Welcome love,
Wherever you are,
Give yourself permission to pause.
You don't need to change your position,
Simply soften into stillness.
If it feels safe,
Let your eyes close or lower your gaze.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and release it with a long exhale through your mouth.
One more time,
Inhale and sigh it out.
From the time we are small,
The world teaches us how to show up.
We learn the smiles that smooth things over,
A tone of voice that keeps the peace,
The ways to tuck away our truest feelings.
These become like a mask,
Not because we chose them,
But because we learned it was safer.
Notice,
With compassion,
The mask you may be carrying right now.
Perhaps in your face,
In the way you are holding your shoulders,
Or in the quiet effort beneath your breath.
With your next exhale,
Imagine the mask softening,
Not tearing away,
Just loosening,
Enough to let your jaw relax,
Enough to let your breath move freely.
Take another breath in,
And as you breathe out,
Feel your shoulders drop a little more.
Breathe in,
And sigh out.
Let each exhale be a quiet reminder,
I do not have to perform in this moment,
I can simply be here.
Rest for a moment in the relief of that.
Feel the difference in your body when the mask softens.
When you're ready,
Gently bring some movement to your fingers and toes.
Take one final deep breath in,
And release it with ease.
Carry this reminder with you as you return to your day.
You can pause.
You can exhale.
You can set the mask down,
Even for a moment.
And as always remember,
You are loved,
You are enough,
You are whole.
