Welcome to the practice of meditation.
My name is Marin Sommer and I'm a mindfulness and meditation mentor.
I'm inviting you into this seven minute guided meditation to help you arrive more grounded and calm as you gather with family.
Sit comfortably with a tall spine,
Close down the eyes and begin to notice the breath in the abdomen,
The rising and the falling of the breath.
As you meditate,
Thoughts will naturally come and go and this is just how our minds work.
Let the thoughts pass like trains in the night,
Without judgment and come back to concentrating on your breathing.
Know that you don't need to arrive at any result in meditation,
It's a practice and it doesn't have to be perfect.
The thought alone of joining a family event can bring up a lot of emotions even before you have arrived anywhere and that's okay.
Simply observe your thoughts with self-compassion and let them pass.
Return to the breath,
Noticing the rise and the fall of the abdomen.
Now bring attention to a calm space within you,
A place untouched by any expectations around meeting family.
Take some time to find the space in your body,
Locate where it's sitting and really connect with it.
Let this inner sanctuary travel with you,
Supporting you throughout the holidays and any family gatherings.
If you need to,
Put a hand on your heart to remind you of this calm space that you can always tap into when needed,
Before,
During or after meeting family.
You can even give it a name.
To help you stay in the present moment,
Use your belly breath and keep the attention firmly placed at the abdominal center breathing in,
Breathing out,
Moment by moment.
You sit still like a stone,
Like Buddha,
Unshakable,
Unmovable.
The strength lies behind the energy so the blood flow can circulate easily.
Know that you're already a Buddha at heart,
Whole and complete.
Keep the breath primarily through the nostrils,
Filtering the air through the nose.
Check that your face is still relaxed,
The jaw and the eyes in particular.
Check that you're still sitting straight and if the body has moved a little,
Adjust it gently.
The practice of meditation helps us release tension within the body and within the mind,
Within the emotions,
So that healing can take place.
By restoring your peace and calm,
You help your surrounding world restore their peace and calm.
Stay with the breath and if you feel fearful or worried,
Just breathe.
Know that with a strong mind you have the power to transform it to self-compassion and to healing.
Imagine your belly smiling.
Meditation is like taking a shower on the inside,
Getting to the most essential part of you and finding a way to be at home in your own skin.
Just stay with the breath,
Breathing in,
Breathing out and really relax the belly and use your exhalations to do this.
Now gently change your focus to the physical surroundings,
Noticing the sounds and sensations around you.
When you feel ready,
Open your eyes gently and give yourself some time before you carry on your day.
Thank you for joining this meditation.
May your heart stay open.
