Connect to your Ikigai

Connect to your Ikigai

Video Transcript

00:00:01 Just closing your eyelids and noticing how it feels to be in your own space. And then take three deep breaths in through your nose. And then a big sigh out through your mouth. A couple more like that in your own time, your own way. Anything that feels intuitively good. Anything that feels intuitively good. Just letting the day go. And then you can just allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.

00:00:44 and perhaps those deeper breaths have just encouraged you a little bit into your body just notice how it feels after taking some simple deeper breaths and then just noticing your body just notice how it feels after taking some simple deeper breaths and then just noticing your body rooted down in your chair your seat is held giving up the effort there just allowing yourself to be fully supported by your chair by the ground by the earth and then there's a sense subtly of the crown of your head just gently reaching up so that you're rooted down in seat and rising up crown of your head just gently reaching up so that you're rooted down in seat and rising up through crown of head so you have this long tall spine allowing your structure to support you

00:01:42 through this practice and then just noticing how your physical body feels today is there any tension that you might be holding around face around jaw around shoulders is there any tension that you might be holding around face around jaw around shoulders maybe there's a sense of gripping around your center your stomach maybe an unfolding of the area in between your eyebrows really just observing if there's anywhere in particular area in between your eyebrows really just observing if there's anywhere in particular that you're clinging or grasping to around your physical body and just compassionately noticing that and maybe your gentle breath that's moving through your body can just slowly start to

00:02:43 noticing that and maybe your gentle breath that's moving through your body can just slowly start to shift some of that tension so that there's just a softening a releasing of holding at any point if you want to use a longer exhale to just ease that out it's always there for you and then just if you want to use a longer exhale to just ease that out it's always there for you and then just going one layer below how does your emotional body feel today your emotional energetic spiritual body however you want to understand it under your skin how are you feeling today trying not to create however you want to understand it under your skin how are you feeling today trying not to create narratives around why or whether it's right or wrong that you feel that way but just lovingly

00:04:10 acknowledging that's how you feel today making space for it all a release of expectation and just acknowledging that's how you feel today making space for it all a release of expectation and just a space to welcome all of you in and then bringing your attention to your seat again the part of you connected to your chair that's held up by earth and imagine that you have these roots that connect you from your seat down through the floor to the earth really stabilizing your foundations you from your seat down through the floor to the earth really stabilizing your foundations holding you there and start to just create a slightly deeper more intentional breath in and out through your nose. It's a slightly longer inhale in and a slightly longer exhale

00:05:13 in and out through your nose. It's a slightly longer inhale in and a slightly longer exhale out. No forcing, no reaching for the breath, just allowing it to be like an invitation for your body to take in more breath. And with your exhales, imagine that you are breathing down through those roots, breathing down through your roots that connect you to earth and you're able to just roots, breathing down through your roots that connect you to earth and you're able to just release down through those roots any physical or emotional tension you might have observed that you're ready to let go of. As you breathe out, you just breathe anything you don't need anymore down through your roots, through seat, through earth, back down to the center of the earth,

00:06:26 down through your roots, through seat, through earth, back down to the center of the earth, just gratefully giving it back. Anything you're ready to let go of, you breathe down through earth and that makes space in your body to breathe in what you do need, new breath, new life. and that makes space in your body to breathe in what you do need, new breath, new life. What would you like to welcome in with today's session? So as you breathe out, you let go of what you don't need and as you breathe in you welcome in more of what you do need. Breathing out you let go, breathing in you nourish yourself with more of what you need. Letting go what is out you let go, breathing in you nourish yourself with more of what you need. Letting go what is

00:07:42 stagnant, breathing in what is new, what is life-giving for you today. Whenever you're ready stagnant, breathing in what is new, what is life-giving for you today. Whenever you're ready just releasing that exercise, the attention on that exercise, your focus, and take a rebound from it. And in this rebound, you're just doing nothing. It's almost like you take a seat at the back of your mind and you observe lovingly in this state of nothingness. and in this rebound in this space you've created just starting with the purpose part of ikigai and in this rebound in this space you've created just starting with the purpose part of ikigai what do you care about in this moment what do you value just thinking about it internally

00:08:51 considering it to yourself no need to make sense of it no need to create a story around it just acknowledging what's important to you right now in this moment what do you care about just acknowledging what's important to you right now in this moment what do you care about really simplifying purpose as meaning here what feels meaningful for you just acknowledging that allow your body to receive it as a form of intention the practice of just acknowledging allow your body to receive it as a form of intention the practice of just acknowledging it even if it was really small and didn't really make sense just allow your internal wisdom to just feel into that what you care about in this moment and then keeping your eyes shut bring your

00:09:53 palms together and rub your palms together to generate some heat so you're generating your own warmth by rubbing your palms together really create warmth and then just place your palms on own warmth by rubbing your palms together really create warmth and then just place your palms on your stomach somewhere somewhere on your torso so on your belly and receive your own warmth breathe into your hands and breathe out and then with your next inhale imagine that you're breathing in this warm golden light and this golden light might look a little bit like a beautiful sunrise warm golden light and this golden light might look a little bit like a beautiful sunrise it might be orangey or yellow whatever makes sense to you whatever feels beautiful

00:10:48 majestic to you breathe in this warm orange glow and you're breathing it into your torso area majestic to you breathe in this warm orange glow and you're breathing it into your torso area your center your core your identity no need to hold any tension around your center you can just release any gripping around stomach your hands offer the sense of your own touch on your center as you breathe in this warm orange glow and allow it to spread around your body allow it to as you breathe in this warm orange glow and allow it to spread around your body allow it to grow with each exhale you kind of breathe that around your torso around your body and suddenly you start to notice that your internal systems are filled with this warm ember this growing

00:11:49 you start to notice that your internal systems are filled with this warm ember this growing orange glow that's comforting it's warming it's holding you it's also lighting you up it's like turning on a light switch in your own house the room was dark and now you can see you can see what you need in this warm orange glow and so now just taking a moment to kind of you can see what you need in this warm orange glow and so now just taking a moment to kind of sit back and bask in this feeling of being in your own light and in that space just in a kind of relaxed effortless way just consider something that brings you joy something that you really relaxed effortless way just consider something that brings you joy something that you really

00:13:10 love doing it doesn't need to make sense it doesn't need to be profound it's just something that today in this moment you think about and the thought of doing that thing brings you joy what do you love doing allow it to be so simple allow it to be true allow the feeling of this what do you love doing allow it to be so simple allow it to be true allow the feeling of this joyful activity to really comfort you and hold you in a state of enjoyment rather than responsibility that feeling of joy just moving into your bones what do you love doing what lights responsibility that feeling of joy just moving into your bones what do you love doing what lights you up keeping your eyes shut I'm going to read I'm going to guide you through a short breath

00:14:20 you up keeping your eyes shut I'm going to read I'm going to guide you through a short breath work exercise and I will do it too so if you need to look at me you can but we're gonna if you're right-handed, use your right hand, otherwise do it all on your left. And you'll bring your middle finger and your first finger to the space in between your eyebrows. We're going to do some alternate nostril breathing. And just initially giving yourself a little massage and space in between your eyebrows, creating space there. And then we're going to use our ring finger to cover our left nostril and our thumb to cover our right. And we'll take it in turns to breathe in and out our left nostril and our thumb to cover our right. And we'll take it in turns to breathe in and out

00:15:04 through both nostrils. I will guide you so you can close your eyes and just listen to my voice. So with both nostrils free, breathing in, breathing out through both nostrils, breathing in through both, out through both, in through both, out through both. breathing in through both, out through both, in through both, out through both. Cover your right, inhale through your left only. Exhale through your left. Release right, cover left with ring finger, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right, inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right, left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right,

00:16:19 inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right inhale through left exhale through left cover left inhale through right exhale through right release your hand to your lap inhale through both nostrils exhale through both nostrils through right release your hand to your lap inhale through both nostrils exhale through both nostrils inhale through both exhale through both and now release the effort on the breath but follow your breath with your attention. So just following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following

00:17:25 the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom. Keep that going in your own time and notice if your mind wanders to other things and just gently bring it back to your breath, gently bring it back to your inhale, to your exhale, bring it back to your inhale, gently bring it back to your inhale, to your exhale, bring it back to your inhale, bring it back to your exhale and then your mind will wander because that's what minds do, but just bring it back kindly to your breath, to your inhale and to your exhale. Keep this going but just bring it back kindly to your breath, to your inhale and to your exhale. Keep this going

00:18:35 for a couple of moments longer and then you'll just release that exercise and you'll take that seat at the back of your mind once more in this state of rebound and we consider our final principle in Ikigai of what makes us uniquely us. We create space here, this pause from the busy principle in Ikigai of what makes us uniquely us. We create space here, this pause from the busy incessant thinking by simply following our breath to draw us into us and from that place just acknowledging who we are in this moment what makes us uniquely us and it's from that place we can acknowledging who we are in this moment what makes us uniquely us and it's from that place we can understand how we bring value into the world and perhaps that's clear to you in this moment

00:19:38 And if it's not, no need to work it out. Try to avoid working it out. Just sit at the back of your mind and make space for you to be uniquely you as you are. And then we will close our practice with a simple forward fold, which you can do from your seat. So just start to fold down, chin tucked into chest, rolling over your legs. You might use your hands to support your head. just some kind of little cocoon here that you create for yourself as you fold forward and cocoon yourself in your own space forward folds just hold us in this grounding soothing energy

00:20:24 cocoon yourself in your own space forward folds just hold us in this grounding soothing energy so just supporting yourself here and acknowledging very simply who you are what you care about and what brings you joy and then you'll gently roll back up through your spine with your eyes and what brings you joy and then you'll gently roll back up through your spine with your eyes shut and whatever you just acknowledged allowing that to be some kind of intention nothing to remember nothing for your to-do list just information your body has received that you are able to take away and perhaps there is something that you would like to acknowledge that you would want to take away from this practice and now is the perfect moment to do that

00:21:25 that you would want to take away from this practice and now is the perfect moment to do that and then we'll just take some gentle neck rolls so chin rolls into chest one ear goes to one shoulder just to start bringing movement back into body you might roll your shoulders a few times and just thanking yourself for making this time acknowledging yourself in this moment and just thanking yourself for making this time acknowledging yourself in this moment and then slowly whenever you're ready bringing yourself back by blinking open your eyes and going really gently thank you very much

Full Transcript

[00:00:01] Just closing your eyelids and noticing how it feels to be in your own space. And then take three deep breaths in through your nose. And then a big sigh out through your mouth. A couple more like that in your own time, your own way. Anything that feels intuitively good. Anything that feels intuitively good. Just letting the day go. And then you can just allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm. [00:00:44] and perhaps those deeper breaths have just encouraged you a little bit into your body just notice how it feels after taking some simple deeper breaths and then just noticing your body just notice how it feels after taking some simple deeper breaths and then just noticing your body rooted down in your chair your seat is held giving up the effort there just allowing yourself to be fully supported by your chair by the ground by the earth and then there's a sense subtly of the crown of your head just gently reaching up so that you're rooted down in seat and rising up crown of your head just gently reaching up so that you're rooted down in seat and rising up through crown of head so you have this long tall spine allowing your structure to support you [00:01:42] through this practice and then just noticing how your physical body feels today is there any tension that you might be holding around face around jaw around shoulders is there any tension that you might be holding around face around jaw around shoulders maybe there's a sense of gripping around your center your stomach maybe an unfolding of the area in between your eyebrows really just observing if there's anywhere in particular area in between your eyebrows really just observing if there's anywhere in particular that you're clinging or grasping to around your physical body and just compassionately noticing that and maybe your gentle breath that's moving through your body can just slowly start to [00:02:43] noticing that and maybe your gentle breath that's moving through your body can just slowly start to shift some of that tension so that there's just a softening a releasing of holding at any point if you want to use a longer exhale to just ease that out it's always there for you and then just if you want to use a longer exhale to just ease that out it's always there for you and then just going one layer below how does your emotional body feel today your emotional energetic spiritual body however you want to understand it under your skin how are you feeling today trying not to create however you want to understand it under your skin how are you feeling today trying not to create narratives around why or whether it's right or wrong that you feel that way but just lovingly [00:04:10] acknowledging that's how you feel today making space for it all a release of expectation and just acknowledging that's how you feel today making space for it all a release of expectation and just a space to welcome all of you in and then bringing your attention to your seat again the part of you connected to your chair that's held up by earth and imagine that you have these roots that connect you from your seat down through the floor to the earth really stabilizing your foundations you from your seat down through the floor to the earth really stabilizing your foundations holding you there and start to just create a slightly deeper more intentional breath in and out through your nose. It's a slightly longer inhale in and a slightly longer exhale [00:05:13] in and out through your nose. It's a slightly longer inhale in and a slightly longer exhale out. No forcing, no reaching for the breath, just allowing it to be like an invitation for your body to take in more breath. And with your exhales, imagine that you are breathing down through those roots, breathing down through your roots that connect you to earth and you're able to just roots, breathing down through your roots that connect you to earth and you're able to just release down through those roots any physical or emotional tension you might have observed that you're ready to let go of. As you breathe out, you just breathe anything you don't need anymore down through your roots, through seat, through earth, back down to the center of the earth, [00:06:26] down through your roots, through seat, through earth, back down to the center of the earth, just gratefully giving it back. Anything you're ready to let go of, you breathe down through earth and that makes space in your body to breathe in what you do need, new breath, new life. and that makes space in your body to breathe in what you do need, new breath, new life. What would you like to welcome in with today's session? So as you breathe out, you let go of what you don't need and as you breathe in you welcome in more of what you do need. Breathing out you let go, breathing in you nourish yourself with more of what you need. Letting go what is out you let go, breathing in you nourish yourself with more of what you need. Letting go what is [00:07:42] stagnant, breathing in what is new, what is life-giving for you today. Whenever you're ready stagnant, breathing in what is new, what is life-giving for you today. Whenever you're ready just releasing that exercise, the attention on that exercise, your focus, and take a rebound from it. And in this rebound, you're just doing nothing. It's almost like you take a seat at the back of your mind and you observe lovingly in this state of nothingness. and in this rebound in this space you've created just starting with the purpose part of ikigai and in this rebound in this space you've created just starting with the purpose part of ikigai what do you care about in this moment what do you value just thinking about it internally [00:08:51] considering it to yourself no need to make sense of it no need to create a story around it just acknowledging what's important to you right now in this moment what do you care about just acknowledging what's important to you right now in this moment what do you care about really simplifying purpose as meaning here what feels meaningful for you just acknowledging that allow your body to receive it as a form of intention the practice of just acknowledging allow your body to receive it as a form of intention the practice of just acknowledging it even if it was really small and didn't really make sense just allow your internal wisdom to just feel into that what you care about in this moment and then keeping your eyes shut bring your [00:09:53] palms together and rub your palms together to generate some heat so you're generating your own warmth by rubbing your palms together really create warmth and then just place your palms on own warmth by rubbing your palms together really create warmth and then just place your palms on your stomach somewhere somewhere on your torso so on your belly and receive your own warmth breathe into your hands and breathe out and then with your next inhale imagine that you're breathing in this warm golden light and this golden light might look a little bit like a beautiful sunrise warm golden light and this golden light might look a little bit like a beautiful sunrise it might be orangey or yellow whatever makes sense to you whatever feels beautiful [00:10:48] majestic to you breathe in this warm orange glow and you're breathing it into your torso area majestic to you breathe in this warm orange glow and you're breathing it into your torso area your center your core your identity no need to hold any tension around your center you can just release any gripping around stomach your hands offer the sense of your own touch on your center as you breathe in this warm orange glow and allow it to spread around your body allow it to as you breathe in this warm orange glow and allow it to spread around your body allow it to grow with each exhale you kind of breathe that around your torso around your body and suddenly you start to notice that your internal systems are filled with this warm ember this growing [00:11:49] you start to notice that your internal systems are filled with this warm ember this growing orange glow that's comforting it's warming it's holding you it's also lighting you up it's like turning on a light switch in your own house the room was dark and now you can see you can see what you need in this warm orange glow and so now just taking a moment to kind of you can see what you need in this warm orange glow and so now just taking a moment to kind of sit back and bask in this feeling of being in your own light and in that space just in a kind of relaxed effortless way just consider something that brings you joy something that you really relaxed effortless way just consider something that brings you joy something that you really [00:13:10] love doing it doesn't need to make sense it doesn't need to be profound it's just something that today in this moment you think about and the thought of doing that thing brings you joy what do you love doing allow it to be so simple allow it to be true allow the feeling of this what do you love doing allow it to be so simple allow it to be true allow the feeling of this joyful activity to really comfort you and hold you in a state of enjoyment rather than responsibility that feeling of joy just moving into your bones what do you love doing what lights responsibility that feeling of joy just moving into your bones what do you love doing what lights you up keeping your eyes shut I'm going to read I'm going to guide you through a short breath [00:14:20] you up keeping your eyes shut I'm going to read I'm going to guide you through a short breath work exercise and I will do it too so if you need to look at me you can but we're gonna if you're right-handed, use your right hand, otherwise do it all on your left. And you'll bring your middle finger and your first finger to the space in between your eyebrows. We're going to do some alternate nostril breathing. And just initially giving yourself a little massage and space in between your eyebrows, creating space there. And then we're going to use our ring finger to cover our left nostril and our thumb to cover our right. And we'll take it in turns to breathe in and out our left nostril and our thumb to cover our right. And we'll take it in turns to breathe in and out [00:15:04] through both nostrils. I will guide you so you can close your eyes and just listen to my voice. So with both nostrils free, breathing in, breathing out through both nostrils, breathing in through both, out through both, in through both, out through both. breathing in through both, out through both, in through both, out through both. Cover your right, inhale through your left only. Exhale through your left. Release right, cover left with ring finger, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right, inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right, left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right, [00:16:19] inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, inhale through left, exhale through left, cover left, inhale through right, exhale through right, cover right inhale through left exhale through left cover left inhale through right exhale through right release your hand to your lap inhale through both nostrils exhale through both nostrils through right release your hand to your lap inhale through both nostrils exhale through both nostrils inhale through both exhale through both and now release the effort on the breath but follow your breath with your attention. So just following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following [00:17:25] the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom, following your inhale to the top, following your exhale to the bottom. Keep that going in your own time and notice if your mind wanders to other things and just gently bring it back to your breath, gently bring it back to your inhale, to your exhale, bring it back to your inhale, gently bring it back to your inhale, to your exhale, bring it back to your inhale, bring it back to your exhale and then your mind will wander because that's what minds do, but just bring it back kindly to your breath, to your inhale and to your exhale. Keep this going but just bring it back kindly to your breath, to your inhale and to your exhale. Keep this going [00:18:35] for a couple of moments longer and then you'll just release that exercise and you'll take that seat at the back of your mind once more in this state of rebound and we consider our final principle in Ikigai of what makes us uniquely us. We create space here, this pause from the busy principle in Ikigai of what makes us uniquely us. We create space here, this pause from the busy incessant thinking by simply following our breath to draw us into us and from that place just acknowledging who we are in this moment what makes us uniquely us and it's from that place we can acknowledging who we are in this moment what makes us uniquely us and it's from that place we can understand how we bring value into the world and perhaps that's clear to you in this moment [00:19:38] And if it's not, no need to work it out. Try to avoid working it out. Just sit at the back of your mind and make space for you to be uniquely you as you are. And then we will close our practice with a simple forward fold, which you can do from your seat. So just start to fold down, chin tucked into chest, rolling over your legs. You might use your hands to support your head. just some kind of little cocoon here that you create for yourself as you fold forward and cocoon yourself in your own space forward folds just hold us in this grounding soothing energy [00:20:24] cocoon yourself in your own space forward folds just hold us in this grounding soothing energy so just supporting yourself here and acknowledging very simply who you are what you care about and what brings you joy and then you'll gently roll back up through your spine with your eyes and what brings you joy and then you'll gently roll back up through your spine with your eyes shut and whatever you just acknowledged allowing that to be some kind of intention nothing to remember nothing for your to-do list just information your body has received that you are able to take away and perhaps there is something that you would like to acknowledge that you would want to take away from this practice and now is the perfect moment to do that [00:21:25] that you would want to take away from this practice and now is the perfect moment to do that and then we'll just take some gentle neck rolls so chin rolls into chest one ear goes to one shoulder just to start bringing movement back into body you might roll your shoulders a few times and just thanking yourself for making this time acknowledging yourself in this moment and just thanking yourself for making this time acknowledging yourself in this moment and then slowly whenever you're ready bringing yourself back by blinking open your eyes and going really gently thank you very much