One-Minute Practice: Inner Spaciousness

Whatever you are doing right now, pause and bookmark your physical, mental, and emotional state, including your breath. Don't try to change anything. Just notice what is happening within you.

Now notice the weight and form of your body. Begin to let yourself de-compress—by letting your muscles lighten, lengthen and open. Just think about and invite these changes; no pushing or fixing. Bring attention to your head/neck joint—way up high, almost between the ears—and think about allowing this joint to have a little more space. Imagine you had something heavy resting on your head that was just removed. Allow your spine to gently follow your head upwards.

You may shift in your chair as you allow your bones to move and release away from one another in response to de-compressing. Invite a little more fullness into your back and sides, and under your arms, letting your ribs move with breath. As you observe your breath, breathe out with a long, soft exhale, so that your lungs are emptied of most of the air. Allow your breath to return easily, widening your whole torso. If you notice any areas in your body where your breathing seems limited or impeded, think about softening there, releasing whatever holding you may unconsciously be doing.

Let your eyes take in your environment. Look away from the computer for a few seconds and let something into your vision that you haven’t noticed before.As you come back to reading, notice your easy breathing and allow room for all that’s inside you—organs, fluids, veins, nerves, tendons, connective tissue. All this internal stuff is elastic and moveable. When you open into length and width, there’s enough room inside. Allow yourself a sensation of aliveness. Notice, has your mental state shifted?  Allow this soft, enjoyable expansion to influence your whole self as you go about the rest of your day.