As we do this mindfulness exercise,
You might find that your imagination,
Your thoughts,
Will want to intrude with stories about the past or the future.
That's okay.
That's just what minds do to try to protect us,
Giving us stories to keep us alert.
For now,
Allow those thoughts to come and go without engagement or judgment.
Let them flow by,
As if you were the sky and the thoughts were clouds drifting across.
If you find yourself caught up in a story or a worry when you notice that that has happened,
Bring yourself back to this moment,
Maybe by bringing your attention back to your breath.
Return to this moment of nurturing your body and mind with self-compassion.
So allow everything that has happened before now to fall away,
And let go of everything that will happen after.
Bring yourself to this moment.
Take a comfortable,
Relaxed posture and begin to notice your breath.
Allow your breath to start by expanding your belly,
Then it will rise up into your lower rib cage,
Then your upper chest.
Reverse direction on the exhale,
Chest falls gently first,
Then belly button towards your spine last.
As you breathe in,
Notice if there are any muscles you can relax,
And on the exhale,
Soften,
Release,
And let go of any tension.
Do this over and over as you continue to breathe and sink into a deeper,
Relaxed state.
And now I invite you to bring your attention to any emotions sitting in your body.
Notice where you feel them.
What is the quality of feeling an emotion?
Is it a lightness,
A fluttering,
A vibration?
Does it feel tight?
Does it feel like a still lump,
Or do you sense movement?
Where does it sit in your body?
Is it in your muscles,
Your belly,
Your chest,
Or your throat?
Notice what it feels like to be a being who is feeling an emotion without assigning judgment if that emotion is good or bad.
Just notice it as a thing that is happening in your body right now.
Curiously observe the experience of feeling an emotion.
Continue to breathe and relax as you allow yourself to mindfully notice how you feel.
