Hi everyone and welcome.
Today's meditation is geared toward the new meditator.
If you're brand new to this or you're relatively new to this,
This is for you.
So welcome.
Very first and foremost,
I want to let you know that this is a non-judgmental space.
That means don't judge yourself.
You're not rating yourself.
There's no right way.
There's no wrong way.
Everybody's on their own journey.
So welcome.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
If you can find a comfortable space,
Whether that's sitting upright in a chair,
Maybe sitting on the ground with your legs crossed,
Maybe even laying down.
Either way,
You want to be alert yet relaxed.
With that,
We're going to start taking a few deep breaths in through the nose,
Out through the mouth,
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth,
Feeling your body start to relax.
Welcome this calm atmosphere again in through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
I'm going to encourage you to continue breathing at your natural rate,
However feels good to you.
And while you're doing that,
You want to find a point where you feel the breath,
Where you notice the breath.
For some,
That might be at the nostrils,
Right where the air comes in and out.
For others,
That might be as the belly falls and rises.
Some like to put their hand on their chest and feel their chest rise.
Whatever suits you,
Please go ahead and focus on that.
While you're doing that,
Taking a few deep breaths,
Just noticing your breath come in and out of the body.
I want to remind you that thoughts are going to come.
It's a very natural part of meditation.
Whether it's a to-do list or an event that happened 10 years ago,
Things pop up.
You recognize them,
You let them go.
We're not fighting it,
We're not focusing on it.
We're acknowledging the thought and we're letting it go.
Some people like to use a visualization,
Such as clouds floating by.
The cloud is the thought,
It floats by.
Or a leaf in a river.
The leaf is the thought,
You recognize it,
You let it float by.
Always coming back to the breath.
I want you to remember your breath is always with you.
And while it might not be accessible to stop in the middle of the day and do a five-minute meditation,
You can focus on your breath at any point,
Even for just a few breaths during any situation.
As a beginner,
If you're having a hard time even just focusing on the breath,
I encourage you to then count the breath,
Where one is the inhale,
Two is the exhale.
And you continue that up until 10 and then restart.
Again,
No right or wrong way.
This is your practice,
This is your time.
We're going to take a few more deep breaths in and out together.
And as you come back to your regular breathing pattern,
I want you to come back to the room.
Open your eyes,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Just be aware of your surroundings.
Feel free to take this meditation practice with you for the rest of the day.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
