Welcome to this meditation practice helping you to find patience today.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
And allowing your body to be supported.
Let your eyes gently close or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose or your mouth and a lovely long sigh out to help you to settle here.
Give in to gravity and allow your body to relax,
Releasing your shoulders,
Softening your jaw and enjoying this sense of relief and support.
Patience isn't something we simply have or don't have.
It's closely connected to how supported and resourced we feel.
When life is calm,
Patience tends to come more easily and naturally.
But when we're stressed,
Tired,
Overwhelmed or feel pulled in many directions our patience can wear thin,
Sometimes without us realising it.
This isn't a personal failing.
It's a very natural human response and very much comes from your nervous system.
So the intention of this practice today is to reconnect gently with the patient side of yourself,
Not by forcing calm,
But by slowing down,
Listening and creating a sense of inner support,
A place from which patience can begin to re-emerge.
Begin to bring your attention back to your breath and just notice as your inhalation arrives and your exhalation leaves.
There's no need to change how you're breathing but just notice your natural rhythm of breath.
Any time you sense your mind wandering and it will happen,
Gently guide it back as many times as you need to.
As you do this,
You're practicing patience already.
Begin to sense your body,
Noticing where you're being supported by the surface beneath you and allow the weight of your body to drop a little more.
Feel your shoulders soften and clench your jaw,
Allow your belly to relax.
Stress and busyness often show up as tension in the body,
So take a moment to feel where you might be holding tightness right now.
There's nothing to change,
Just acknowledge it,
Maybe silently reminding yourself that it's ok to feel this way.
With each one of your exhalations,
Imagine creating a little more space around that area.
Now gently bring to mind a small moment of impatience from today or the days before.
Nothing dramatic,
Just something small,
Ordinary perhaps.
And notice how this impatience feels in your body.
Perhaps it's a tightening,
A sense of urgency or restlessness.
Often impatience is a signal that something within us needs attention.
So ask yourself softly,
What might I have needed in that moment?
More time?
More rest?
More understanding?
Or maybe just a moment to stop and pause.
Begin to bring your awareness to the centre of your chest,
Your heart space.
Imagine breathing in and out through this area.
With each inhalation inviting in steadiness and ease.
With each exhalation releasing pressure and any sense of needing to rush.
Patience often grows when we feel supported and steady within.
As you breathe through your heart space,
You might imagine patience resting here,
Not as effort,
But as spaciousness.
And if patience is feeling faint or distant today,
That's ok,
Remember that the simple intention of reconnecting is sometimes enough.
Now silently repeat to yourself,
I don't need to rush.
I am allowed to move at my own pace.
When I slow down,
I give patience a chance to return.
And just notice how your body responds.
There's no right or wrong way to feel this.
Just notice.
As we begin to close this meditation today,
Bring awareness back to your breath.
Feel your inhalation and exhalation.
And become aware of the space around you now.
Any sounds you can hear.
Maybe sensing the room that you're in.
Take a moment to acknowledge yourself for this gentle work today,
For taking this time for yourself.
Patience isn't something that you master.
It's something that you return to.
Again and again.
You can reconnect with it anytime,
With a simple pause or a breath.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Move back into your body by having a little wiggle or a stretch.
And step back into the rest of your day or your evening.
I thank you for allowing me to guide you today.
