Welcome to a meditation about slowing down in this season of speed.
Let's be honest,
The holiday season can be an obstacle course in emotional overstimulation.
We're bombarded with blinking lights,
Sugar-coated everything,
And an inbox full of discount codes that never seem to go away.
Meanwhile,
Your nervous system is just trying to figure out how to digest three kinds of and way too much cheese.
The season teaches us to hurry,
To multitask,
To be everywhere for everyone,
But mindfulness invites us to practice just the opposite.
To notice,
To breathe,
To pause,
To smile,
And to remember that being present is not something that you have to earn after the chaos.
It's something you can choose within it.
Slowing down isn't about doing nothing.
It's about doing one thing at a time with your whole self there,
Even if it's just sipping a cup of coffee or tea,
Even if it's just sitting here in front of your own computer listening to your breath.
With mindfulness,
We can bring our attention into this present moment and slow down.
So this is your invitation.
For the next few minutes,
Give yourself permission to drop your to-do list.
Nobody will implode if you don't respond to that text.
You're allowed to exist without proving your productivity.
This is something I'm working on all the time.
Now let's prepare for our meditation.
Find a comfortable seat and softly close your eyes.
Allow your hands to rest gently in your lap.
Now go within to that inner place of quiet where we experience our connection to our higher self.
Begin to observe the inflow and the outflow of your breath.
And with each inflow and outflow,
Allow yourself to become more relaxed,
More comfortable,
More at peace.
Take your seat of quiet dignity.
And let's consider our centering thought for this meditation.
Even in the flurry,
I can find stillness.
Even in the noise,
I can find quiet.
Hold this softly in your heart.
Even in the flurry,
I can find stillness.
Even in the noise,
I can find quiet.
Now I'll introduce today's mantra.
I move slowly on purpose.
Repeat silently with your breath.
Inhale,
I move slowly.
Exhale,
On purpose.
Begin repeating the mantra silently to yourself.
And with each repetition,
Allow your body,
Mind,
And spirit to soften,
To expand,
And to settle into a deeper state of awareness.
If your attention drifts away,
Simply guide it back to the mantra,
To your breath,
To this present moment.
I move slowly on purpose.
I move slowly on purpose.
Please continue with your meditation.
I'll mind the time,
Starting and ending with a soft bell.
It's time to gently release the mantra.
Sit restfully for a few moments.
And when you feel ready,
Allow your eyes to open slowly.
Bring the light of this practice back into your day.
As you move forward,
Carry our centering thought with you.
Even in the flurry,
I can find stillness.
Even in the noise,
I can find quiet.
Thank you so much for your practice today.
May the calm you've cultivated here continue to support you and steady you through whatever comes next.
