This is a guided mindfulness meditation.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down,
Rest your hands comfortably on your lap or by your side and begin by taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling deeply through the nose all the way to the tummy,
Exhaling fully through the mouth,
Inhaling deeply through the nose all the way down to the tummy and exhaling fully through the mouth.
Pull into this present moment,
Let go of any distractions or expectations,
There's no right or wrong way to meditate,
Just simply be present and open to the experience.
Now just bring your awareness to your body,
Starting from the top of your head,
Slowly scanning through your body,
You can notice any areas of tension or discomfort and with every exhale,
Just imagine releasing any tension that you may be holding on to,
Allow your muscles to soften and relax deeper,
As you scan through your body,
Releasing any unnecessary tension or discomfort,
Allowing your eyes to close,
Letting the muscles soften and relax.
Notice a sense of grinding and presence in your body,
As you shift your focus down through the body,
The gentle rise and fall of the tummy as you breathe in a comfort and an ease,
Let go of any tensions or stress,
Right down through the legs to the soles of the feet,
Fingertip to fingertip,
As you move your focus back to your breath,
Bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath,
Notice the sensations of the breath as it enters and leaves the body,
As the in-breath cooler than the warm out-breath,
Noticing the different sensations of the breath,
And it's normal to notice the mind wandering and when it does,
Gently guide your attention back to the breath,
Free from any judgment or frustration,
As you find your breath a little deeper,
Slow and intentional inhales and exhales,
And as you notice that thoughts can come and go during a meditation,
You can observe your thoughts with curiosity and without attachment,
Thoughts come and go like clouds in the sky,
And if the mind becomes busy or distracted,
You can gently bring your attention back to the breath,
It's always there as an anchor to the present moment,
Breathing in that sense of presence of your breath and your body,
Meditation isn't about emptying the mind,
But having awareness and acceptance of whatever arises,
And now you can shift your focus to a loving kindness of yourself and your body,
And you can think of a loving kindness to other people that you have,
And the loving kindness they have for you,
And that loving kindness to yourself,
That you can be happy and healthy and safe,
You can live with ease,
You can feel warmth and compassion for yourself and your mind and your body,
As you notice the body and the breath and the thoughts and your own inner loving kindness,
Feeling safe and secure and at peace,
And you can gently bring your awareness back to this present moment,
Knowing that you can return to this meditation anytime you wish,
As you take a few deep breaths,
Some gentle movement back to the body,
The fingers and the toes,
Offer yourself a gratitude for the time that you've taken for this practice,
Knowing that you can return to this sense of peace and presence anytime throughout the day,
With that gentle intentional breath,
Gently opening your eyes and ending this meditation with a deep breath and a moment of silence.
