Welcome to today's meditation and the fourth day of this seven-day meditation journey.
Today we'll do a simple moving meditation to explore the mind-body connection.
Begin by finding a place where you can comfortably and safely stand and walk a few steps forward and back,
Preferably barefoot and with your eyes closed.
If you'd rather walk in place,
That's fine too.
And of course,
If you'd rather do this meditation seated or kneeling and can find the walking to your imagination,
That's another option.
Start with a few slow breaths.
Breathing in gently.
And exhaling fully.
Feel the chest rise softly on the inhale.
And the body settle on the exhale.
Use the inhale intentionally to refresh your cells.
Use the exhale to let your body soften.
Notice the slow,
Steady rhythm of your breath moving through your body.
If you want,
Allow yourself to gently rock to the rhythm of your breath.
Come back to center and reset.
Check in with your body.
Notice the alignment of your shoulders,
Hips,
And heels.
Notice how the pressure is distributed on the bottom of your feet.
Gently lift one foot.
Than the other.
In a walking motion.
Your feet don't have to leave the floor.
And of course,
Hold on to something or sit down if you feel at all unsteady.
You want to be able to relax,
Not worry about falling.
Keep the walking rhythm very slow,
Like your breath.
Now imagine you're walking through a field of flowers.
Feel them brush against your skin.
Maybe opening up your hands to feel them.
Notice how good they smell.
Imagine the quiet sound of the flowers gently rustling.
Perhaps the sound of a bird,
A butterfly.
Imagine the gentle warmth of the sun on your skin.
Notice where your body softens.
Releasing tension.
As you notice feelings of gratitude and peace that naturally begin to fill you.
Notice how your spine lengthens and you begin to breathe more deeply.
Immerse yourself in the experience for a few more breaths.
Now imagine you come to the end of the meadow.
And step out onto a rocky beachside trail.
Some of the stones are sharp and painful to step on.
Notice how your feet curl to protect themselves,
How your body tightens,
How your breath becomes shallower to resist the pain.
Your head knows you only have to take a few more steps,
But notice how your body changes to protect you from anticipated but imaginary pain.
Notice how your focus is narrowed to the path in your feet.
Have those sensations fill up your field of awareness,
Making it hard to feel or notice anything else around you.
Making it hard to think expansively.
Now take a step off the path and onto cool sand.
Feel your feet relax in its softness.
Stay here for a moment,
Feeling your mind and body relax.
Noticing the process.
Feel yourself reconnect to all the sensations of your body.
Feel your field of awareness naturally widen.
Realize that being relaxed and connected is your natural state.
Appreciate that fact and savor the experience for several breaths.
While in this state.
Bring to mind a current challenge.
A recent conflict.
Or an unpleasant incident from your past.
Make it something annoying,
Not overwhelming.
Keeping it as a small part of your field of awareness while your feet are burrowing in the sand and your breathing is relaxed.
See if you can view the incident differently than before,
Noticing what a small part of your life it really is,
How much bigger you are than it.
Perhaps experiencing compassion for yourself or others.
Allow the picture of it to become smaller and smaller and finally dissipate.
At the same time,
Allow any tension the recollection created in your body to dissolve and flow out of you like water through a sieve.
Just breathe.
And release.
Breathe.
And release.
Know that you can use your breath to release residual tension whenever you want.
Gradually revisiting and releasing bigger and older traumas in the same manner.
For now,
Let your mind recall one memory that brings a natural smile to your face.
Feel how the smile changes your face.
And know that you've just brought more balance and power to your body and mind with your smile.
We'll take a few more breaths now in that state.
If you like.
In your mind's eye,
You can walk down to the water's edge.
And walk in the damp sand.
Allowing the gentle waves to wash over your feet as they roll in.
Let's walk away from the water's edge now.
Spread out a blanket you brought with you and take a seat.
You can sit down in the physical world as well as in your mind's eye if you like.
As you listen to the lapping of the water.
Bring your attention back to your center.
Feeling grounded and safe.
Knowing that in this state you can allow any emotions,
Reactions,
Memories,
Or fears to be acknowledged and released one by one.
You can stay longer with that practice now.
Or if this meditation feels complete.
Take a long,
Slow breath.
Then let your eyes flutter open.
Bring your attention back to the room.
Feeling centered.
Connected.
Ready to experience and enjoy another day.
Thank you for taking the time to meditate with me today.
Until next time.
Namaste.
