A Moment to Soften: Breathing In Gentle Presence

let's begin right here wherever you are allow your attention to settle into this space last time we spoke about finding a moment to soften let it be gently about carrying that ease with you let's invite that same softness in now not as something to strive for but as a simple allowing a gentle welcome to yourself just as you are and now bringing your awareness to the breath not changing a thing

simply noticing the air as it enters the coolness at the edge of the nostrils and as it leaves a little warmer feeling the natural rhythm of your body breathing itself there's no need for it to be deep or slow it is exactly as it needs to be in this moment allowing the breath to be your anchor a quiet steady presence that is always here

noticing the small pause after the inhale and the stillness after the exhale with each breath out chance to release a gentle letting go now allowing that gentle awareness to expand through the body beginning with the hands are they resting in your lap at your sides simply feel the weight of them the temperature of your skin

no need to change anything just noticing and letting that awareness travel up into the arms to the shoulders this is often a place we hold so much can you meet any tension there with softness not with a command to relax but with a quiet acceptance of what is present allowing the shoulders to be heavy letting your attention drift to your face

the small muscles around the eyes the jaw simply being with whatever sensations you find openness acceptance and now we rest in the quiet space beneath it all the mind will wander that is what it does thoughts will arise feelings will drift through

and our practice is not to stop them it is simply to not hold on so tightly imagine yourself sitting in a quiet room with the doors and windows open sounds can drift in a breeze can pass through they come and they go you remain you are the stillness that holds it all

the quiet presence that can witness without becoming entangled allowing everything to be exactly as it is in this moment there is nothing to fix nothing to solve simply being and now very gently let's begin to return without rushing bring your awareness back to the breath feeling that steady quiet rhythm

then back to the body noticing the points of contact the weight of you here in this space when you feel ready you might introduce a small movement a wiggle of the fingers or toes carrying this sense of acceptance with you and a final thought to hold peace is not a destination to be reached it is a space you can allow