For a little movement today,
As we're all settling in,
I welcome you to open your mouth really wide and then make your jaw move around in circles very slowly and gently.
If it hurts,
Stop and go the other direction,
But see if you can move your chin around in a circle.
And if you're able to,
See if you can move your chin around in a circle the other direction.
And when you feel complete with some chin movements,
Explore settling into stillness,
The kind of stillness that's just right for you.
So you could be sitting upright or leaning back against a cushion.
You could be lying down or in any position that's comfortable enough for you.
So tune into your breath.
Breathe deeply in and at the top of your breath,
Hold your breath.
I want you to hold for as long as you can.
And when you need to exhale,
Let it all go in a big rush.
Do this a few more times.
So you breathe in nice and slow all the way to the tippy,
Tippy,
Tippy top of your breath where you can't possibly hold any more air and then hold,
Capture that breath for a moment.
Your whole body will probably go tense for a moment.
And when you're ready,
Let it all go like a waterfall flowing,
Like a big gust of wind,
Like a whole flock of bubbles floating through the air.
Breathe,
Hold and let go of everything.
As you exhale,
When you're ready,
Settle into a nice,
Comfortable,
Restful,
Effortless breath.
This is the kind of breath that may or may not make any sound.
It's the breath that is just right for you.
Be patient with breath and simply notice you are breathing.
When you're ready to let go of attention on breath,
Simply float in your own consciousness,
Arriving and becoming as you will.
No trajectory,
No goal.
Notice your own flow as you float and float in consciousness.
Notice how trusting you are of this ride on consciousness.
Notice how trusting you are as you float and flow.
If you notice that you are feeling trusting,
You might inquire,
What are you trusting?
You could be trusting yourself.
Maybe you are trusting the divine.
Maybe you are trusting the flow and play and creativity of life.
If you are not feeling trusting,
That's okay.
There is no judgment here.
And even when judgment arises,
Along our journey through life,
We can non-judgmentally accept the judgment that comes and goes.
This is the essence of compassion.
To be with present,
To be present,
To be with presence,
To be present with what is,
Even when what is is not preferable.
This allows us to cultivate a witness,
A witness identity,
A witness that allows the flow of life to flow through.
The witness allows for experiences of trust or judgment or preference.
The witness is more steady than the other things that change more quickly.
An identity with the witness allows things to come and go and flow through life more easily.
I invite you to notice the flow of life moving through you.
This is the flow of life moving through you.
This is the flow of breath through body.
This is the flow of thoughts through mind.
Flow can also be experienced emotionally.
Here's the depression,
Here's the anxiety.
And notice the emotions relationship to flow.
Are the emotions you experience like boulders or rocks in a river or little pebbles that get tossed about in the flow of water?
Or are your emotions the water itself flowing through you?
Or are they flowing through a landscape?
You get to discover your own symbology.
I invite you to consider flow and emotions.
Notice what you find.
And I welcome you to rest into flow.
This could be any flow that feels good.
You can rest into any flow that feels comforting and just the right movement for you.
But if you don't feel flow,
My invitation is for you to consider the possibility of flow being present already just as things are.
Maybe you will notice a little rustle of wind or breeze.
That is flow.
Maybe you'll notice a little twitch or itch on the skin.
Those little micro sensations are also flow.
So open to where the flow is existing.
No need for the flow to be big or small.
Simply notice what changes and notice the constancy of being,
Your being,
That allows you to notice the change.
The change that flows through all the time.
Notice how your presence allows for something to flow through.
Breathe in deeply and wrap your arms around yourself like your own private chrysalis,
Your own sanctuary,
Your safe space to be you exactly as you are as you learn and grow and turn into goo.
And when you're ready,
Break free and spread your wings.
