So taking this time to find a comfy spot,
Make sure that you're really cozy with blankets or even on your bed with the duvet,
Pillows and cushions and really don't skip on making yourself so nice and cozy,
Comfortable.
Know for the next,
Wee while at least,
I will take care of everything.
My intention is for you to feel and enjoy a really nourishing relaxation.
Becoming aware of your body,
Contact of your body with the mat,
The bed,
Wherever you've decided to cozy up,
You may even be seated.
Just inviting the body to become soft and heavy,
To just let go of all of the weave,
As it were,
Of the to-do lists from the day.
Just as we can pick up some knitting,
Absentmindedly,
Just invite yourself to put the knitting of your day,
As it were,
To one side.
Becoming aware of where feels heavy in the body,
Becoming aware of anywhere in the body that actually is finding that hard to let go.
And with the kindest of invitations,
Welcoming that,
Those parts.
Become aware now of the breath,
The soft flow of the breath all the way in and out.
The familiarity,
That sense of safety,
Because we know our breath so intimately,
It's always there.
Sometimes we notice it,
And other times it's just quietly ebbing and flowing,
Ebbing and flowing,
Allowing the comfort of the breath to soothe you.
Some of us,
When we think of the element of water,
Maybe the kind of person that really enjoys the lovely warm bath,
And so the ebb and flow of the breath is almost like somebody just rinsing warm water down the back,
All the way down the back,
Down the back to the toes.
With every expand,
We're maybe rinsing water all the way down the front of the body and through the toes.
The familiarity of our own breath,
Familiarity of water.
We are born into water,
Spend the first nine months swimming.
And for others,
We really love the vibrancy and freshness of water outdoors.
And so as the breath flows in and out,
It's almost as if it could be gently rinsing as clean,
Just as if we were to go a bit crazy,
Take all our clothes off and jump into a law,
Something like that.
Just that plunge as you dive into the water,
The coolness.
For those of us lucky enough to swim wild,
Swimming lakes and rivers,
We can bring to mind those experiences just now.
The element of water,
The element of birth,
The element of change.
And as we navigate our way through springtime,
Here we are on the cusp of early summer.
Here in Glasgow,
The trees have newly unfurled their soft leaves.
Some leaves are so soft,
You can see the tiniest of hairs just along their edges.
My daughter and I today,
We gathered different leaves,
Gathering all the different shades of green.
Brought them back home and laid them along the garden wall,
This green and that green.
Other parts of the world,
Other parts of the UK,
Spring is much further on,
Or not happening at all.
A different season entirely.
But this time here in Glasgow is very,
Very special.
All of the leaves are newly opened and here we are enjoying this time of extra oxygen in the air.
It's almost as if when we walk under and around the trees,
Our worries are lifted clear away.
The soft ebb and flow of the water,
Of the breath,
All the way in,
All the way out,
Soothing us.
Taking care of any cleansing,
Cleaning,
Rinsing,
Washing that needs to be done.
So we can arrive standing at the edge of summer,
Blinking at the sun,
Washed clean.
So as we start to turn the boat towards the shoreline of alertness,
You may like to bring something back with you,
A little souvenir.
Or you may prefer to offer yourself an affirmation,
An intention for the days to come.
So just offering up a little space for that now.
And then starting to deepen and lengthen the breath.
Starting to become aware of the different sounds surrounding outside the room,
Inside the room.
Those very close,
Those very quiet.
Getting aware of the edges as if we're just knocking up gently,
Bumping against the shore now.
Moving the fingers,
The toes,
Noticing the lips pressed against each other,
Noticing the eyelids pressed against each other.
And slowly with awareness and kindness,
Just starting to invite a little movement back in.
So letting that unfold and expand into a really delicious stretch,
All the way into the toes,
All the way to the fingers,
All the way to the heels.
And then hugging the knees and rocking from side to side.
Starting to roll over and rest on the most comfy side for you.
And then when you're ready,
It's time to get up.
This practice of relaxation inspired by late spring here in Glasgow is now over.
Thank you very much for listening.
