So start to find a comfortable seat.
And close over the eyes.
And allow your body to start to adjust.
Just taking an extra 30 seconds,
One minute for any stretches.
Maybe the arms overhead or gently turning the face side to side.
Let there be a few fuller breaths.
You might breathe in through the nose and out from the mouth.
You might even sigh or sound out of the mouth.
Letting your seat sink down.
The belly expand and the shoulders relax all the way down.
Let all the muscles of your face relax.
Especially around the eyeballs,
The cheeks,
The jaw.
And as you soften these muscles,
Where does that energy and tension go?
You might feel an energy release from the face,
Forehead and scalp.
Letting it into the inhalation,
Sweeping it into the heart space.
Give yourself time here to continue to soften the body.
Moving into the back,
The thighs,
The arms,
The chest.
Muscle by muscle,
Breathing and relaxing.
You might take a moment to name and feel anything that's arising in your inner space.
Whether it be a mood,
A story or a sensation.
Allowing the breath to be a little slower and a little fuller.
Smelling the energy of your breath swirling in the inner space.
Clearing out the residues.
Feeling more presence.
Another wave of relaxation.
You might even have started to breathe through the heart space.
Connecting to the chest,
The middle,
The essence of your being.
A gentle smile softens the body.
A gentle smile softens into your cheeks.
And we can visualize a pile of embers in the chest area.
So the glowing pieces of coal at the bottom of a fire.
And every breath we take,
Inhaling and exhaling past the heart space.
It rubs the chest area and blows on the embers.
And starts to light up this area with a warmth,
With light,
With fire.
Everything from the periphery,
So the tension of your skin,
The thoughts in your forehead,
Get offered into the inhalation and down into the fire of the heart that's growing.
Of course,
Thoughts appear.
But notice how every breath naturally rubs the heart space.
Every breath is fuel for the fire of the heart.
Notice fine vibrations in the chest as you blow up.
Blow upon the embers.
Notice any sensations that are arising as you continue to blow upon the embers.
Alright.
And even though thoughts arise,
You can return to the breath,
Moving through the heart space effortlessly,
Relaxing inward once again,
Whenever you get a chance.
You can return to the breath,
Moving through the heart space effortlessly,
Relaxing inward once again,
Whenever you get a chance.
Let a wave of relaxation move through your entire body.
And breathe all that energy into the fire of the heart,
Bringing more energy into the heart space.
And as you bring attention to the very center of the chest and the very center of the heart,
You might notice a sense that the heart is open,
Receiving any energy that is brought to it.
The heart absorbs,
Receives,
Allows everything to be as it is.
Maybe you bring a palm to the chest or the belly,
If that feels good.
You might take a few clearing breaths,
Letting all the effort of the practice go.
Softening unnecessary tension of your neck,
Throat and jaw.
And closing with a feeling of gratitude.
You might use an object to stir up that energy,
Or you might just come back to the heart space,
Feeling the energy of gratitude that lives here and expanding it with your breath.
A smile softening through your cheeks and face as you finish with a gratitude breath,
Gratitude body,
Gratitude heart.
Let yourself be here as long as you like.
Maybe there's something that you'd like to contemplate about the day ahead or the week ahead that feels unresolved in the background.
Maybe you bring it to the fore here with your interested and friendly awareness before concluding your practice in your own way.
Have a beautiful week,
Everyone.
Thank you for joining.
