This grounding body awareness practice invites you into different entry points for bringing your awareness into the body.
Beginning with finding a posture that's comfortable for you,
Whether that's sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
Your eyes can be closed or open with a soft gaze.
And the invitation is to start this practice by bringing your awareness to how the nervous system is feeling in this moment.
Gently scanning your body and your mind and noticing the energy flowing as we begin this practice.
This is a starting place for bringing awareness to your experience.
If focus on the breath isn't comfortable,
Keeping your attention on your body.
Otherwise,
Taking a few slow and deep breaths is a way to invite the nervous system to come into more ease.
Really noticing and savoring the quality of your in-breath and a feeling of letting go through your out-breath.
Allowing your breath now to find its natural rhythm and pace,
Not manipulating it in any way,
Just allowing it to be just as it is.
The invitation is to bring your awareness now to your body in its length.
Noticing your body as you take a breath and imagining your in-breath coming in from the earth through the ends of your feet and making its way through your body to the top of your head.
You may imagine the exhale traveling in the opposite direction,
Moving from the top of your head and making its way through your body to your feet.
Your inhale traveling from your feet to the top of your head and your exhale traveling from the crown of your head to your feet.
Bringing awareness to the length of your body as you breathe in and breathe out.
Remembering that if at any point your mind wanders,
Just gently and with kindness bringing your attention back to focusing on your body if it feels right.
Getting to bringing your awareness to the boundaries of your body in terms of its width.
Imagining those boundaries as shoulder to shoulder,
Hip to hip,
Foot to foot.
With your breath,
Allowing your attention to gently come to the edges of your body and imagining your awareness occupying your body's width.
Shifting your awareness once again,
This time to the depth of your body.
Feeling sensations of breath from the front of your body to the back of your body.
Resting your awareness there as best you can as you breathe in and breathe out.
Shifting your attention once again,
This time to the center of your body.
Bringing your awareness to what feels like the center of your body,
Whether that's your heart center,
Your belly,
Your rib cage.
Bringing your awareness on what feels like the center of your body.
And from that center,
Expanding your awareness to your whole body.
Feeling into its length,
Its width,
And its depth.
Expanding your whole body.
Resting your awareness there until you hear the sound of my voice as a signal that our practice is about to complete.
And in the next few breath cycles,
You're invited to begin to move out of practice in whatever way feels right.
Perhaps inviting some gentle movement of your body.
Gently moving your toes or your fingers.
Opening your eyes or lifting your gaze.
And bringing the intention of integrating a sense of presence into your day or evening.
And perhaps finishing your practice with a hand on your heart as an offer of gratitude towards yourself for taking this time to cultivate presence for your own well-being and for the benefit of others.
