Welcome to the short practice of mindful stretching,
An opportunity to care for your body while attending to the interaction between body and mind.
You're encouraged to modify this movement practice to fit your particular needs,
Honoring your body's limits,
And following any advice set out by your doctor.
If there's ever a point of pain or discomfort,
Choose to change your position,
Take a break,
Or stop the practice altogether.
And so beginning by standing in one spot,
Arms loose at your sides,
Head reaching up toward the sky,
Grounded here in the earth.
Checking in with yourself here,
Noticing thoughts,
Feelings,
Urges,
Behaviors,
Noticing sensations on the soles of your feet,
And moving awareness up into the ankles,
Legs,
Hips and pelvis,
Torso,
Arms,
Shoulders,
Face,
And head.
Aware of the body as a whole,
Taking a deep breath in,
Letting it out slowly,
And receiving these words from Psalm 24.
The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,
The world and those who live in it.
And so standing here as part of God's earth,
Part of the whole,
And then slowly on an in-breath,
Beginning to stretch your arms out to your sides,
Continuing up slowly until the arms are up over your head,
Lifting your gaze up beyond your fingertips,
And stretching up here for a few moments.
Breathing in,
And then on an out-breath,
Releasing your arms as they slowly,
Slowly move back down through space,
Out toward the sides,
Experiencing the weight of gravity as the arms move down and are released at your sides once again.
Your head centered,
And perhaps closing your eyes for a moment here,
And noticing any physical sensations associated with having done this simple stretch.
Experiencing your body right here as it is in this moment.
And now lifting the right arm slowly as you follow the fingertips with your eyes,
Taking in shapes and colors as your arm and hand slowly lifts up toward the sky,
Continuing to look beyond your fingertips.
And you might add a little stretch here to the right arm as you reach up,
Feeling any stretch along the side of the body,
Noticing sensations throughout the body,
And perhaps allowing the left heel to lift off the ground just a little as you stretch up with your right hand and look up beyond your fingers with your eyes.
Breathing in and on an out-breath,
Bringing down the left heel and beginning to bring the right arm down slowly until it is once again down at your side,
Taken by the weight of gravity.
And noticing any thoughts and feelings that are present for you here,
Any urges,
And allowing those to be just as they are as you return your attention to the sensations in your body.
As much as you can,
Treating yourself with an attitude of kindness and compassion as you continue to attend to this body that God has made.
Lifting the left arm now slowly,
Following the fingertips with your eyes as you drink in passing shapes and colors,
Your left hand reaching up toward the sky,
Head turned to gaze beyond the fingertips.
And if you would like,
Adding a bit of stretch and sensing that both in your left arm and in your left side.
Lifting the right heel off the ground just a bit as you reach up with the left arm,
Breathing in and on an out-breath,
Bringing down the right heel,
Beginning to bring the left arm down slowly until it is once again down at your side.
And feeling any sense of release as the arm comes to stillness.
Closing your eyes if you choose,
Connecting with the physical sensations in your body here.
Perhaps feeling movement in your heart and in your lungs,
Your body supplied by God with breath for these simple movements that you've done.
And one more time,
This time on an in-breath with one smooth motion,
Bringing both arms up over your head with eyes upturned and on an out-breath,
Bringing both arms down as you bend your back,
Head dropping toward the floor,
Arms reaching toward or to the floor,
Feeling this stretch here throughout your whole body,
Head down toward the floor,
Allowing yourself to rest in this position,
Dangling here,
Feeling the weight of gravity,
Remembering to breathe.
And then one vertebrae at a time,
Slowly rolling up through your back,
The lower back,
The upper back,
The neck,
Until the head is once again upright,
Arms at your sides,
Feet rooted firmly in the floor.
Tuning into the sensations of your body here,
Taking a deep breath in and out,
And perhaps saying a prayer of thanks for this body that God has made as you prepare to continue on to your next activity.
Go in peace.
