Hello,
My name is Jen,
And today I will be guiding you through a practice of settling in the chaos of our days and the busyness of our lives with all of the responsibilities,
With all of the to-do lists,
The pressure,
The chaos,
And the constant connectivity.
Let this quiet moment be one that can comfort you and soothe you,
And perhaps let parts of yourself that you are hiding be heard.
For this short practice,
You can allow yourself to settle in whatever space is available for you,
However your body brings comfort.
Perhaps you'd like to lie down,
Or maybe just finding a seat as you are where you are.
However you are landing in this moment,
Allow yourself to settle.
Maybe softening the eyes,
Or perhaps if it feels safe for you,
Even closing them.
And as you bring in the softness in your eyes,
Soften and unclench the jaw,
Relax the tongue,
Release the tension in the shoulders,
In the chest and the belly,
The legs,
All the way down to your toes,
Finding ease.
We oftentimes find ways to hold within our bodies,
The muscles,
The fascia,
The connective tissue,
Emotional tension,
Stress,
Being held within our bodies,
And sometimes it becomes almost natural for us to feel that tension.
So allow yourself to really deeply soften,
Noticing if throughout your body when you bring in awareness,
If those areas within your body are so typically habitually holding,
Soften them,
Settle them.
And now just notice your breath,
Without adjusting and without altering the rise and the fall,
The inhale and the exhale,
Without any expectations,
And without wanting it to be any different than what it is.
Noticing and feeling your breath,
And maybe when you shift into awareness of your breath,
Perhaps your breath,
Your body naturally wants to bring in more intentional movement of breath.
And if not,
Let your breath move as it wishes.
Her breath is a natural medicine.
It nurtures us,
It comforts us,
It heals and brings in recovery.
So let your breath comfort you with its deep wisdom.
And listen.
She closed her eyes and listened.
She quieted the parts of her that have her tangled and tired,
The voices that tell her she's not keeping up,
The whispers of lists never done,
The screams telling her it's never enough,
And the revolving door of reports,
Constant daggers to her heart.
They didn't leave her,
But she put them down.
She allowed herself to detach from those pieces of herself,
The pressure,
And in that moment she sat with her weary eyes closed,
In a space of emotions she'd set aside,
Hid in corners of herself that are hard to find with all the noise.
And she listened.
Slowly,
She felt warm.
She felt supported.
She felt safe.
A whisper telling her it's okay to feel weary wearing a mask of a million faces,
Soft-spoken words from the depth of her soul speaking reassurance to rest those weary bones.
With her eyes closed,
She found peace.
She found stillness and softness.
She bathed in the warm rays of compassion,
Of what it felt like to show up for herself.
Pride began to wash over her,
As she felt weightless in knowing everything she is,
She's conquered a million wars to become.
She listened.
Feelings of courage and strength grew deep in her soul,
Where the embers were dim,
And in only a moment was growing bright.
She listened.
She knew.
Knew she was enough.
Knew she was worthy.
She began to show up for her past self,
With love and gratitude for where she was.
Where she's been.
She listened.
She knew in that moment,
No matter where she was,
Where she may go,
And what masks she'll wear along the way,
All she ever needed was so close.
With her eyes closed,
She listened.
She heard the unheard whispers of her heart.
In this space,
She would always find enough courage and strength to give her hope.
With that hope,
She always knows she will get there.
She listened.
Just feeling your breath move in and out.
And allow yourself this moment of listening.
Sending so much love and gratitude for this practice.
I hope you carry on your day with peace and love.
