So welcome everyone and thank you.
Thank you for listening.
So if you are listening to this,
There is a good chance you've tried meditation before and you thought you could not do it.
Or you have been meaning to try but keep putting it off because it seems complicated or uncomfortable or like something only calm people do.
I want to tell you something important.
If you can breathe you can meditate.
That's it.
That's the only requirement.
The idea that meditation means having an empty mind,
No thoughts,
Perfect stillness is a myth.
Your brain's job is to think and it is not going to stop just because you sat down and closed your eyes and that is completely fine.
Meditation is not about stopping your thoughts.
It is about noticing them without getting swept away.
It is about giving your nervous system a few minutes to settle.
It is about being present in your body instead of lost in your head.
So this practice today is only a few minutes.
You do not need to do anything special.
You do not need to feel anything in particular.
Just follow along.
So if you're ready,
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position.
You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor or lie down if that feels better.
There is no right or wrong way to do this.
Now let your hands rest somewhere comfortable.
Your lap,
Your belly or by your sides.
And when you're ready,
Just let your eyes close or if that feels strange,
Just soften your gaze towards the floor.
Now just take a breath.
Not a special breath,
Just a normal one.
Whichever way you're breathing.
Just breathe and let it go.
And another.
That's good.
You're already meditating now.
Now we are going to do something called a body scan.
This simply means paying attention to different parts of your body,
One at a time.
It gives your busy mind something to focus on,
Which actually makes meditation easier,
Not harder.
So just receive my words whichever way your body is receiving them.
Do not ask your stops,
Your thoughts to stop.
Do not ask any sensations to go away.
Just be exactly as you are.
Now start by noticing your feet.
You do not need to do anything to them.
Just notice that they are there.
Feel the soles of your feet,
Maybe touching the floor,
Maybe resting on a surface.
Notice the weight of them and the temperature.
Now let your attention move to your lower legs,
Your calves,
Your shins.
Just notice what is there.
Maybe there is a tension,
Maybe there is nothing much at all.
Both are fine.
You are just noticing.
Now move your attention to your knees,
Then the top of your thighs,
And then your whole legs.
If your mind wanders,
And it probably will,
That is not a problem at all.
Just notice it and gently bring your attention back to the body as best as you can.
That is the practice,
Wandering and returning.
Now notice your hips,
Your pelvis,
The bowl of your body where you carry a lot of weight.
Just be there for a few seconds.
Now your lower back and your belly.
Notice if your belly is soft or held tight.
You do not need to change it.
Just notice it.
Now let your attention rise to your chest.
Feel your ribcage gently expanding and contracting as you breathe.
Your heart beating somewhere in there.
You do not need to feel it.
Just know it is there doing its job.
Notice your shoulders now.
These often hold tension without us realizing.
Just notice them.
Are they lifted?
Are they rounded?
Are they relaxed?
And once again,
You do not need to fix anything.
Just notice.
Your arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms and your wrists,
Your hands.
Maybe there is a subtle tingling in your palms or fingertips.
Maybe not.
Just notice what is there.
Now your neck and your throat and the jaw.
Another place where we hold a lot of tension.
Notice if your teeth are clenched or your jaw is tight.
And if it is,
You can soften it.
Just let your tongue rest gently in your mouth.
Your face,
Your cheeks,
Your eyes and your forehead.
Let the muscles around your eyes soften.
Let your forehead be smooth.
And now the top of your head.
Your whole head is resting on your neck.
Now hold your whole body in your awareness exactly as it is.
From the top of your head,
All of you here and breathing.
And now without trying to change anything,
Just notice your breath.
Notice where you feel it the most.
Maybe in your nostrils.
Cool air is coming in.
Warm air is going out.
Maybe in your chest,
Rising and falling.
And maybe in your belly expanding and contracting.
Just watch your breath for a few moments.
You do not need to breathe in any special way.
Just let your body breathe and watch.
Now if your mind has wandered off,
Planning,
Worrying,
Remembering,
That's okay.
This is what minds do.
Just notice where it went and very gently come back to the breath.
Now in a moment we will finish.
But before we do,
I want you to know,
If you followed along even a little bit,
You just meditated.
Your mind probably wandered a dozen times and that's absolutely fine and normal.
That is meditation.
Start now to bring some movement back in your body.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes.
Take a slightly deeper breath.
And when you're ready,
If your eyes were closed,
You can very gently open them.
So welcome back.
And that's it.
You did it.
And the more you practice,
The easier it gets.
So thank you very much for joining me and Namaste.
