Welcome to today's short practice,
Where the theme is feeling is freedom.
So to begin,
I invite you to take a few moments to arrive in this space,
To find a posture that feels comfortable,
Whether you're sitting upright or lying down,
And let your body know there's no goal here,
No right way to be,
Only the invitation to feel.
You might gently close down your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through the mouth.
Again,
Inhale deeply,
Exhale completely.
And allow your breath then to fall into its natural rhythm as you bring awareness into your body.
Notice what sensations are present right now.
Perhaps warmth in your chest,
Tightness in your jaw or heaviness in your belly.
There's nothing to change.
Simply allow these sensations to be here and whisper inwardly,
I allow myself to feel.
And you might repeat that with these next couple of breaths,
I allow myself to feel.
Now gently scan through your body for any emotion that may be present.
Maybe it's clear,
Joy,
Sadness,
Frustration,
Fear.
Or maybe it's more subtle,
Unnamed,
And that's okay.
Whatever's here in this moment,
Breathe with it.
Perhaps imagine the emotion as a wave on the ocean.
It rises,
It crests,
It falls.
You do not need to fight the wave,
Only to feel it.
Whisper inwardly,
When I feel,
I am free.
When I feel,
I am free.
Now bring to mind something small that you often avoid feeling.
Perhaps a fear,
A worry,
A discomfort.
Allow yourself to breathe into it.
Not to fix it,
Not to change it,
Simply to feel.
Notice what happens in your body as you allow this sensation.
Does it grow stronger?
Does it soften?
Does it shift into something new?
Remember,
When you resist,
You stay bound.
When you feel,
You become free.
Now imagine your emotions as colors of light flowing through you.
Perhaps a wave of blue sadness,
A flicker of red anger,
A glow of golden joy.
Let these colors move freely.
Blending,
Shifting,
Flowing.
Whisper inwardly,
All emotions are welcome.
Feeling is freedom.
Allow your body to know that emotions are meant to move,
Not to be trapped.
As we come toward a close now,
Bring your hands to your heart.
Taking a slow breath into your heart space.
And whisper inwardly,
Thank you,
Body,
For feeling.
And take three deeper breaths,
Inhaling presence.
Exhaling gratitude,
Presence,
Gratitude,
Presence,
Gratitude.
When you're ready,
Gently bring movement to your fingers and toes.
And slowly open your eyes.
And carry this reminder into your day.
Your freedom is found not in avoiding feelings,
But in allowing them.
