So joining me in this cross-legged position,
Close down your eyes or lower your gaze.
This is a meditation I call the four check-ins.
It's one of my favorite meditation creations.
I didn't invent the elements that are within it but this particular configuration is one that I do often.
Draw the crown of the head towards the sky.
Draw the shoulder blades down the back and squeeze them a little bit together.
Draw the navel to the spine and drop the tailbone down towards the earth,
Finding this tall,
Spacious posture.
And begin by noticing that you're breathing.
Notice how your breath is today,
What it's like,
Whether it's fast or slow,
Long or short,
Deep or shallow.
Notice whether the breath is easy and flowy today or whether it's a bit difficult,
Maybe blocked.
It's okay,
Just is.
Notice where you can feel the breath,
Maybe in the nostrils,
Maybe on the back of the throat.
Notice how the breath moves you,
Maybe it's moving your shoulders,
Maybe it's moving your heart space or your ribs,
Maybe it moves your arms slightly.
Maybe you can notice the rise and fall of the belly.
And if at any moment you need help focusing your mind on the breath,
You can use this mental mantra.
You can use this mental mantra,
Saying on each in-breath,
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I'm breathing out on each out-breath.
Now we're going to check in with the body,
Just noticing how the body feels after our practice.
Is the body feeling energized,
Alert?
Retired?
Overexerted?
Underexerted?
Is there any tension?
Is there any softness?
How is my body feeling?
Maybe scanning through the body for any points of tension or soreness and just offering a few breaths.
Acknowledging.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
And now let's check in with the mind,
Noticing the state of the mind.
What is the mind up to?
Is it relatively calm?
Is it running all over the place with commentary and narratives?
Is it stuck in the past?
She said,
And they said,
And I said.
Should have done,
Or would have done.
Is it stuck in the future?
Have to do?
Worried about?
Thinking about?
Is it constantly evaluating?
Analyzing?
Judging?
Even judging this practice?
What is this?
Why am I doing this?
I'm not doing this right.
Is it self-criticizing?
Just notice,
Notice what it's up to.
Whatever it's doing,
It's actually just doing its job,
Which is thinking,
Analyzing,
Figuring things out.
Just notice it doing its little job.
Observing the thoughts like passing clouds.
Just noticing them.
And when you're ready,
You're going to take three deep breaths into the head space.
And on the exhale,
You're going to imagine all of those thoughts draining out of the mind or emptying out of the mind in one way or another.
So maybe there's a faucet on your forehead and you want to tip your forehead down and just exhale all those thoughts like liquid.
Or maybe you imagine the thoughts are Post-its or documents and they're flying out of the space of your head.
Just take three deep breaths and on each exhale,
Empty the mind however you can visualize that.
Notice how your head feels after these three emptying breaths.
Notice whether it feels more empty,
More spacious,
Maybe totally empty.
What does that feel like?
Maybe there's one or two thoughts still bouncing around.
That's okay.
It's a practice.
Just notice them.
Notice what they're about,
Things that are important to you.
Just make a note,
Recognize.
Maybe there's one thought just stuck there,
Stubborn.
I'm not going.
Just notice it.
Recognize it's important to you.
Maybe it can soften just a little bit.
It doesn't have to go.
Maybe it can allow itself.
Nobody's going to forget about that thought.
Breathing in.
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out.
I know I'm breathing out.
At this point,
If you need to shift your posture,
Slowly,
Slowly do so.
If you have any niggles or soreness,
You can take any slight slow movements that you might need,
Any bends or twists.
Just take them very slowly with the breath.
Any adjustment you need to make for this last bit.
When you're ready,
Coming back to your tall posture,
Into your breath.
Relax the face,
Drop the shoulders,
Let the pelvis be heavy.
Let's bring the attention to the heart.
Noticing how the heart space feels today.
Noticing the state of the heart space.
You might already feel things coming up.
That's okay.
This is why we're here.
Try to notice any sensations you're experiencing,
Any feelings,
Thoughts,
Images.
Notice them.
Notice what feelings may be associated with them.
What's living in my heart right now?
Is there joy?
Is there sadness?
Is there anxiety or fear?
Is there frustration or anger?
Is there gratitude?
Is there guilt?
Just notice these feelings.
Maybe you had some associated images come up.
Just get to notice what you're feeling and about what.
If you can't discern what it is you're feeling about,
That's okay.
If you can't even discern what it is you're feeling,
That's okay too.
Just acknowledging the sensation is important.
Come back to the breath,
Breathing in.
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out.
I know I'm breathing out.
Become aware of your body once more.
How does your body feel?
Become aware of your body in space,
The space around your body.
Expand that awareness out.
Notice the room that you're in and expand that awareness out.
Notice what's beyond this room and what's beyond that space.
Expanding your awareness outwards as far as you like.
You can keep it close or you can keep it going.
Infinitely.
Notice any sounds happening around you.
Notice the weight of your hands in your lap.
And notice that you're breathing.
You can stay here for as long as you like.
Whenever you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes to the here and the now.
I hope that this practice has brought you in connection with yourself,
In connection with the present moment,
In connection with the reality of the now.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Namaste.
