Encourage you to get comfortable.
Close down the eyes if you'd like.
Or feel free to take a soft gaze at the lore below.
Bringing ourselves into this moment.
With a deep nourishing breath.
I encourage you to imagine that you're filling up your belly with air,
Like you're inflating a balloon.
And then letting it go on the exhale.
Releasing the air completely.
You are welcome to do this practice in a way that matches what your intuition and wisdom is calling for.
I'm here to offer techniques that have supported my healing journey.
And you know yourself best.
So as we move into the practice,
I encourage you to listen to your body.
If you're not feeling my guidance around feeling into the body.
You can listen to the sounds in your environment.
That is a beautiful practice too.
Notice what sounds are here.
To see if you can even welcome them.
Even if they're like super annoying car sounds or A loud neighbor.
Practicing,
Noticing.
And letting go of resistance to what is.
It's pretty powerful.
I'd love to offer one of my favorite ways to ground myself.
When I'm feeling like I'm overthinking or overwhelmed or overdoing it.
Simply feeling into the sensations of the feet on the earth below.
As you continue to take nourishing breaths.
You might like to imagine that there is a beautiful tree trunk that you're standing on.
Or that's extending from the bottom of your feet.
Cracking through the floor.
Down into the earth below.
Reminding you that you are safe.
And beautifully held by Mother Nature.
I find it helpful to imagine it's like a big old tree,
Bigger than my body.
Not like little dinky roots,
But a big tree that is really stable below my feet.
Another way that I ground myself that you might like to try is placing your hands on your heart.
Palm over palm.
Breathing into the heart.
Feeling the sensations.
Of this natural breath.
This life source.
And miracle of the heart.
Keeping you alive.
Beaten away on its own.
Offering this touch either on your heart or any place in your body.
That feels nourishing.
Is another way that.
You tell your body that it's okay to relax.
Noticing if this touch has any impact.
And higher body feels.
I invite you to scan through the body with your attention.
You can turn on an imaginary flashlight.
Noticing what colors.
This light is.
.
.
Imagine that you're pointing the flashlight to the top of your head.
And slowly scanning down the body.
With loving awareness.
If there's any sensations in the body that are Whispering to you.
Pay attention to me.
You can try out.
Bringing your attention into this part of the body.
Notice.
What is the sensation that's here?
How is it to welcome in this sensation?
To drop any judgment.
Or story.
To see if you can feel it from the inside out.
Physical sensations are often messengers of emotions.
And one of the first practices I learned in my mindfulness journey is called name it to tame it.
If you'd like to try out this practice.
I'm gonna have you name what emotions are here.
Maybe you've already started to name them.
Framework that really helps me is to know that there are five core emotions.
Maybe you've seen the movie Inside Out.
It's fabulous.
So all emotions stem from five core emotions.
And when you're just starting to really get used to naming emotions,
It might be helpful just to know what the five are.
To not overcomplicate it.
And you're welcome to name any other emotions as well.
So the five core emotions are Joy.
FEAR anger,
Sadness.
And disgust.
So when we feel activated,
When we're feeling overwhelmed,
Like we can't think straight.
You can just name to yourself.
This is.
.
.
Sadness.
And allow yourself to drop into the sensation.
Or this is.
Anger.
As women,
We are conditioned especially to suppress anger.
So whatever you're feeling,
Can you name it?
You're not actually saying,
I am angry.
Or I am.
Happy.
The distinction is that you are feeling and experiencing these feelings.
Your feelings are not who you are.
It's natural,
Again,
For the mind to wander or to go into drama.
So seeing if you can,
When you notice that happening,
Give yourself permission to drop into feeling.
Emotions are energy in motion.
When we feel it,
We heal it.
Before we close this practice,
I wanna invite you to offer yourself some compassion.
If you're going through a hard time right now,
Is there something that you might say to a friend?
If they were going through your experience.
And you flip that around and offer it to yourself.
Maybe it's.
.
.
Hey,
This is really tough.
I'm here for you.
I'm listening.
Before I got into mindfulness,
This practice probably would have made me cringe.
So it's okay if it feels uncomfortable.
You being here is showing yourself that you do care.
And finally,
I want you to remember that You are not alone.
While we all have different experiences.
All of us.
Have experienced the different emotions.
You are connected to a beautiful community of women.
Offering wishes of loving kindness.
Of appreciation.
To yourself.
And imagine that you're extending out these.
Rays of light and love to all that are here.
Taking a breath and really marinating in what's good in this moment.
I hope this practice has been of service to you.
You can take a moment just to think about what you'd like to bring forward from this time.
Taking another collective community breath.
Returning some movement to the body.
Maybe wiggling the fingers and toes.
Opening the eyes when you're ready.
Returning your gaze to the space if your eyes were closed.
Noticing.
Anything in your room that is calling your attention.
This is another way that you can ground yourself.
Thank you so much for practicing.
