Good morning and welcome to this moment of joy and lightheartedness.
By taking this time to reconnect with your sense of play and wonder,
You're inviting a day full of delight and creativity.
Together we'll cultivate a playful mindset,
Learn to savour the small pleasures of today and open our hearts to the simple joys which surround us.
So let's get started now by finding for ourselves a comfortable seated position.
Sit with your back straight but still a little relaxed with your posture and you can of course lie down if you prefer to do so.
Of course be conscious of the risk of nodding off.
And then when you've found a position that feels right for you,
Just close your eyes softly and begin to take in a nice big deep breath in through the nose,
Feeling the air fill your body like a warm golden light.
Hold for a moment at the top,
Letting this sense of lightness expand and now exhale gently out through the mouth,
Releasing any tension or seriousness.
Let's repeat this together again.
Nice deep inhale and just holding at the moment at the top,
Feeling that sense of lightness and then exhale,
Feeling yourself grow lighter and more relaxed.
And then one last time,
Nice big deep inhale as though you're breathing in a soft refreshing breeze and then exhale,
Letting go of any heaviness.
Now just let your breath settle back into its natural rhythm.
With each inhale,
Feel a sense of playfulness awakening within you and with each exhale,
Releasing any worries or thoughts that have been weighing you down.
Now I'd like to invite you to imagine yourself walking into a beautiful sunny meadow.
The grass is soft under your feet and wildflowers are swaying gently in the breeze.
As you continue to walk through this beautiful meadow,
You notice simple joys all around you.
The warmth of the sun on your skin,
The cheerful songs of the birds and the sparkle of the dew on the grass.
See if you can feel into this sense of feeling light and carefree,
Like a child exploring the world for the first time.
Notice how your heart begins to open,
How the corners of your mouth curl into a soft smile.
Now imagine carrying this sense of joy and curiosity forward with you into your day.
Picture yourself laughing freely,
Finding delight in unexpected places and approaching each moment with a sense of playfulness.
Visualize yourself engaging in something you love,
Something that sparks your creativity and brings you pure joy.
Focus on this vision and let it fill you with warmth and excitement.
We want to connect to this sense of playful,
Joyful energy and invite it to just stay with us as we move forward into our day.
And let's try and see if we can anchor more of that sense of joy and playfulness now with a few affirmations.
You're welcome to repeat them silently in your mind after me or aloud,
Whichever one you feel like and just let each one lift your heart and brighten your spirit.
I welcome joy and playfulness into my day.
I find delight in the simple pleasures of life.
My heart is light,
My mind is curious and my spirit is free.
May laughter,
Creativity and wonder guide me today.
Take a moment to notice how these affirmations make you feel.
Imagine each word settling into your heart like a spark of joy.
Wonderful.
Now let's take a moment to appreciate the small pleasures in your life.
What brings you joy no matter how simple or small?
Perhaps it's the feeling of soft sheets,
The taste of your favorite morning drink or just the sound of laughter.
Take a moment to reflect on three small things you are grateful for right now.
Let each one bring a little more lightness to your heart.
One of the keys for joy in this life really is learning to savor and appreciate those small things that can be such a source of joy for us.
So now please silently say thank you for these small gifts and allow them to set the tone for your day.
And now for the next couple of minutes see if you can simply rest in this feeling of joy and playfulness.
Let yourself breathe naturally savoring the present moment.
If at any point your mind begins to wander,
Gently guide it back to your breath with that sense of playfulness.
Imagine this playful,
Joyful energy filling your whole body,
Lifting you with each breath.
See if you can treat this next couple of minutes like a game.
It's playful.
The game is simply I'm going to focus on my breath but then maybe I'll get distracted.
I don't know and then I'll just come back and focus on my breath again and now I'm winning the game again.
You can play with this.
Just playfully focusing on the breath and if you get distracted,
Have a little giggle and bring yourself back to the breath.
Oh no,
I got distracted.
But I noticed that I got distracted so that's another point for me and just again gently back to the breath.
And as we begin to close out meditation today,
I just want to bring your attention to the concept of serious play.
Because you want to invite this sense of joy and playfulness into our day but you can be playful and also be serious.
Imagine a child intent upon winning a game.
They're playing but they're very serious about it and this concept of serious play can really help us as we achieve meaningful and serious things in our day while still holding on to this sense of playful joy and curiosity.
So we're going to begin to bring our awareness back to our present surroundings.
So just taking one final deep breath in,
Hold at the top for a second and let it out slowly.
Begin to gently wiggle the fingers and toes and when you feel ready to do so,
Just gently opening your eyes and returning to your surroundings.
As you move forward through your day,
Remember to carry this playful joyful energy within you and it guides you through the day,
Helping you to find wonder in the ordinary and delight in the unexpected.
Remember of course to thank yourself for taking Remember of course to thank yourself for taking this time to reconnect with your inner child,
To nurture your creativity and to just welcome joy into your life.
So go forward with lightness,
Laughter and an open heart.
Life is a playground and the day ahead is yours to play and explore.
