And once you've made yourself comfortable just bring your awareness to your breath.
And just take a moment to notice how your breath is flowing today.
Watch the air coming in and going out.
Notice where the breath goes to as you breathe in and out.
If it flows into your chest or if it flows into your belly or if it flows somewhere else.
So just observe where the breath is naturally going.
And now just turn the awareness outwards to the sounds that you can hear around you.
And just notice the different sounds.
Let the awareness jump between the sounds without spending too long with any one thing but just acknowledging all of the sounds that are there.
And know that none of the sounds are going to disturb you.
They can only help to enhance your experience of relaxation.
So the season of autumn is a time of endings.
It can be a good time for leaving behind things that we no longer need to make space for the new beginnings that are to come.
So if there is something that you are feeling ready to leave behind.
Maybe a feeling,
A way of looking at things,
Or maybe something more practical.
Just bring that into your awareness now.
And just make the quiet intention that as we move into the season of autumn to leave that behind to make space for something new.
We're going to take a journey around the body.
As we move from point to point,
You might like to imagine a feather floating on the breeze and landing upon each part of your body.
We'll begin with the eyebrow center.
The feather floating down to rest on the eyebrow center.
And the throat.
The feather floats on the breeze and lands at the throat.
The right shoulder.
The feather floats to the right shoulder.
The right elbow.
The right wrist.
Feathers float down to the right hand thumb.
The right index finger.
The right middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
The right wrist.
The right elbow.
The little finger.
The right shoulder.
The throat.
The left shoulder.
The left elbow.
The left wrist.
The tip of the left hand.
The tip of the left index finger.
The tip of the left middle finger.
The tip of the ring finger.
The tip of the little finger.
The left wrist.
The left elbow.
The left shoulder.
The throat.
The center of the chest.
The feather floats down to the center of the chest.
The left side of the chest.
The center of the chest.
The right side of the chest.
The center of the chest.
The navel.
The lower abdomen.
The right hip.
The right knee.
The right ankle.
The right knee.
The right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The right ankle.
The right knee.
The right big toe.
The right big toe.
The left big toe.
The right big toe.
The right big toe.
The left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The left ankle.
The left knee.
The left hip.
The lower abdomen.
The navel.
The center of the chest.
The throat.
The left big toe.
The eyebrow center.
The top of the head.
Feather floats down to rest at the top of the head.
Bring the awareness to the breath.
Follow the breath as it flows in and out.
Watch the gentle movement of the breath as it makes its way in and out of the body.
Now bring the awareness to the end of the exhalation.
To the very last moment when the last of the air leaves the body.
Rest at the end of the exhalation.
Allow the rest of the breaths to happen by themselves.
As you just watch that point when the exhalation completes.
And then move to the beginning of the inhalation.
Rest the awareness at the point at the very beginning of each inhalation.
When the first moment of breath begins.
Allow the rest of the breaths to happen by themselves.
Just watch that point at the beginning of every inhalation.
Between the end of the exhalation and the beginning of the inhalation,
There's a moment of pause.
Now bring the awareness to that pause.
After the exhalation has finished.
When the inhalation has not yet begun.
Rest the awareness inside those pauses.
The breaths happen naturally.
The awareness rests on the pause in between the breaths.
Now bring the awareness to the eyebrow center.
Observe the eyebrow center.
Notice any shapes,
Patterns,
Images or colors that are happening at the eyebrow center.
Without getting too involved,
Just watch and acknowledge that they're there.
And keeping the awareness at the eyebrow center,
I'm going to name some different things.
Just allow an impression of each one to come up as it's named.
There's no need to force anything to happen,
Just allow each one to arise however it comes.
We'll start with autumn leaves blowing in the breeze.
The stormy sky.
A bear going into hibernation.
A burning fire.
A flowing river.
The full moon shining in the night sky.
Raindrops trickling down a window.
Brown leaves falling from a tree.
A windy afternoon.
The sun setting.
Bring the awareness to the heart center.
Resting here in the peace of the heart center.
You are free.
And before you complete the practice,
Take a moment now to invite an intention to arise for whatever it is that you wish to bring with you into the coming months.
Perhaps the intention to find direction.
Perhaps to give yourself some time to turn inwards during the darker time of the year.
Perhaps for something that you wish to create.
For inspiration.
Just very gently allow that intention to arise for you now,
Without forcing,
Just allow it to come.
And now slowly start to turn the awareness back outwards.
Just become aware of any sounds that you can hear in your environment.
Just acknowledge that the different sounds are there.
Feel into the feeling of your body resting on the surface beneath you.
The feeling of breath.
Rising and falling of the chest as the air flows in and out.
And start to make some small movements.
Moving the fingers and the toes.
The hands and the feet.
Give yourself a stretch in any way that feels good for you.
So taking your time,
There is no rush.
When you feel sure that you are wide awake again,
Slowly blink your eyes back open as we come to the end of the practice.
