A few weeks ago, my little family went up to the mountains nearby for a cross country skiing weekend. Well, it rained and then it rained even harder, oh did I mention it rained even harder than that?! Oh, then it got colder and started to snow…pretty, little snowflakes floating down, so nice…then it snowed even more…oh did I mention it turned into a blizzard?!
Needless to say we didn’t go far, just occasional outdoor excursions for the dog to take care of his potty needs, dressed in boots, warm clothes, jacket, hat, gloves...even the snow shoes came out.
So, what DID I learn? To relax and watch the snow, to open the blinds and be with the flow of the flakes, be they fast or slow. I slowed down and let go of what I thought we were going to do and gave into what was present. HA!
To support this, I also practiced cellular breathing. Shall we try this together? Taking a seat, feeling your feet on the floor and your back resting on the chair, breathe in through all the cells in your body, breathe out through all the cells in your body. Breathe in every cell, breathe out every cell. See if you can do this with less and less effort each time, like a snow flake gently floating down to the ground. Can you open your eyes a sliver with soft focus and continue breathing in, breathing out? Now rest. How do you feel? When you are ready, continue the cellular breathing. Notice it may be slightly easier this time as your body is more familiar with it? Can you relax even further into it? Rest and see what is alive in you now: sensation of warmth, cool, tingling, release, energy moving, peace, and on.
You can open your curtains and look at a tree, clouds, rain or snow and do this again. Weather permitting, go outside and be with a tree or landscape (standing works!), opening your eyes slightly further and try it there.
Enjoy the weather! It makes us let go of our BIG plans and be with its ever-shifting patterns. Please revisit the practice 3 times this week! You can also do this in bed when you can't sleep. Happy explorations!
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Judith Lavender Dancer is a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist who helps you to access body wisdom through embodied mindfulness and other inhabiting practices. She loves to work with individuals and couples or bring her to a group or business to create more focus and greater connection to selves and each other. Contact her at 415-307-2918 or judith@becomingfullyawake.com.