Welcome,
Find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Let your hands rest easily,
With no effort.
Allow your eyes to close gently.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in,
And let it out with a sigh.
Once more,
Inhale fully,
And exhale completely.
Feel your body beginning to soften.
Notice the surface beneath you,
The steady support holding your weight.
You don't have to hold yourself up,
You can allow the surface to carry you now.
Feel into that support,
Steady,
Reliable,
Safe.
Bring awareness to your breath.
Without changing anything,
Simply notice the rise and fall,
The inhale arriving,
The exhale following,
Like waves moving in and moving out.
Now allow your breathing to become a little deeper,
A little slower.
Each inhale gathering calm.
Each exhale releasing tension.
Breathing in ease.
Breathing out release.
With every out breath,
Let go of what your body does not need.
With every in breath,
Welcome steadiness and peace.
Now bring awareness through your body.
Your forehead softening.
Your jaw releasing.
Your shoulders dropping.
Your chest and arms easing.
Your center softening.
Your hips.
Your legs.
Your feet relaxing fully.
From head to toe,
Your body is giving permission to let go.
Now with your breath,
Imagine each inhale draws in a gentle light.
Soothing.
Each exhale carries away a trace of worry,
Like mist dissolving into the air.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out release.
Now bring to mind the image of a stream.
Clear water flowing steadily before you.
Imagine placing your anxious thoughts into the stream.
Each thought taking the form of a leaf.
One by one,
Place them gently on the water.
Watch as they are carried away,
Drifting down the current.
Out of sight.
There is nothing you need to chase.
The stream knows how to carry them,
So you don't have to.
Stay with this image.
Placing thoughts,
Releasing,
Watching them drift.
Notice how space opens as the thoughts flow away.
Notice the quiet that returns within you.
This space is yours.
Now silently repeat,
In rhythm with your breath.
I release what I do not need.
I return to the calm within.
Again,
I release what I do not need.
I return to the calm within.
Allow these words to settle into your being,
Like gentle anchors holding you steady.
A reminder you can return to at any time.
Bring awareness to your heart.
Notice the steady beat,
Always present,
Always guiding you.
Offer yourself a moment of gratitude for showing up to this practice.
For giving yourself time to release and reset.
For the simple act of breathing.
Hold gently for a moment,
And exhale fully,
Letting everything settle.
Slowly bring awareness back to your body.
The air on your skin.
The surface supporting you.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
When you feel ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Carry this calm steadiness with you into the rest of your day.
