Let's begin by arriving in the present with a little check in with ourselves.
What's it like to be you in this second,
In this space?
How is your body feeling?
Are there any aches or pains?
Any stiffness or areas of tension?
Where were you holding that tension?
Does it have a texture?
Does it have a size or a shape?
No judgement,
No need to change anything.
Just noticing.
And exploring with a sense of gentle curiosity.
Not needing an answer or a fix.
There's no problem.
Simply allowing yourself to come into an embodied awareness and acceptance of your experience of this moment.
Maybe there's a sensation of warmth.
Maybe there's an emotional reaction,
Like impatience.
Perhaps there's a mental image of a memory or a visualisation.
Or maybe there's an internal narrative,
A monkey chatter.
But it's okay for thoughts to arise.
That's what our brains naturally do.
It's their job.
But our consciousness,
Our awareness,
Doesn't come from the brain.
It can feel like it does sometimes,
When we spend a lot of time listening to and engaging with our thoughts,
Caught up in our own internal narrative.
But,
In fact,
We can all send our consciousness wherever we choose to.
And we can set our focus on whatever experience we're having,
In whatever place in the body that is.
So let's just try moving our attention through our bodies,
From the tops of our heads,
Like a photocopy of light.
Gradually moving all the way down through your body,
From top to bottom.
And just noticing and allowing whatever's being lit up to be present,
As it scans all the way down throughout your body,
From the top of your head down to the tips of your toes.
What do you notice?
It's natural when we bring our attention to the bodily experience,
For us to notice aches,
Pains,
Tension.
Maybe you pick up on some slouching in the back of your shoulders.
Sometimes we're inclined to adjust once we notice them.
But for now,
The object is just noticing without trying to change.
If you notice something you're not happy with,
Something which is uncomfortable,
See whether you can just accept that you've noticed it without doing anything,
And see whether anything else comes up.
There's no wrong here.
It's all okay.
Noticing our thoughts and responses,
Our inclinations and automatic habits,
Is what we're trying to get used to here.
Experiencing whatever you're experiencing without pushing anything away.
No delete or undo button.
No minimising or trying to change what we perceive to be bad,
Or focusing unduly or grabbing onto what we see as good or enjoyable.
Let everything come and go,
Like leaves floating down a river.
And if thoughts creep in from time to time,
That's okay too.
Just notice,
And bring your attention back to your physical experience again.
And the same thing the next time.
And the next.
This is normal.
You can always gently,
And with a kindly smile,
Or a good humoured raise of the eyebrows,
Bring yourself back to the present.
No matter how lost in thoughts,
Dreams,
Memories or wishes you might find yourself.
Stop chasing.
Be kind to yourself,
But not letting yourself off the hook.
Patently,
Consistently,
Gently,
But with determination,
Bring your attention back to this moment,
This experience,
This breath,
And this space.
And now,
Gently noticing any sounds or smells.
Gently moving your head if you wish.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Maybe stretch your arms or legs.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the room,
In the day.
Before finally opening your eyes.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the day.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the day.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the day.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the day.
And now,
Take a few deep breaths to wake up further,
Becoming more and more present in the day.
