Mindful Movement For Embodied Presence

A gentle guided mindful movement practice that can be done seated or standing. Through slow, attentive movement, this meditation invites grounded presence, embodiment, and deeper connection with the body, while opening to the quiet joy of simply being present.

Transcript

Welcome to this mindful movement practice. This practice can be undertaken standing or in a chair, However you feel. We'll simply be placing our attention on the sensations in the body as we gently move. The intention of the practice is to stay present. And just be curious what we notice. Maybe there's some shift, Some sensations in the muscles, The skin, The bones, The body. So as we move through, I'll suggest some movements, But it's really not about getting anything right. It's just moving the body, Seeing how it feels, What your experience is. If you need to adapt any of the movements to suit your body, To take care of yourself, Then please do. So we start either standing or seated. Maybe letting the gaze rest. Or closing the eyes, Whatever feels right for you. If you're standing. Maybe having your feet hip-width apart. And if you're seated on a chair. Having both your feet on the ground. And then we start just checking in with curiosity. How are we holding the body? What do we notice? How do we know that we're sitting or that we're standing? What tells you that? And then being curious how the weight is distributed in your body in this moment. Maybe it's more on one side or in one foot. Or maybe it's a little forwards or backwards. So just taking a moment to notice. Maybe it's just a habit or maybe there's some avoidance of discomfort. Whatever the reason, Just noticing with curiosity how it is. And then you might want to explore if you can find a way to be a little more centered, Maybe making a little bit of movement from side to side or front and back. Trying to find a place where you feel more alignment. Just experimenting, Seeing what you notice. Somewhere where you feel more centered. And maybe making these movements a little smaller, Subtler. Until you find a place that feels just about right. And then checking in any sensations in the feet. Good luck. The hips. You'll be seeing if you can allow the back to be straight. Shoulders relaxed. The head balance. And the arms resting. Maybe down by your side. Just taking a moment here to notice the breath in the body. Maybe you feel it in the nostrils the most or in the chest or in the belly or maybe somewhere else. Just taking a moment to be present, Sensing the breath, However you can. And then we start with a little movement. So the invitation here is to take your arms out to the side. So stretching your arms away from each other, This could be a very gentle stretch or maybe a little more active, Whatever feels right for you. And just pausing with your arms raised to the side. And being curious, How are your hands? Maybe your palms are down or up, Or maybe they're facing forward. So there's no wrong or right way, It's just noticing how your body is. And being curious, Any sensations you notice, Maybe the arms feel heavy or light. And being curious where you feel the strongest sensation. Maybe it's in your shoulders. Upper arms, Lower arms, Wrists, Hands, Fingers, Or maybe somewhere else in the body. Maybe there's a sense of tensing or discomfort. Maybe this feels very pleasurable, A way to hold your body. Maybe noticing if there's any changes in the sensations, Maybe some become stronger or some disappear entirely. And notice how this feels, Maybe there's some frustration, Irritation, Some feeling to move the body. Just being curious. And then from here, Taking the arms up above your head, If that's comfortable for you. This could be, Again, A very active stretch or maybe it's just very soft. Maybe the arms are straight or maybe they're a little bit bent. It doesn't matter. So again just noticing maybe the sensations in the fingers, The hands, The arms, The shoulders and elsewhere in the body. Noticing how the breath is. Or maybe coming onto your toes if you're standing, Seeing how that feels. Just being curious, Will you notice how this feels in your body moment to moment? And then when you feel ready, You can bring the arms down, Doing so with awareness again of the sensations, How they feel, Your arms, Your shoulders, Your fingers, Noticing any changes in the breath. And coming to rest once more, With your arms down by your side. And just noticing how that feels. Maybe there's a change in your breathing or your heartbeat. Maybe you're holding tension somewhere in the body that could be softened a little. To seeing what you notice. We're going to bring the shoulders up towards the ears and just rolling them around gently. Just taking them in circles in one direction. It could be very slow or it could be a little faster. Again, Just seeing what feels right for your body and noticing how this feels. Maybe there's some unevenness between your shoulders. One is tighter, One is looser. Or maybe some sensations in the shoulders or the muscles. And then changing direction. Moving your shoulders in the opposite direction and just noticing how this feels. Maybe it feels easier, Harder. Maybe noticing the fabric of the clothes against your skin. Maybe some other sensations. And then when you feel ready. Letting your shoulders rest back down in their natural resting place and just pausing for a moment. Coming to stillness, Noticing how that feels. You pray. Your heartbeat, Any other sensations. And then we'll just introduce a little bit of movement, A little bit of shaking into the hands, The fingers. So very gently just letting them shake a little bit, Not forcing anything, Just letting them move backwards and forwards, However feels right for you. It could be very slow, It could be faster. And then letting the shaking, The movement move into the arms. And maybe even into the shoulders, Just seeing what feels right for you. You might even move it a little bit more. Into the whole upper body. The head. My face. Again, Just working where feels comfortable for you, Just noticing how this feels, Sensations, Where you feel it most. Maybe feel it in your shoulders or your face. Maybe there's some sense of enjoyment or annoyance. Seeing how your experience is. And then allowing the body to slowly come back to rest. Once more, Coming to stillness, Pausing, Noticing how that feels after the movement. And then for the final part of this movement practice, You can choose how you want the body to move. It might just be a little small stretch, Might be a bit more active, Or you might choose to stay in stillness, Just watching the breath. So not being guided by the mind, Just letting the body and its wisdom move you. Nothing wrong, Nothing right to do here. Just letting the body stretch or move however it wants. And simply noticing that. From this place of spacious, Gentle awareness. And then slowly, Gently, For the final time, Coming back to stillness. So finding your way back. And just noticing how that feels to be still after this movement. Maybe noticing how the heartbeat is, The breath. Maybe being curious if there's tension anywhere in the body that could be softened a little. By cultivating awareness for physical presence. We strengthen our natural ability to sense our body. And it becomes more available to us throughout the day whenever we need it. To help ground us whenever challenging moments arise. Becomes easier. To come back. To the body. And then slowly, Gently, In your own time. Starting to bring yourself to it. Maybe feeling the feet on the floor. The body in this room. This movement practice. Is now complete.