Begin by finding a comfortable seat in a chair.
Sit back in your chair so that your back feels supported.
And if possible,
Allow your feet to be flat on the floor.
Take all the time that you need to settle in.
And then we'll begin with our foundation,
The feet.
Simply notice your feet.
Without changing anything,
Observe if one foot is turned out a little more than the other,
Or if there's more weight or pressure placed on one side.
No judgment,
Just observing.
You might shift your weight right to left a few times,
And then when you're ready,
Returning to stillness.
Bring awareness to your right foot,
The toes of the right foot,
The top of the right foot,
The sole of the right foot.
And see if you can isolate each toe individually,
Lifting the big toe and lower,
The second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
And the little toe.
And then moving to the left foot,
Just observing,
Noticing the toes,
The top of the foot,
And the sole of the foot.
And at your own pace,
Lifting and lowering each toe.
Try not to overthink,
Just observing what's happening in the body.
And then when you're ready,
Lifting up all ten toes at the same time,
Spreading them wide,
And then allow them to soften and relax on the floor.
Place pressure in the big toe side of the feet,
And then the outer edges,
The little toe sides of the feet.
And then press weight into the heels.
Then relax your feet.
Allow them to rest in whatever way feels best for you.
And then just become aware of sensation in your feet.
Try not to label the sensation,
Just become aware of the feelings that are arising in the body.
Allow yourself to develop a sense of curiosity about the sensations.
As one layer of sensation is explored,
A new layer reveals itself.
Notice that as you become absorbed in physical sensation,
Your thoughts begin to quiet and melt away.
And then move your awareness up to your knees.
Notice the right knee,
The left knee,
Both knees together as sensation.
Observe the sensations without labeling them.
And notice as your mind starts to wander.
You can simply observe that.
Notice your thoughts with kindness,
And gently shift your attention back to the sensation of your knees.
And then moving up to the hips and the sit bones.
Take time to observe without judgment.
Maybe there's more weight on one side or the other.
Just observe.
Bring awareness to the right hip,
The left hip.
Both hips together as sensation.
As best as you can,
Observe the sensation in your hips without thinking.
And then allow your awareness to move up to your shoulders,
The right shoulder,
The left shoulder.
Both shoulders together as sensation.
Observe the sensation in the tops of the shoulders,
The sides of the shoulders,
The backs of the shoulders.
Both shoulders together.
Observe without judgment and allow any labels to fall away.
And then bring awareness to your jaw and neck.
Observe each sensation without judgment or labels.
Perhaps there's a sensation of tingling or warmth or coolness.
Whatever is arising for you,
Simply notice it.
And then allow your awareness to rest on your breath.
You might notice the sensation at the tip of your nose,
Warmth or coolness.
Just observe the sensation of the breath at your nose.
Follow each breath as it flows in and out.
As you are noticing your breath,
Cultivate a sense of curiosity.
Notice the pauses at the top and the bottom of each breath.
And perhaps notice the shape changes in your body as you breathe in and breathe out.
And then when you are ready,
Begin to find some gentle movement.
You can wiggle your fingers,
Your toes.
Maybe shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and down your back.
Or find some gentle circles with your neck.
Take time to wake up your body.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes and return to your wide awake state.
