a heart-opening restorative to land on loving support
the breath is our metronome of now
The breath is a doorway into the present moment.
Each time we pause and replace our attention on our breath, our mind comes”home” to our body. Each time we replace our attention on our breath, we grow more grounded.
The breath, our life-partner, is a source of support that is always available, it’s simple waiting for more space to fill you.
The breath longs to flow through you.
To inhale, let the breath come to you.
To exhale, simply get out of its way.
Let the breath bring you home.
centering and calming ourselves
There is a fast, efficient way to draw ourselves out of that cycle of anxiety and into a state where we can feel more centered and calm.
We can take a physical approach to feel grounded that will also address our anxiety—not by telling ourselves to stop stressing but by working with practices that help us create conditions to receive the breath more freely.
In last week’s Sunday Centering, we explored landing and grounding. The more we remember our connection to the ground, the earth, the more we’re able to come home to our body. Home into the here and now.
When we feel more held and supported by tactile support, we may be better able to create conditions for the breath to fill us more fully.
The ground holds us, so the breath has more space to fill us.
We’re titrating, progressively, expanding our window of tolerance to be here, grounded and open, in the present with the way things are.
We do this by working with our nervous system — in and through the body. It’s a practice of return — remembering that we can return.
return home to the here and now
We practice a little bit at a time, returning again and again, because we know we’ll be pulled away. This is the flow.
Paying attention to our breath brings us into the present where we’re able to notice what’s happening within us and around us on a moment-to-moment basis.
When we slow down, breathe deeply, and become present, we’re literally recharging ourselves. So that is our practice today — to create space for the breath, returning to it over and over again.
practice now
This chest-opening restorative posture will help you to create space and return to the ever-new now.
props needed:
2-3 long rectangular folded blankets
1 blanket roll
2 blocks
2 pillows
2 eyebags for your hands or belly (optional)
Once you are settled into this pose, you can relax there for 10-15 minutes.
Join Jillian for FREE Deep Listening Meditations
These offerings include teachings from Jillian’s book, Deep Listening. that include awareness practices of the body, breath, mind, and present moment. Learning to pause is at the core of these practices. Pausing helps us create conditions to grow more calm, clear, and open, and to respond to the present moment with intention and purpose—rather than habitual action or reaction.
Join us live, plus each meditation is recorded and available for you to repeat as often as you wish throughout the week. These simple practices are good for all levels of experience.