I'd like to invite you for the next 8 minutes to allow yourself to stop and turn inwards.
Your busy life will still be waiting for you,
But for now it's time to tune in to what's going on underneath the busy.
Don't be surprised if it takes time for your mind to settle and the thoughts continue to swirl around.
That's entirely normal and part of the process.
You're going to be training your mind to focus and build your capacity to keep your attention where you choose.
So get comfortable in a chair with your lower back supported and make sure that your head isn't resting back on anything.
That will make sure that you don't fall asleep,
Even if you feel sleepy,
Which can sometimes happen.
Now place your full attention on the very tips of your fingers.
Without moving the fingers,
Just let your full focus rest there.
And if thoughts have already begun,
Just notice and bring your awareness back to the fingertips.
After a moment you might notice a gentle tingling or humming in the fingers,
Like a buzzing or vibration.
That's your nervous system responding to your attention,
Responding to you taking time to tune in.
So often in our lives we're looking outwards,
Rushing to achieve and get things done.
For now you're doing the opposite,
Moment by moment,
Connecting to the body.
And if you don't feel anything in the fingers,
That's okay too.
Just keep your awareness just on the very tips and simply notice whatever sensations are there.
And if your mind has already jumped in with thoughts and judgments,
Just let that go and return to the fingertips.
No effort or trying,
Just gently taking your awareness back.
And now keeping your awareness on the fingertips,
See if you can also add your toes.
Can you feel that same tingling sensation if you felt it in your fingers?
Perhaps it's stronger in one side or the other.
Maybe your fingers feel it more.
That's okay,
Just notice what you feel.
See if you can feel it in your fingers.
Now you can feel the other.
Maybe your fingers feel it more.
That's okay,
Just notice what you feel.
See if you can spread that feeling to the rest of your hands and your feet.
Allowing it to spread gently across the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Now allowing that sensation,
That awareness to spread up the ankles and the lower legs to the knees and then along the thighs and into the hips.
Noticing if you feel a heaviness or a lightness in the legs.
Perhaps noticing where the legs touch the chair.
And then from the hands,
Travelling up the wrists and the forearms into the crook of your arm.
Up the tops of the arms and into the shoulders.
And from there across the chest and the shoulder blades.
Just bringing your awareness back every time it wanders,
Because it will wander.
Especially if you're taking this time out from your busy day.
Just give yourself permission to come back each time.
Now your whole body is in your awareness.
Bringing it down into the belly and all the way to the top of the head.
Perhaps noticing the jaw,
The forehead,
The cheeks.
A deeper feeling of relaxation beginning to emerge.
Maybe there's an opening in your body.
A gentle softening.
Certainly a gentle opening in your body.
Maybe there's a gentle awareness of the body that maybe wasn't there before.
And every time you get distracted,
Just coming back and allowing the mind to settle when it's ready.
And remind yourself and give yourself permission to be here,
Taking this time.
I'm exactly where I planned to be.
There is nowhere else to be.
There is nothing else to do.
This is it.
Only now is real.
And as you sit with your whole body in your awareness,
See if you can expand that feeling of space around you.
Feeling that openness and that awareness.
And that gentle relaxation.
And as you sit with your whole body in your awareness,
See if you can expand that feeling of space around you.
Feeling that openness and that awareness.
And that gentle relaxation that's been allowed to be there.
And knowing that you can take that time to your day,
Back to the busy.
This calm space is always here.
Now taking a couple of bigger than usual breaths.
Gently wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Returning movement to the body,
Just moment by moment.
And when you're ready,
Gently blinking your eyes open.
When you do,
Keeping your gaze soft,
Just for a few moments,
As you come back into this space.
Just noticing how you feel after turning inwards.
Giving yourself 8 minutes to change your life.
