Before we begin,
I want you to know that you are in control of this practice so if at any point something feels like too much you can open your eyes,
You can shift your posture,
You can even pause and leave this meditation for another time.
I want you to know that this is a space for gentle exploration,
Not for pushing past your comfort zone.
So take a moment to check in with yourself and ask yourself how do I feel right now?
Notice without needing to change anything,
Without judging and accepting that however you're feeling is perfectly fine.
Now find a position that feels comfortable and supportive whether sitting,
Lying down,
Even standing.
And if it feels okay and safe you can close your eyes or soften your gaze towards the floor.
And let's start by connecting to something that feels safe or maybe just neutral in this moment.
You could look around the space that you're in,
The room that you're in.
You can explore and let your eyes land on something pleasant or just neutral.
It could be a color,
A shape or just an object that feels sort of comforting or okay.
You could also sense your surroundings so the feeling of the floor beneath you,
The support of the chair or the sofa or the floor or the air on your skin.
Just take a few seconds to explore what feels safe or neutral or pleasant or comforting.
Now begin to notice the sensations in your body but notice with an attitude of curiosity and openness and compassion and maybe notice like where you feel the most ease right now.
And if ease feels like a big stretch for you,
You could just find a sense of something neutral or something that is just okay or the least uncomfortable part.
Just take some time to explore again with curiosity and openness.
Is there a place in your body that feels more settled or grounded?
And if you're experiencing something difficult or if you're experiencing pain right now,
Just tension or discomfort like maybe just try to locate an area that feels just 1% more neutral,
1% less uncomfortable than that.
And for now rather than diving into that discomfort,
I want you to feel,
I want you to stay with what feels okay for now.
And when you have located that area that feels okay or pleasant or at ease or grounded or settled,
Imagine expanding that area.
Imagine that you're gently expanding that sense of ease like warmth spreading through your body.
And if this is too vague for you and you're not sure what I mean,
So when you have located that area you can notice how it feels.
You can maybe find some vocabulary for it.
So maybe it feels warm or spaciousness or expansive or light or grounding.
Maybe you can find a color for that sensation or a shape.
And just stay in there exploring with curiosity,
With an open mind and an open heart.
And from those sensations try to expand them,
To make them bigger.
And if it feels good you can even experiment with small playful movements.
You could maybe bring your hands to this part of the body that feels good and maybe you could rub them or tap them.
Maybe you can shake or you can roll your shoulders,
Wiggle your fingers or just gently move the spine.
Just notice how your body responds.
Notice that difference between that stillness and that movement.
Does your body like this movement or does it want it to pause it?
And just follow what feels right.
There's no right or wrong answer here.
Play isn't just an action.
It's a nervous system state.
A nervous system state of openness and creativity and safety.
So I want you to explore it very gently without pressure and just noticing what's available.
So you can keep moving,
You could even stand up or walk or dance or just keep sitting still or lying down.
But I want you to imagine it's just a small spark of that playful energy in your chest or your belly.
Just like a sense of lightness or like laughter.
You could even imagine yourself like doing something that feels playful.
Maybe it's painting or drawing or tickling your partner or playing with your dog or your cat.
Maybe it's playing with your kids.
Bring that sense,
That spark of playful energy again with curiosity.
We're exploring play and curiosity and just notice what happens when you focus on that feeling.
How does it feel in your body?
Does it want to move?
Does it want to grow or shift?
And if that feeling feels very far away it's okay to just try to find a micro moment of that playfulness with curiosity.
And I want you to know as well that if nothing comes up like that's fine,
It's normal.
Just simply being present with yourself and with what is,
With acceptance,
Is more than enough.
Before we close take a moment to track how you feel now compared to the beginning.
Has anything shifted even slightly?
And if not again that's fine.
Do you feel more connected,
More curious or just simply more aware,
More present?
Take a few seconds to explore that.
Now I want you to anchor that feeling of safety and playfulness if you manage to create that.
If not just stay with the here and the now.
Just bring those feelings,
Those sensations to your heart.
Stay present with them.
If it feels good take an intentional breath,
Inhaling that support,
That safety and exhaling anything that you don't need to carry.
And know that that energy is there accessible and available to you anytime you need it.
And whenever you're ready open your eyes gently if they were closed and again I want to remind you that you can return to this state whenever you need.
Play and curiosity don't have to be big or loud.
They can be a tiny shift in awareness,
A new way of moving or simply allowing yourself to pause and notice like we did right now.
So as you move through your day ask yourself what's what is one small way that I can bring more curiosity into this moment.
You're safe,
You're supported and you are free to explore.
