Welcome to today's guided meditation.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position.
Either sitting or lying down.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
Or you can soften your gaze.
And begin by taking a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
And exhale softly through your mouth.
Again,
Breathing in and out.
And breathing out.
And now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Simply notice it.
The gentle rise the gentle fall.
Bring your awareness to the places where your body is being supported.
Notice the feeling of the chair beneath you,
Or the bed.
Or the floor.
And allow yourself to settle a little more with each breath.
Now bring your attention to the top of your head.
And notice any sensations without judging them.
Slowly move your awareness across your forehead.
Your eyes,
Your cheeks.
Your jaw.
If you notice your jaw is tight,
See if you can naturally soften it a little.
And now notice your neck.
And your shoulders Many of us carry the weight of our day here.
Simply notice what's present.
And if your shoulders would like to drop even a fraction lower as you exhale,
Allow them.
Bring your awareness down your arms.
Your elbows.
Your forearms.
Your hands.
All the way down to your fingertips.
Notice any warmth.
Coolness.
Maybe a gentle tingling.
Allow your hands to completely rest.
Now bring your attention to your chest.
And notice the quiet rhythm of your breathing.
The gentle movement of each inhale.
And each exhale.
Then allow your awareness to move into your upper back.
Your middle back.
Your lower back.
Simply noticing.
Meeting,
Whatever you find,
With kindness.
Now bring your awareness into your belly.
Feel it rise as you breathe in.
And soften as you breathe out.
No effort,
Just breathing,
Just noticing.
Now move into your hips.
Your thighs.
Your knees.
Your calves.
Your ankles And finally,
Your feet.
Notice your heels.
The soles of your feet each toe.
And feeling the weight of your entire lower body resting comfortably.
And now allow your awareness to expand beyond any one area.
Sense your whole body together.
From the top of your head.
To the tips of your toes.
Your entire body breathing.
Your entire body resting.
And take a slow breath in.
And a long gentle breath out.
And for just a few moments,
Rest here.
Present.
Aware Nothing to accomplish.
Nowhere else to be.
Just this breath.
Just this moment.
And as we begin to close our practice,
Notice how your body feels right now.
Perhaps something has shifted.
Perhaps nothing at all changed.
And both are perfectly okay.
Mindfulness isn't about changing our experience,
It's about learning to meet it with awareness.
So take one more deep breath in.
And slowly let it go.
Begin to notice the sounds around you.
The surface supporting you.
You can gently wiggle your fingers and toes and give yourself a little stretch.
And when you are ready.
You can flutter your eyes open.
Carry this awareness with you into the rest of your day.
Remembering that even one mindful breath and bring you back to the present moment.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
