Let's begin by finding a way to be in the body,
Where the body feels holy and completely supported by whatever it's resting on.
Let's notice now the length in the spine where you are.
See if we can find that alignment of the spine from hips through lower back,
Up through the shoulders and to the neck.
You can imagine here where you are,
A gentle tugging at the base of the spine.
Let's see if you can imagine at the top of the head,
A gentle tugging upward.
Bringing our awareness to the breath.
Noticing the air as it passes in and out of the body.
Let the breath be your anchor through our practice today.
Let's see if you can notice the sensation of the air at the nostril.
Noticing the temperature of the air as it moves in and out of the body.
Let's see if you can notice the subtle movement of the nostril as you breathe in and out.
Let's see if we can become aware of the throat as you breathe in and out.
Noticing the sensation of the breath passing in and out of the body.
Noticing a wideness or tightness.
What is the energy of the throat?
Could we make more space here?
What would happen if we invited the throat to expand?
Let's move the awareness now into the collarbones.
As we breathe in and out,
Notice how the collarbones gently open and close.
Let's see if we can find some space here.
Releasing tension.
As the collarbones open,
Feeling the shoulders dropping down the back.
When we let go,
The earth holds us.
Letting gravity pull your shoulders downward.
And as your shoulders are pulled downward,
Allow yourself to release any burden that you may be carrying in this moment.
Large or small,
Anything that is weighing on the shoulders.
In this moment,
I release you.
Let's bring our awareness now into the full lungs.
As you breathe in,
Feeling the lungs inflate like a balloon.
Right down into the bottoms of the lungs.
And as we fill our lungs,
We create space in the rib cage.
We expand.
Let's see if we can breathe now just into the right lung.
Allowing the right lung to fill with air,
The right side of the rib cage to widen.
Feeling the skin stretch on the right side.
Let's now breathe into the left lung,
Drawing air deep into the lung.
Feeling the left lung fill like a balloon.
The left side of the rib cage widening.
Feeling the left side skin stretching.
And again,
Breathing into both lungs and noticing how much more open this area is.
Really allowing the lungs to breathe,
The body to open upward,
Forward.
We're opening to peace through the breath.
Allowing tension to fall away,
To be tended to by the earth.
And let's see if we can become aware of the belly.
Breathing into the belly,
Feeling the belly's gentle rise and fall.
Let's see if we can allow the belly to soften.
If we can allow the breath to flow like a wave to the belly.
Finding any fear we may be carrying here.
Breathing into the belly,
Let's see if we can let that softness trickle down through the back of the body.
Soft in the belly,
Soft in the back.
So often this is the place in our body where we hold ourselves strong,
Bracing against the world.
Let's let the belly know,
Let's let the back know,
I am safe.
There's nothing to brace against.
For our next few rounds of breath,
Let's follow the breath as it enters through the nostrils and travels down to the belly and then back out through the nose.
Without forcing,
Without changing,
Simply observing the breath.
Perhaps taking a moment here to marvel at the intelligence of the body.
The body that breathes itself free from effort.
Spend the next few moments here observing the breath.
Feeling the air washing in and out of the body.
Realizing the stillness in your center.
Feeling the air washing in and out of the body.
Feeling the air washing in and out of the body.
Feeling the air washing in and out of the body.
Feeling the air washing in and out of the body.
From wherever you are,
Wherever your awareness has landed,
Allow yourself to come back to the breath and come back to the body.
Inviting small and subtle movements into the body,
Perhaps wiggling fingers and toes.
And before you open your eyes,
Taking a moment to notice the state of you.
Feeling a deep,
Intentional breath into the body.
Simply opening the eyes,
Coming back to the room.
