Welcome to your practice today.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat,
Maybe use a pillow underneath or even sit on a chair.
If you prefer to do this meditation lying down,
It's absolutely okay as well.
I want you to be comfortable so that your body can relax and your mind can follow.
Now slowly begin to close the eyes and to focus on your breath.
Just watching the natural breath as it's coming in and going out softly,
Breathing you.
There's absolutely nothing you have to do,
Just be here,
Slowly dropping from your mind down into your body and noticing any sensations.
Feel the breath as it's coming in,
Expanding in your ribs,
In your chest,
In your belly,
And visualize the breath as it's softly going out of your body.
Just noticing this beautiful flow of breath coming in and going out,
Expansion and contraction.
Once you feel that there's some kind of rhythm,
A natural flow to your breath,
Just allow it to breathe you without trying to change anything or control anything.
Then bring your awareness to the center of your chest,
Your heart.
Just do a little check-in here with your heart,
Physical heart.
Notice if this place feels a little contracted or if it feels soft,
Open,
Trusting.
If your heart feels a little vulnerable right now,
Then just acknowledge that.
You could even bring your hand onto your heart,
Which is calming and soothing.
Maybe you can connect even to your heartbeat.
With this meditation today,
We really want to stay in the heart space and acknowledge the heart,
Acknowledge all the times in our lives where we have been really open,
Receptive,
And also acknowledging the times in our lives where we have been really open and receptive.
And also acknowledging the times in our lives where we felt that we have to protect our heart.
Acknowledge whatever feeling may be present.
Maybe there's sadness,
A sense of grief,
And a sense of openness,
Trust.
Let's see if you can just welcome all of it.
Recognize if there may have been times where you've compromised your own heart in order to not make other people uncomfortable or because you put other people in front of your own needs.
And use this time right now to reconnect to your own heart,
Your needs,
And also your care for yourself.
Maybe ask yourself the question,
What is it that I need right now and how can I communicate that?
So whatever comes up for you,
Allow it to flow through you,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Sensations in the body.
And if the attention drifts away from you into the outer world and you recognize it,
Notice.
Just gently bring your attention back to your heart.
Now if you like,
Imagine to place a point of light in the center of your heart.
It could be a golden light,
A white light,
Any color really that comes to your mind.
And feel how that color from the center of your heart radiates into the whole of your body,
Every little cell,
Every little corner.
And eventually filling your whole body with this beautiful light.
Really honoring yourself for taking the time to connect to the heart.
Maybe use this time also to set an intention for the day.
How do you want to feel today?
What do you want to bring into your day today?
Place your left hand on top of your heart.
Take a moment here and see if you can connect to the softness of your own heart.
If there's any tension or rigidity,
Can you maybe soften it?
Just breathing into the heart,
Breathing into your hand.
Breathing expansion into the heart space.
And then placing your right hand on top of your left,
And just holding your heart here for a moment.
Your beautiful heart.
And then honor yourself for all those times,
All those moments where you have nourished your heart,
Where you have listened to your heart,
And where you have softened into your heart.
Slowly bring your hands together in front of your heart,
With your thumbs touching to the center of your chest.
Gently bowing your head towards your hands and thanking yourself for being here today and taking this time.
