Close your eyes…

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your hands

Holding ropes and the chains of expectation

Hold them tighter…

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your shoulders

Like the weight of everything holding you back

And crushing your spirit

Is resting there

Push back

Stand your ground.

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your jaw

All the words you’ve wanted to scream

All the words you did and regretted

All the silences and lies you tell to avoid pain

Bite down harder on your inhibitions

Then open your mouth

Your lips

Breathe out slowly

And release. 

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your stomach

All of the things you have or haven’t eaten

All the feelings you have about your waist

All the feelings and concerns that rest there

All the disappointments that feel like acid

The hollowness of it all sometimes

Find those feelings

Push them against the walls of your stomach

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your thighs

Feel the buzz running through them 

The heaviness like lead

Hold them still

Breathe out slowly

And release. 

Breath in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your butt

Clench those cheeks

Like you’re prairie dogging 

And you’re at your in-laws

And the family already hates you

You make it to the bathroom

Breath out slowly,

And release.

Breath in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your calves

Like running is not just a pastime

But an addiction

A need to always be moving

So you’re never caught by what’s chasing you

Except you’re carrying it the entire time

Hold it

Breathe out slowly,

And release. 

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your feet.

Holding you up all day

Grounding you to the planet

To the floor

To everything 

Curl your toes and hold it

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in…

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Hold it…

Breathe out…

Repeat…

Next we’ll construct a happy place…