Welcome to the Taoist Centering Meditation.
We're going to begin seated in a comfortable position with your spine upright.
If you're in a chair,
Place your feet flat on the floor.
Your hands may rest upon your knees,
Or they may comfortably rest in your lap.
And as we begin,
We're going to breathe in through the nose and out through the nose.
Breathing at your own natural pace.
And as you begin to breathe,
Feel how each respiration affects your physical tissues.
Feel your body expanding with the inhale,
And feel your body retracting with each exhale.
Feel your body whole and total with each respiration.
As you begin to do this,
Bring awareness to where your ears are.
And bring the tips of your index fingers to your ears.
As your fingertips touch the top of your ears,
You are going to begin tracing towards the top of your head.
Bringing both fingertips alongside your head until they touch the very top of your head.
From this point,
Imagine a line descending from the top of your head straight through you into the floor.
Keep this line in your mind's eye for a moment.
And as you keep that line in mind,
Take one hand and place the fingertip of your index finger to your belly button.
Pointing towards your back.
And now imagine a second line forming.
This line goes straight through you from the belly button out your lower back.
And now you have two lines that are intersecting at one point.
This point is your center point.
The center point from which you exist,
From which you operate,
From which you move day to day,
Hour to hour,
And minute to minute.
Place your focus on the center point.
And as you breathe,
Make each breath reach deep into that center point.
Feeling your lower abdomen expand with your inhalation.
And feeling that lower abdomen retract with each exhalation.
Breathing in through your nose and out through your nose without losing focus of the center point.
You may continue to do this for several breaths or several minutes.
But you must maintain focus on this center point as you inhale and exhale.
Whenever life becomes too much,
This is the center point to which you return.
When you become uneasy,
This is the center point to which you return.
This is the point you call home.
You may continue to carry out this meditation.
Or if you feel ready,
You may end by noticing the seat that's underneath you.
And feeling the floor under your feet.
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
And gently opening your eyes.
