For this practice today,
If you notice that it helps you stay more present to keep your eyes open,
You're welcome to look down like you're not looking at anything in particular.
But of course if you'd like to feel free to rest your eyes.
As you take the next few breaths,
Allow yourself to connect with the sensations of your feet on the ground or wherever it is that the bottoms of your feet may be.
See if you can notice any sensations in your toes,
Ball of the foot,
Heel of the foot.
If your feet are on the ground,
You can lift your toes,
Fan them open and then press them back down.
Just noticing what that feels like.
And then let your awareness remain at the bottoms of your feet,
But checking in higher in your legs,
Making sure you're not carrying any excess tension.
That you're not tensing your quads or your glutes,
That your seat is relaxed.
And that your calves are not bracing.
We can spend so much time in go mode that our body stays in that position even when we don't need it anymore.
And let's move the awareness now towards the hands,
Taking a moment to sense whatever you may notice in your fingers,
Palm of the hand.
You may notice your awareness wanders.
That's okay.
Just gently invite it to come back.
What do I sense right now in my hands?
If you would like,
You can extend your fingers like you're stretching them out like sea stars.
Hold that for three moments.
And then as you exhale,
Allowing your hands to let go,
They might fall into a position where they're naturally slightly curled.
And then letting your awareness travel upward,
Checking in if you are holding any unnecessary tension in the arms,
Including the wrist and elbow all the way up into the shoulder.
Imagining that a pair of comforting hands comes behind you gently resting the palms on your shoulders and drawing out to the side like a little smooth glide.
Noticing if with that image,
Your shoulders can soften a little bit.
Now let's bring our awareness up to the head,
Letting yourself check in with any tension you may be holding in the squeezing of the jaw,
Or if you're pressing the tongue against your teeth or upper palate.
See if you can invite that bottom jaw to drop,
That tongue to be loose.
Maybe even trying that two more times as you release the jaw down,
Noticing all the other musculature that might let go around your nose,
Your cheeks,
All the way to your ears.
And pausing here to enjoy the next three breaths,
Sensing yourself here and now.
Making a mental promise to check in with your body several times today and pay attention to what it may need.
And when you're ready,
Letting your eyes open or your gaze lift,
Bringing your awareness back.
