The intention of this 15 minute or so mini meditation is to de-stress,
Connect to your attention and cultivate focus so you can use this in your daily life.
So we're just going to start off by assuming an upright position and just holding this lightly through the exercise and while we do this,
So we can remain in a receptive and attentive position.
Coming to the edge of your chair with an upright back,
We're just going to first focus on our breathing,
Then an attention exercise and then slip into a more meditative exercise.
So just placing one hand over the heart or chest and another hand over the stomach,
Breathing in deeply and exhaling.
Just noticing where you are and giving yourself a number from 1 to 10.
And when you do this breath exercise again,
I want you to focus whether the hand on your chest is increasing more or the hand on your stomach is increasing more.
So just breathing in and breathing out.
If you find the hand on your chest is moving a bit more than the hand on your stomach,
That's associated with more shallow breathing and can be associated with more anxiety.
Today we want to focus on belly breathing,
Where you're pulling in from the diaphragm and that's associated with going deeper into the autonomous nervous system,
Slowing down our heart rate and breath and going into an area of more focus and increased attention.
So just be mindful of your breath with belly breathing as we begin today's mini meditation.
Dropping your hand to whatever feels comfortable between your legs on your laps or at the side and just focusing where is your attention naturally resting.
You may find some thoughts or feelings arising,
Just allowing them to be as we connect to our attention to the sense of healing.
Listen to those sounds that are most closest to you,
Could be your heart rate,
Could be your breath.
Just notice where those sounds are,
Notice where your attention is,
See if you can make a gap and then notice where you are observing your attention,
If you can and if any thoughts or feelings arise,
Just allowing them to be as we hold those sounds just lightly in our perception and just allowing our attention now to run all the way out to the furthest reaches of our hearing.
What sounds can you hear that are furthest away from you?
Again and again,
Not holding into any sounds in particular but just noticing where they are,
Where your attention is,
The space in between and then if you can,
Where are you observing your attention and just bringing the attention back to centre,
Moving the attention from the mind as it's normally up there quite busy during the day into the body,
So just noticing where your feet are touching the floor,
Where your body is touching the chair,
Noticing how the breath feels in your body and just making anything unconscious conscious,
So what I mean by that is any tight fists,
Any raised shoulders,
Just relaxing them,
Any tension between the eyebrows or in the forehead or any clenched jaws,
Bringing your attention into these areas as we become more conscious of any build-up of stress and just noticing how that attention feels resting inside your body and now taking your attention to the sense of smell with an inhale,
Noticing any sense by replying your attention increases the quality of your perception and again just noticing what you're perceiving,
Where your attention is,
The space in between and where you're naturally observing your attention.
Bringing your attention back to centre,
Bringing this to sometimes a more challenging sense which can be the sense of sight,
So opening your eyes gently and gazing at the floor or the table in front of you,
Noticing how the colours and shapes in your visual field are not labelling them in particular but just noticing how they enter your visual field,
Where your attention is and then where you are observing behind your attention.
Feeling free now to close your eyes,
Bringing back to centre and now moving your attention just to the last sense,
The sense of taste and again noticing how putting the quality of your attention increases your perception,
Where your attention is and then where you are observing your attention.
Bringing back your attention back to centre and just giving yourself a number from when we started this exercise,
Just from 1 to 10 and just notice if naturally any emotions or thoughts are signalling to your attention as we begin to cultivate a more subtle attention and focus.
Now slipping into a more meditative state from our attention exercise,
Inviting any thoughts,
Feelings of a part that may be more driving in nature.
For example,
Thoughts such as I should be doing this or I should be doing that or I shouldn't be doing this or that.
This could be more judgmental or critical in nature,
Just noticing where that part is,
Where your attention is and if you can just holding it in a space of detachment,
Cultivating a space in between and holding in the space of curiosity and compassion.
And again,
If any thoughts or feelings arise,
Just allowing them to be as we're not necessarily trying to control,
But rather work with anything that arises.
And then letting that part go in the space of gratefulness as we now invite forward a part that may be more impulsive in nature.
So any thoughts or feelings that may feel like maybe checking a message or phone or maybe an email or just might feel a bit more uneasy or impulsive.
And if you can,
Noticing where your attention is in relation to that part and holding this in a space of curiosity and letting that go in a space of gratefulness as we return back to center.
And again,
Any thoughts or feelings,
Just allowing them to be as we stay with our attention to invite a part that may be feeling more uneasy in nature,
Could be feeling slightly anxious,
On edge,
Maybe even trapped.
And any thoughts or emotions associated with this part,
Noticing where our attention is,
Where the space in between is,
And then holding in the space,
Curiosity and compassion.
As we develop our awareness,
Letting that part go in a space of gratefulness and now inviting all three parts,
Hold them in a space of curiosity and compassion and gratefulness.
As we develop our awareness with inner confidence.
And so allowing these parts to go in a space of gratefulness,
Just resting within your cultivated attention and resting within yourself for a few seconds.
And now just visualizing the attention flowing through any conversations you have,
Any work,
Projects,
Hobbies,
Interests,
Or passions you may have.
And with your co-workers or friends or family.
And just for the last few seconds of this exercise,
Resting within your attention and within yourself.
And whenever you're ready,
Feel free to wiggle your toes and fingers,
Connect to your breath and come back to the present.
So feel free to practice this meditation structure designed to help you de-stress,
Focus and cultivate your attention whenever you need.
I wish you a grounded week ahead.
Thank you.
