Welcome.
Take some time to allow yourself to arrive,
To your space,
To your practice,
To yourself.
Allow being where you are and how you are to be enough.
I invite you to explore finding a position that feels supportive and accessible for your body.
You may close your eyes or keep them open with a soft gaze.
Take some time to really get yourself as comfortable as possible.
As always,
You may follow along with any guidance that feels in alignment with you or at any point in the practice you may choose to follow your own inner guidance.
This may include moving your awareness away from the body and out into your space or working with a grounding object or whatever you personally find supportive.
You are your own greatest teacher.
We will begin by noticing your body making contact with the surface you were on.
Allow your body to be supported,
Releasing any tension you are holding and instead allowing your body to be held.
With each exhale,
Sinking a little further into this support.
Softening the brow,
Releasing the jaw,
And bringing awareness to your tongue.
Get your tongue to let go,
Releasing any holding here,
Perhaps slightly opening the jaw and really letting your tongue rest,
Allowing it to be supported by your mouth and jaw,
Noticing what form your tongue takes,
And seeing if you can allow it to further soften and release.
Noticing any sensation this creates in the inside of the mouth,
Like a drop of water rippling out,
Creating small waves.
The jaw and the face,
Noticing with a sense of curiosity,
How does this softening impact other parts of the body?
Moving your awareness to your throat,
Esophagus,
Your heart,
Lungs,
The quality and sensation of the breath.
Notice other parts of your body call your attention.
Allow yourself to be with what is here.
If it feels right for you,
You may call in the qualities of what you wish to feel in your body.
Perhaps this is a sense of being well-rested or calm,
Or a sense of health and vitality.
Perhaps it is a sense of feeling supported and connected.
Whatever you choose,
Imagine you are calling this quality into your body.
You may imagine this as a felt sense in the body,
Perhaps a color or feeling,
Or even a visualization of something or someone that represents this quality to you.
Take some time to really cultivate this quality,
Bring it to life.
How do you feel?
How is your posture,
Your expression?
Are you alone or is someone with you?
Where are you?
Notice how your body responds to this.
There may be a subtle change in temperature,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Perhaps buzzing or tingling.
See what sensations or feelings arise when you invoke this quality.
Allow this to inform your sankalpa or your intention for today's practice,
Bringing awareness to your heart,
Seeing if an intention arises out of this place,
Out of these qualities.
Allow your sankalpa to be simple and in the present tense.
A good general example may be,
I am at ease and open to insight.
I am at ease and open to insight.
You may say this to yourself three times now.
Now bringing awareness to your right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Bottom of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Calf,
Knee,
Thigh,
Hip,
Right waist,
Ribs,
Chest,
Shoulder,
Arm,
Hand,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Bottom of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Calf,
Knee,
Thigh,
Hip,
Left waist,
Ribs,
Chest,
Shoulder,
Arm,
Hand,
Right thumb,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right jaw,
Left jaw,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Forehead,
Top of the head,
Back of the head,
The whole head,
The neck,
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole torso,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
The whole body.
Now I invite you to bring awareness to the breath,
Observing it without trying to change it,
Noticing it as it is,
Allowing it as it is,
Noticing the feel of your breath,
Where it lands on your skin,
The sensation,
Temperature,
Noticing the sound of your breath,
Not trying hard to find the sounds,
But rather allowing your ears to gently receive any sound available,
Observing any difference of sound between the inhalation and exhalation,
Observing what sounds may be available in the pause between inhale and exhale,
Allowing the breath to be as it is,
Allowing yourself to be as you are,
Moving your awareness away from your breath to your whole body,
Notice how your body is,
Perhaps there's some discomfort or unease,
Practice allowing it to be as it is,
Allowing with warmth,
Acceptance,
And compassion,
Now moving your awareness back to the quality you wish to invoke,
Call this to your body,
Imagine how it feels,
Noticing any shifts that happen,
And now bringing your awareness back to yourself as you are,
Right here and now,
Practicing acceptance for what is,
And then back to that quality you're calling in,
See if you can now hold both at the same time,
What is there and what you are calling in,
Holding both equally in your awareness,
Noticing the qualities of both with a sense of love and compassion,
We will now have some brief unguided time,
There's nothing to do here,
Just simply allow yourself to be.
I invite you to bring your intention back into your awareness and your heart space,
Repeat your intention again three times,
Repeat your intention again three times,
You may start to deepen the breath,
Perhaps wiggle your fingers and toes,
Notice if there's any small movements or stretches your body may want right now,
Maybe stretching your arms overhead and bringing your knees into your chest,
You may want to stay here in stillness or perhaps find some movement like rocking or swaying,
It is so wonderful you took this time for yourself,
Your rest matters,
Your needs matter,
You matter,
Thank you for practicing with me today.
