How you begin your day usually sets the tone for how you end up feeling through the rest of your day.
Let us begin this morning at a slow,
Calm,
Mindful pace so that you can start your day at the right note.
Namaste,
My name is Soumya and I will be your guide through this morning practice.
If you're still in bed,
Take a posture of your choice.
Take your time,
There's no rush.
Once you sit up,
Bring both your palms together and gently rub them,
Generating some heat.
And now bring them up to your cheeks,
Holding your face with love while you keep your eyes closed.
Take a couple of deep breaths here.
Keep your breathing natural and slow,
Just like the morning light slowly spreading through the sky.
No rush.
Keep your eyes gently closed as you do this.
Now,
Let us add some mindful movement to your morning.
Imagine you were a leaf swaying in the cool morning breeze.
Allow your movements to be fluid,
Just like that of a leaf.
Slide your hands down and let them rest next to your thighs.
Place your left arm on the ground.
Breathe in as you lift your right hand up towards the sky,
Fingers pointing upwards.
Allow your chest to be nice and open and as you breathe out,
Take a slight bend towards the left,
Gently stretching the right side of your body.
Continue breathing as you do this.
Do only what feels comfortable at this time of the day.
Beautiful.
Now breathe in once again,
Stretch your hand back up towards the sky and as you breathe out,
Bend towards the left side one more time.
Once you feel a gentle stretch,
Hold the pose and breathe naturally.
Repeat this one more time at your own pace.
Now let's balance out to the other side.
Place your right palm on the ground,
Breathe in and gracefully glide your left hand up towards the sky.
Breathe out and take a side bend towards the right,
Stretching your left side this time.
Once you feel a gentle stretch,
Breathe normally.
And now you can repeat this a couple more times at your own pace in a slow,
Mindful way.
Be like nature.
Go slow.
Begin your day with ease.
Once you feel satisfied,
Bring your hand back to the ground and take a moment to notice if there is any other movement that your body is craving this morning.
Tune in and allow yourself to release any tension that may have built up over the night.
Maybe just some gentle shoulder rolls,
Stretching your neck to one side and then the other.
You decide.
Let us spend the next one minute doing that.
Wonderful.
Gently find your way back to a seated posture of your choice.
You can choose to sit cross-legged,
On a chair,
Or however your body feels comfortable today.
Try and keep your back straight.
Warming up the body with some movement before your meditation practice can truly transform the energy of your entire experience,
Especially in the morning.
As you sit up,
Take a moment to look at the room you are sitting in right now.
Maybe this is where you spend most of your time,
But see if you can notice it as though you're looking at it for the very first time.
Keep your gaze gentle and relaxed.
Now,
Allow your eyes to find a spot in front of you.
Let your gaze rest there and soften.
Begin to deepen your breath now.
This time,
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth,
Letting out a loud sigh.
Let us try this together a few times.
Breathe in,
Sigh it out.
Breathe in,
Sigh it out.
And as you breathe out this time,
Let your eyes close,
Let your whole face relax.
Just be.
Allow your breathing to come back to normal now.
Drop your shoulders down,
Let your arms relax.
You may rest your palms on your thighs or in your lap,
Whatever feels good this morning.
Can you soften your face just a little more?
Relax your jaw,
Soften your forehead.
And maybe,
If you're not already smiling,
Invite a gentle smile.
Deepen your breath now,
Breathing in slowly,
Breathing out fully.
Let your whole body expand as you breathe in.
Let it relax as you breathe out.
So imagine as though your body was a balloon.
What would happen if you blew some air inside?
It would expand.
And as you took the air out,
It would contract.
In the same way,
Let your whole body breathe as you breathe in and breathe out.
In your mind's eye,
Imagine yourself sitting in the center of a beautiful garden.
You are surrounded by fresh blooming flowers on all sides.
The air smells fresh and the lush green grass beneath you is still slightly wet with dew drops from the night.
The morning sun is visible on the horizon,
Its rays filtering through the leaves of tall trees,
Gently caressing and soothing you.
See yourself surrounded by the energy of the sun,
Forming a glowing,
Translucent circle all around your body.
The circle of light stretches out about three feet in all directions.
As you breathe in and breathe out,
The healing energy of the morning sun removes all aches and pains from your body,
Energizing every cell and grounding your mind.
Let the light reach every part of you,
Replacing the darkness of the night with renewed hope and inner peace.
All your cells are glowing and healing through the energy of the morning sun.
With every breath in,
You breathe in fresh,
Healing energy.
With every breath out,
You let go of stress and worry,
Relaxing even more deeply.
Gentle affirmations.
Repeat the following statements in your mind as you hear them.
I welcome this brand new day.
I am so grateful to be alive this morning.
My body is healing,
My mind is at peace.
I am surrounded by love in all directions.
I am completely safe in this moment.
No matter what,
I am going to be okay.
Now stay with your breathing and continue to enjoy your own presence in this brand new day.
With this,
We come to the end of our session for today.
If you enjoyed your practice,
Please leave a comment and let me know how was it for you.
That is a simple way of supporting my work here on Insight Time.
I hope to see you soon for another practice.
My name is Soumya.
Namaste.
