Pre-paving - Under Pressure

Take a breath in… and let it out… stretching the out breath and allowing yourself to soften the focus of your eyes. That’s it. Breathe, with soft eyes, close them if you like; and stretch the out breath — breathing out and out and out and out and out and out and out… That’s it.

As you breathe, with soft eyes, notice what’s inside you as you think about what you are just about to do. There may be all kinds of thoughts, sensations, memories, imaginings… whatever is there, allow it all to be there as you breathe, with soft eyes. It is all valid. It has its reasons for being there. Allow it all. Observe it; there’s nothing you have to do about it. Just acknowledge it.

And now tune in; what emotions are here, in all that’s inside you just now? Allow those emotions to be there. Name them, even if you’re just guessing. Acknowledge that somehow, you know they are there. As you breathe, with soft eyes, validate all those emotions. No need to judge them or change them. You don’t even need to soothe them. Just allowing them, acknowledging them, observing them there as you breathe, with soft eyes… is enough.

You might like to get a sense of placing all of that just outside yourself as you breathe out, with soft eyes. Allow those emotions to be there, as you observe them, breathing, with soft eyes. They have every right to be there. There is nothing you need to do about them. Simply allow them to be there. That’s it.

Then bringing your attention back to what’s inside you right now, allow all of that to be there too, as you breathe with soft eyes, stretching the out breath out and out and out and out and out and out and out… Take a moment more, noticing and naming any emotions here now. Allowing them, breathing gently around them, observing them, placing them outside yourself and bringing your attention back to what’s inside you now as you breathe with soft eyes…

That’s it.

Now, choose a colour that would be a good colour to bring you to a place of some relief and calm. Breathe that colour in through your heart and out from your heart. Breathing it in… Breathing it out… allow every cell to soak in this colour as you breathe it in through your heart and out from your heart. That’s it. Allowing every cell and all the spaces in between, to bask and soak in a colour that soothes… That’s it.

Imagine sending that colour forward as you breathe and bathing the next segment of your day in that colour as you breathe it in through your heart and out from your heart. Allow that to happen all by itself. Imagine the delight in looking back on that segment with a sense of stillness and calm, as you show yourself over and over again, the power you have to bring yourself the soothing you seek, even when you’re under such pressure.

Allow yourself to acknowledge just how well you’re doing, to be here right now, breathing in and breathing out. Allow the colour you have chosen to soak even deeper for a moment, before coming back to the doing of the day.

Giving yourself this time to pre-pave and bring soothing is a HUGE achievement. You’re doing so well.

Take a nice deep breath in… let it out…. open your eyes and continue with your day.