Welcome,
Today's meditation offers the chance to relax and calm both body and mind when you only have a little bit of time.
So take a moment to settle in,
Roll your shoulders up,
Back and down,
Lift the crown of your head toward the ceiling as though a string is pulling it upward,
And feel the stretch in your neck and shoulders.
Then coming to stillness,
Sit comfortably,
Straight but not rigid.
Begin to tune in to the sounds in your environment,
Gently noticing them.
Mindfulness is all about tuning in,
Not tuning out.
Coming to the present asks us to be observers of exactly what is,
Witnessing the moment with no need to change it.
Just let your attention rest on what you hear,
Noticing all the sounds,
Near and far.
Bring your attention to your feet,
Feel the solidity of the ground beneath them.
Notice any sensation in your feet,
Along your arch and sole,
Up into your toes.
Our feet are wonderful grounding anchors for a busy mind.
Simply tuning in to them can bring us home,
To our bodies and to the moment.
Now move your attention upward,
Through your legs,
And let it rest on the places where your bum and your back touch the seat beneath you.
Tune in to the places where your body meets the outer world.
Feel yourself rooted here.
With your inhale,
You expand,
And on the exhale,
You soften,
Letting go.
Let your attention continue to flow like a wave,
Up through your torso and spine,
And then down to your hands.
Let all your attention gather into your hands,
And feel it like a warm ball of light shimmering,
Flowing through your fingers,
Resting gently in your palms.
The wave of your attention now moves over your shoulders,
Up into your neck,
Across your jaw,
Around your head,
And cascades into the center of your forehead.
On every exhale,
Let your breath carry away any tension you hold in your face.
Gently notice where your body rises and falls as you breathe in and out,
And let the whole of your attention fall into the rise and fall,
Like a wave ebbing and flowing,
Ebbing and flowing.
Follow the wave.
Your inhale expands the whole of you,
Your body,
Your mind,
And your exhale softens,
Releases,
And lets go into the wave.
Slowly allow your breath to move into its natural rhythm.
Let your attention return to your feet,
Feeling them once again on the ground.
Tune in to your bum and your back,
To the position of your hands and the posture of your shoulders.
Notice once more the sounds in your environment.
And when you are ready,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
And open your eyes.
Return home now,
Restored.
