Welcome to a short practice for those moments when life feels a little heavy.
We will begin with a simple breathing exercise that gently engages your parasympathetic nervous system,
The part of you responsible for rest,
Ease,
And safety.
Then,
I will invite you to notice what's been heavy,
And we will close with a simple art prompt called,
Lighter,
To carry the practice with you after we're done.
Let us begin.
Find a comfortable seat with your feet flat on the floor or your legs crossed,
Whatever feels easiest for your body right now.
Let your hands rest in your lap.
You may close your eyes if that feels comfortable,
Or soften your gaze to a place in front of you.
Begin by simply noticing your breath.
We will not be changing it yet,
Just notice the breath.
Now,
Choose one place in your body to anchor your attention.
The belly works well,
Noticing the rise and fall with each breath.
Or,
Bring your awareness to your heart center.
Begin now to gently lengthen the breath,
Breathing in for a count of three,
And breathing out for a count of four.
Again,
Breathing in for a count of three,
And out for a count of four.
Repeat this for a few rounds of breath.
Now,
On your next inhale,
Extend a little further,
Breathing in for a count of four,
And out for a count of five.
Repeat this for several rounds of breath.
And now,
Once more,
If it feels available,
Breathe in for a count of five,
And breathe out for a count of six or seven.
As you continue,
Allow the exhale to be slow and complete.
This is where the nervous system finds its ease.
There is no rush.
We will continue in this way for a few more rounds of breath.
And now,
Allow your breath to return to natural.
Take a moment to notice or observe what feels heavy,
And just notice what surfaces for you,
Whether it's in your mind or your body or your emotions.
What is heavy?
It might be a worry or a grief.
It might be a part of life in which you are gripping too tightly or taking yourself more seriously than is needed.
It might also be something creative,
A project that feels forced or a block that won't move.
Just notice what feels heavy without judgment and without needing to fix it.
Notice how you experience this heaviness.
Do you feel this in your body as a tightness somewhere or a held breath or a literal heaviness in the chest or shoulders?
If you notice any sensation of heaviness,
Just breathe into that space.
Again,
Not to force it open,
But simply as a way of acknowledging that it's there.
And now,
Whether you experience this physically or simply as something that has arisen for you into your awareness,
What would it feel like to carry this just a little more lightly?
Again,
Not to fix it or resolve it today,
Just to hold it differently.
Just like you might set a heavy bag down for a moment,
Even if you know you'll pick it back up.
Notice what would lighter feel like right here,
Right now.
And now take one more full breath in.
And on your exhale,
See if you can embrace a little more of this lightness.
You can allow the breath to come back to natural once again.
And when you're ready,
Gently bring some movement back into your fingers and toes.
You can allow your eyes to open softly.
Today's art prompt is simply lighter.
You might take that literally,
Draw a lighter,
A candle flame or a small fire.
You might explore the idea of igniting something and fire as warmth,
As the thing that burns away what's no longer needed,
As the inner light that wants to be fed.
Or you could create an image about the part of yourself that wants to be held more lightly.
You might create something easy,
Small or deliberately unprecious.
Give yourself permission to create without judgment using whatever materials you have or prefer.
Keep it simple and let your first instinct lead.
When you're done,
I invite you to journal with these questions.
What are you ready to carry differently?
And what one to three specific actions can you take to experience your life a little lighter?
These questions aren't just a guide,
But here they are once again.
What are you ready to carry differently?
And what one to three specific actions can you take to experience your life a little lighter?
As we close today's practice,
Remember,
You do not have to resolve anything today.
You only have to practice noticing.
Thank you for doing just that.
I genuinely hope that today's practice has helped you experience life a little lighter.
The goodness in me honors the goodness in you.
