Finding our space,
Whether we are sitting on a chair or on a cushion.
Sitting on a chair,
Make sure that your feet are firmly on the ground.
If you're sitting on a cushion,
That your legs are crossed and that your back is nice and straight,
Our hands can be on our knees or in your lap.
Just drop your chin down,
Close your eyes.
We can start off by respecting that inner voice that encouraged us to be here today,
To listen to this,
To log on.
We're grateful to you.
You're making yourself a wonderful offering by doing so.
Letting go of what doesn't serve you today,
Whatever obstacles,
Anxieties or frustrations.
We can let them go now.
Let them go on the breath,
Breathing in a deep breath through the nostrils,
Breathing in.
And then release out the nose slowly.
Another beautiful deep inhalation,
Immune boosting breath,
Breathing in through the nose.
And out.
Last one,
In through the nose and out through the mouth,
Breathing in.
And outside out the mouth.
Release what doesn't serve you today.
Just let it go,
Let it go on the breath.
That's it.
Returning now to a normal breath.
And just resting your attention there,
Wherever you can feel your breath the most.
It might be in the abdomen or the chest or at the nostrils,
Just choosing one place.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
And breathing out,
I know that I'm breathing out.
I am here.
I am doing this.
I could be numbing myself with watching the news,
TV,
Social media.
But I've decided to be here with myself instead.
It's brave,
But it's also deeply compassionate.
I'm here to be with myself in a space of non-judgment and open-heartedness.
My mind may move to thoughts,
Sounds,
Sensations,
And that's okay.
I just encourage my awareness to come back with non-judgment and open-heartedness for myself.
This is what happens.
I'm allowing myself to be right now with thoughts and all.
Accepting with every breath,
Breathing in and out.
I'm here.
I'm here.
I'm here.
How am I today?
This is breathed with that question,
How am I today?
Let go of the need to come up with a quick answer.
It's just a question.
The question may lead to other questions.
We return our focus just on the breath and whatever bubbles up for you now or what doesn't.
How am I today?
Breathe.
Who am I today?
We can just park the question and just breathe through it,
Who am I today?
Who am I today?
So there's a part of our mind that is introspective.
It's the observer mind.
Every day creating a little bit of space to talk to ourselves,
To find out how we are checking in.
We can also encourage some beautiful dialogue.
Maybe there's no one that will.
We can say to ourselves,
Hey,
I'm right here.
I've got nowhere better to be than with you right now.
I don't need to be stimulated or entertained.
I just want to be with you right now.
I don't need you to be brave or better than you are right now.
You are enough.
I just love you.
I love you.
I see you.
And we will face this together.
If you like,
You can give yourself a big hug.
It took me a while for me to do this as it felt awkward,
But every now and again I do and it actually feels good.
Now to the end of this practice.
Let's just drop the chin down to the chest and take in another beautiful deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Breathing in and side out.
There we go.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Just observe how you feel right now to when before you logged on.
Let's honor ourselves every day by just creating that space for ourselves to come to.
And we can talk to ourselves in whatever way we like,
Or we can just be quiet and silent and be.
Thank you for making time for yourself today.
