good things are coming 💙
Bring your awareness to your breath for a few moments, noticing the sensations of your breath as it comes in and as it goes out. Notice the sensations of air entering your nostrils, your chest and belly gently rising with each inhalation, and falling with each exhalation, as the air flows back out of the nostrils. Notice the sensations in your body, especially the sensations of touch or pressure where your body comes in contact with the chair (or the bed, couch, or floor) – your back against the back of the chair, your arms on the armrests, your feet on the floor. Notice the external sensations of the position of your body in the chair or on the floor, and the internal sensations within your body – your breath, your heartbeat, the pulsation and vibration of your body.
Now let yourself remember a mildly difficult situation. Recall what happened, what you were thinking and especially what you were feeling. Now expand your awareness to your body as a whole. While you recall the emotion, notice where you feel the emotion in your body. In your mind’s eye, sweep your body from head to toe, stopping where you can sense a little tension or discomfort.
Now choose a single location in your body where the feeling expresses itself most strongly, perhaps as a point of muscle tension or an achy feeling. In your mind, incline gently toward that spot. Continue to breathe naturally, allowing the sensation to be there, just as it is. If you wish, place your hand over your heart as you continue to breathe. Allow the gentle, rhythmic motion of the breath to soothe your body.
If you feel overwhelmed by an emotion, bring your attention to your breath and stay with it until you feel better and then return to the emotion.
Now allow yourself to soften into the location in your body where you feel the emotion most strongly. Let the muscles be softer without a requirement that they become soft or that they relax. Just let the muscles soften like they do when you apply heat to sore muscles. You can say silently to yourself, “soft . . . soft . . . soft . . .” as you allow your muscles to soften around the area of discomfort. Remember that you are not trying to make the sensation go away, you are simply allowing your body to soften while letting the sensations of discomfort stay.
Now soothe yourself for struggling in this way. If it feels comfortable, place your hand over your heart and feel your body breathe. Or you might direct some kind- ness to the part of your body where you feel the difficult emotion by placing your hand over that place. Feel the warmth of your hand, soothing and bringing comfort. You might send your breath to the part of the body where you feel the difficult emotion, soothing and comforting. Silently say to yourself, “soothe . . . soothe . . . soothe.”
Finally, allow the discomfort to be there. Abandon the wish for the feeling to disappear. Let the discomfort come and go, make space for it, and allow it to be just as it is. Repeat silently to yourself, “allow . . . allow . . . allow.”
Now put it all together, letting your body soften, soothing yourself for struggling, and allowing the difficult feelings to stay, saying silently to yourself, “Soften, soothe, and allow.” “Soften, soothe, and allow.” You can use these three words like a mantra, rolling them around in your mind.
Stay with your feelings and with the mantra for as long as you wish, and whenever you are ready, slowly return to the rest of your experience.
Thank you for being you and all you do, Anjali Power Yoga is here because of each and every one of you and we are forever grateful 💙
with gratitude,
Lucia (she/her/hers)