move from the crown of your head to the top of your head,
Slowly scanning your body,
Identifying any areas that have yet to release that tension,
Breathing into those areas with a big exhalation,
Allowing your body to be heavier,
Noticing by simply giving a part of our body attention and permission to relax,
It often listens.
Our body is often begging us to take this time,
But we get busy and overlook the requests.
And as you complete that body scan,
Knowing you can always go back to any area that's calling for a little more love and attention.
But as we finish up that body scan,
We'll bring our attention to the breath,
Becoming intimately connected to the breath.
Intimately familiar with the inhales and the exhale,
Noticing the gentle rise of your chest and belly,
As well as the fall on the exhale,
Serving the length of your inhale,
And the length of your exhale,
Without judgment,
Without a story,
Inhale and notice,
Exhale and notice.
And the next few breaths,
We'll try to extend both the inhale and the exhale,
Taking a little bit deeper of an inhale,
And a little longer on the exhale,
Allowing yourself a few rounds of that deep,
Deep inhale,
And that long extended exhale,
Releasing any thoughts that have surfaced,
Allowing yourself to move back to the breath.
And after your next round of a deep inhalation and long extended exhalation,
Return to your normal cadence of your breath,
Remembering it's through the pause that we can continue,
It's through the pausing that we can sustain our life,
And it's through the pausing that we give our bodies a bit of gratitude for all they do for us,
And how they show up each and every day,
Despite how we may treat them.
And as we bring this powerful pause to an end,
I'd invite you to call in an intention on how you'd like to move forward from this moment,
Taking a few intentional breaths,
To hug that intention,
To plant it in our hearts,
And for that to be the guide moving forward.
Bringing that intention to our third eye,
Allowing it to shine the way,
We'll take one last deep breath,
One last collective breath together to seal in our practice,
Exhaling all the stale air from our mouths,
And together taking a deep breath in,
And release.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you find peace wherever you may be.
Thank you for being here.
