Welcome to this practice of mindfulness of body Let's take this first minute of practice to simply arrive into this space,
Into this moment by first finding a position that allows you to be both relaxed and alert If you would like more guidance on how to sit in a safer-for-your-joints way you can listen to the meditation called Beginner Mindfulness of Body with Posture Guidance It's especially useful if you're one of those people who like to sit cross-legged on the floor Otherwise,
You can also sit on the chair,
You can lie down or even stand You can always adjust your posture throughout this practice as well To begin to really settle in,
Take a few cleansing,
Relaxing breaths and bring your focus in gently That's right,
You can give your nervous system a permission to gently shift gears from whatever you were engaged with before and before whatever comes next in your day Your eyes can gently close or rest softly on a spot in front of you,
Gazing downward Whether your day has been full,
Stressful or simply busy in your mind,
There is no pressure to shift anything right away You are here and that's enough To help yourself arrive more fully,
You can let your attention slowly move downward from the thoughts in your mind to the feeling of your body making contact with the ground,
The seat,
The floor or the furniture beneath you You can notice that steady,
Quiet support holding you It's important to acknowledge,
However,
That for some,
Bringing attention to the body might feel unsettling especially if there has been trauma or chronic stress So if focusing on the body does not feel right at any point,
You're welcome to shift your attention to something more neutral or external The sounds in a room,
The feeling of air on your skin or the space around you For a few more moments,
Let's continue allowing your awareness to be like a feather descending to the ground coming to rest on the sensations of solidity underneath you Then,
Like a fragrance,
Feeling the air let your awareness permeate the entire somatic field of your body from the ground up to the crown of your head If you notice any areas of tightness in the body,
You might gently invite them to soften Breathing in,
You can bring kind attention to those sensations Breathing out,
You might allow for just a little more ease in the shoulders,
In the face just softening what's ready to release Now,
Choose a home base for your attention for the rest of this practice This can be focusing on the whole body perhaps or on the sensations of your body breathing itself Perhaps where it feels most pleasant or easy to notice or you can focus on a specific area like your hands or feet if that feels most accessible today You can be mindfully aware of the sensations arising in that part of the body without visualizing or thinking about your body Let sensations be experienced simply as sensations and know that each time your mind wanders,
Which it will,
It is a moment of true mindfulness When you notice that happening,
Gently guide your attention back to your chosen anchor If your mind happens to be particularly active today you might also try mentally labeling what you feel in the body words like tingling,
Pressure,
Tightness,
Warmth and whatever other words that describe what you are experiencing You can let the labeling be soft,
Maybe just 5% of your attention while the rest stays with the actual sensation Again,
When you notice the mind has drifted,
Meet it with kindness No need to judge,
Just notice where it went and gently come back to your anchor Now we're gonna start wrapping this practice up very gradually So if you would like,
You can place a hand over your heart,
Your belly perhaps or another part of the body that feels comforting Take a moment to acknowledge yourself with warmth for showing after this practice just as you are Then you might take a slightly deeper breath Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes Take your time to roll your shoulders or gently stretch When you're ready,
You can allow your eyes to gently open and take in the space around you Noticing whatever might feel different in you Noticing perhaps some sense of calm that you cultivated and may this small act of awareness ripple gently outward into the rest of your day or night Thank you
