Preparing for Meditation

Meditation can sometimes be difficult to settle into because we haven't first calmed the body and mind, which can lead to frustration. This short preparation will help you ground in, let go of physical and mental tension, and set you up for a meditation that is more focused and less distracted.

Transcript

Hey, And welcome to this short real-line practice to help you prepare for meditation. All too often as we are rushing around in daily life we forget to transition from one thing to another, And so we often bring a state of busyness with us into the next thing without really letting go of that state that is present in our bodies and our minds. And so it is with meditation. It's very hard to focus and move into a deep state if we're still carrying around the thing that we were working on or thinking about beforehand. So to do this make sure that you're set up straight, Ideally either in a chair with your back supported or perhaps on a cushion on the floor so that your hips are slightly elevated and higher than your knees. Just take a moment to just settle into this simple posture with nothing else to do. Just bring your attention to the points of contact between you and the chair or the floor and just introduce a sense of sinking down. And just move your attention to your breath without trying to change it in any way. Follow the breath as it moves into your body and as you exhale, Imagine exhaling down. Again, Just feel like your body and your mind are just gently sinking down into the floor or the chair that is supporting you. Now start to take a few slower, Deeper breaths in through the nose and exhaling out slowly through the nose as well. In your own time in a smooth and steady rhythm, Just work to make the breath as steady and calm as possible. And on each exhale just release any sense of tension you can feel right the way up from your forehead, Your jaw, All the way down past your shoulders, Even the belly, All the way down. Let it go. There's no one here to look at you, Judge you. Maintain a straight spine as much as possible. But just physically let go of tension with each exhale. Let go of anything else that might still be in your mind. It will still be there when you come back after your meditation. Maybe it won't. Meditation in these practices is everything. So just two more breaths, Breathing in slowly and smoothly and just exhaling and softening the body and the mind. And now you're ready to really begin meditating in whatever form you choose. Enjoy.

Reviews

Thanks so much for this very grounding guidance. It feels like all the cells in my body are moving in the same calm direction now. We all need more moments of transition in our day and I’ll definitely return to this practice for more of mine. Namaste 🙏🏻💫.