Welcome to this meditation on cultivating joy and contentment.
Take a moment to arrive.
Settling into a position that feels comfortable and supported.
If it feels right,
Allowing the eyes to close or lowering your gaze.
Allow any sounds that arise to simply be part of the meditation.
Feel the body here.
The contact with the chair.
The feet on the floor.
The support beneath you.
Letting the body be just as it is.
Now gently bring your attention to the breath.
Not changing it,
Just noticing it.
Perhaps feeling the movement of air at the nostrils.
Or the movement at the belly or the chest.
Let the breathing be natural and easy.
Now bring your attention to your body.
As a whole field of sensation.
There's nothing to fix.
Nothing that needs improving.
Just noticing how you feel.
Now allow your attention to become a little more fluid,
A little less fixed.
The breath may be in the foreground,
But sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts These can come and go.
There's no need to push anything away.
And there's no need to hold on to anything.
Let your awareness move like a gentle flow.
If something pulls your attention,
Simply notice it.
And allow your attention to move again.
Back to the breath.
Back to the body.
Notice if there was any feeling of effort,
Any sense of trying to get this right.
And if so,
Allow it to gently soften.
Let your awareness be receptive rather than controlling.
Almost as if you were resting and experiences coming to you.
And as you rest here,
You might gently allow the hint of a soft smile,
Perhaps at the corners of the mouth,
Or perhaps just at the eyes.
Not to create anything but as a simple expression of ease.
Of friendliness towards this moment.
And noticing how that lands in the body.
Now,
Gently asking yourself,
Is there anything in your experience right now that is even slightly pleasant,
Simply okay?
It might be very simple.
The warmth of your hands.
The support of the chair.
Through the rhythm of your breath.
Just the ease,
The sense of relaxation that comes from pausing for taking some time for yourself to meditate.
There's no need to strain or search,
Just allow yourself to relax and notice whether something pleasant arises in your attention.
And if nothing stands out,
That's also okay.
You might gently bring to mind something small and familiar.
Like the comfort of a warm drink.
Or climbing into your own bed.
And just notice how that feels in the body right now.
If you find something that brings some ease,
Some contentment,
Let your attention rest there for a few moments,
Not holding,
Just allowing.
Let yourself receive this pleasant experience.
This feeling of relaxation.
Nor creating it.
Just allowing it and noticing it.
Perhaps sensing how the body responds,
Softening,
Opening,
Settling,
Letting go.
And if it feels natural,
You might again allow a slight smile,
As if the body is gently acknowledging this moment of ease.
Letting the smile be very subtle,
More like a softening than a doing.
Even a slight smile,
A subtle feeling of relaxation.
Still counts.
Letting this be enough.
Now just be aware of resting here.
There's nothing to add,
Nothing to take away.
Just this moment as it is.
If the mind wanders,
Gently returning to the breath or to any sense of ease that is here.
And as you rest here,
You might sense a simple friendliness towards your experience,
Nothing elaborate,
Just a quiet sense of goodwill towards this body,
This mind,
This moment.
And if it feels natural,
You might let that sense of goodwill gently extend outward,
Including others who,
Just like you,
Are moving through their lives wanting ease,
Wanting to be okay.
Joy doesn't always come from chasing something,
But from allowing your attention to settle and noticing what is okay,
What is already here.
I invite you to begin to notice the room around you.
And to take a slightly deeper breath.
Noticing what is here now.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
