Hello and welcome.
Whether you're coming from a busy day,
A restless mind,
Or a tired body,
This easy guided practice is here to help you release stress,
Soften your nervous system,
And return to your heart center.
When you feel ready,
Invite your body to settle into a comfortable position and allow your eyes to close and soften.
Bring your focus to the center of your forehead and begin to relax all of the tiny,
Intricate muscles there,
As if a gentle,
Soothing wave of energy is spreading across your forehead and slowly moving downward to your eyebrows,
Eyes,
Temples,
Cheeks,
And ears.
Imagine you could soften tension deep inside of the ears,
And as that tension releases,
Your jaw naturally softens,
Your tongue relaxes,
The whole inside of your mouth relaxes,
And from the inside of your mouth allow this calming sensation to trickle down into your neck and across your shoulders,
Flowing down the arms,
Into the hands,
And all the way to the tips of the fingers.
Bring your awareness to the warm,
Tender space around your heart,
The front of your heart,
And the back of your heart.
Now allow your lower body to soften from the belly,
To the lower back and hips,
Arms,
Legs,
Knees,
Ankles,
All the way to the tips of the toes.
Invite your entire body to release the grip of tension.
As you relax into the steady,
Firm support of the earth beneath you,
Your whole body settling into a space of calm,
Safety,
And comfort.
Invite a deep breath down into your belly,
And let out a sigh.
Take another deep breath in,
And sigh it out.
One more breath in,
And out.
And in,
And out.
Feel yourself starting to unwind,
Letting go of your plans,
Your to-dos,
Your worries,
Letting go of the day.
With every breath,
Feel yourself releasing your attention from the outside world,
And gently turning inward.
And as you start to become more and more present,
You might take a few moments to check in with yourself.
And just notice how you feel.
Notice how you feel mentally.
Is your mind active or still?
Just notice,
Without judgment,
And without trying to change anything.
Notice how you feel emotionally.
What emotional tones are present for you in this moment?
Just observe,
Without making anything go awry.
Is everything good or bad?
Right or wrong?
Notice how you feel physically.
How are you feeling in your body?
What sensations are present in your body?
And now notice how you feel energetically.
Are you drained?
Energized?
Or somewhere in between?
Just acknowledge where you're at,
And know that there's nothing you need to fix.
Now see if you can meet yourself with love,
With acceptance,
And with compassion.
Can you meet yourself with the same loving-kindness that you would offer a child or a dear friend?
Shift your attention to your breath now,
And just notice that you're breathing.
Feel the sensation of your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Now see if your next inhale can be a little longer,
And your next exhale a little slower.
Begin to deepen your breath,
Breathing in and out through the nose.
Slow,
Steady,
Nourishing breaths.
Now add a very slight constriction to the back of your throat for ujjayi pranayama or ocean breath.
Allow the breath to softly brush against the back of the throat,
Creating a subtle ocean sound,
Just as if you were fogging up a mirror,
But with the mouth closed.
Breathe at your own pace and to your own capacity.
No straining,
Just a soft engagement of the muscles in the back of your throat.
Let the breath be rhythmic and soothing,
Like ocean waves.
Rolling in,
And rolling out.
Soothing the nervous system,
Grounding,
Centering,
Balancing.
With each breath,
See if you can soften the body just a little bit more.
Take one more slow,
Nourishing round of breath like this,
And then allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Now,
Imagine you could anchor your awareness in your heart.
Let your attention settle there,
As if your heart is a quiet doorway you're gently stepping through,
And you're returning home after a long journey.
Returning home to your heart center,
Your own personal shelter or sanctuary,
A place where you can reconnect with the deepest parts of yourself.
You might like to rest in this quiet space for a few moments,
Basking in the warm,
Loving presence of your heart.
If thoughts arise,
Let them pass like distant sounds,
While your awareness remains firmly anchored in the heart.
Begin to let your awareness expand now,
Sweeping across your whole body.
Notice the touch of air on your skin,
The earth under your body,
As you slowly begin to awaken.
Take a moment to check in with yourself yet again.
Notice what has shifted.
How are you feeling now?
You're welcome to linger in this space of calm for as long as you'd like.
There's no rush to move or do anything.
If you are feeling ready to come back,
You might like to wiggle the fingers and toes,
And softly open your eyes.
Thank you for taking the time to decompress and reset.
Please feel free to return to this practice whenever you need to.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
