Welcome,
And thank you for joining me.
This meditation is titled,
Calm and Turbulent Times,
Finding Your Steady Ground.
Life often stirs with noise,
Strong emotions,
Opinions,
Disagreements.
It can feel like a storm pulling at the edges of your attention,
But beneath it all,
There is a steady place inside you,
A quiet ground that doesn't take sides,
That doesn't push or pull.
It simply rests.
Today's practice is about finding and touching that steady ground,
And rediscovering the calm that's been here all along.
Let's begin.
Sit or lie in a way that feels steady.
Let your spine lengthen just enough to feel awake,
And allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears.
Let your hands rest with ease on your lap,
Your belly,
Or by your sides.
When you're ready and comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
I'd like you to bring your awareness to your breath.
Maybe you notice the cool air as it enters,
The warm air as it leaves.
There's nothing to fix.
Just observe it with no judgment.
Let's begin with a simple breathing exercise to steady the body and quiet the mind.
I'd like you to inhale gently through your nose for a count of four seconds,
And then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six seconds.
We'll do three rounds together.
Go ahead and inhale for four seconds,
And now slowly exhale for six.
Again,
Inhale for four,
And slowly exhale for six.
Inhale for four,
And exhale for six.
Go ahead and continue this rhythm without me now on your own for three more rounds.
Let's go ahead now and return to our natural rhythm of our breath.
As you settle into this rhythm,
Notice how the noise of the day begins to fade into the background.
In these next moments,
Let's practice setting down the noise so the mind has space to breathe and the body can rest more deeply.
I'd like you to draw in a slow and steady inhale,
And then with your exhale,
Imagine any tension or noise begin to slip quietly away.
Allow your breath to keep flowing just like this,
Steady and easy.
Inevitably,
Some noise will find its way back into your thoughts.
It could be a disagreement that you had with a loved one,
A very opinionated conversation you keep replaying in your mind,
Or perhaps it's the endless to-do list waiting for your attention.
When you notice these thoughts,
I'd like you to take a steady breath in,
And then on your exhale,
Imagine setting that noise down beside you,
Like laying down a heavy stone that you no longer need to carry.
Then simply return to the rhythm of your breathing,
Using each inhale and exhale to steady your mind.
When the next thought arises,
Which it will,
Treat it the same way.
See it as another stone you've been carrying,
And with your exhale,
Gently place it on the side,
And return your focus back to your slow and steady breath.
Notice the space that opens up when that stone is set down.
Perhaps your shoulders ease,
Your chest feels a little lighter,
Or your mind feels just a little clearer.
In a moment,
We'll enter a few minutes of silence to deepen our practice and allow our mind and our body to rest more fully.
I'll offer some gentle prompts now and then,
Just enough to guide you back if your mind begins to wander,
And if any noise returns,
Simply treat it as another stone,
Set it down with care,
And return to the steady rhythm of your breathing.
Notice how the body softens each time a stone is set down,
As if the weight no longer belongs to you.
Notice how calm flows in,
Not forced,
But revealed when the noise is gone.
As we come to the end of our practice,
I'd like you to bring your awareness now back to your body.
Feel the weight of your body resting.
Sense the steady ground beneath you.
When you're ready,
Go ahead and open up your eyes.
Now that we've practiced setting aside the noise and finding steadiness in our breath,
Notice how your mind feels clearer and your body more at rest.
This calm is your steady ground,
And it's always here to return to whenever the noise feels too loud.
I'll leave you with these words as a reminder that you can carry into your day.
Peace comes not from the absence of noise,
But from finding stillness beneath it.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
You are always welcome here.
Namaste.
