Christian Meditation To Slow Down & Check In

This meditation includes guided breathing, body connection, and a "check-in" with what is happening inside. The track closes with Christian integration and prayer. This track can be used at any time to press the pause button and connect with the different emotions, thoughts, and parts of us that we hold internally.

Please note, this track, nor any other by this author, is intended to be a substitute for professional mental health services.

Transcript

To get started, I encourage you to take a couple nice deep breaths wherever you are sitting or laying down Closing your eyes if you feel comfortable feeling the weight of your body resting Noticing what kind of surfaces are underneath your feet or your legs Noticing how your spine feels How your neck feels? If there's any tension in your jaw or your back Gently breathing in and out Whatever you might be noticing in your body You can start to be curious considering if That might be related To anything that's going on with a part of you And so maybe there's a tension in your body that indicates to you That there's a part of you that's feeling frustrated right now or stuck Maybe you feel a heaviness in your chest or a lump in your throat and This tells you that there's a part of you feeling heavy overwhelmed Maybe there's a knot in your gut Or it feels hard to get your body to calm down You sense a current of anxiety or tension and this tells you that there's a part of you that's feeling worried or uncertain Whatever you might be noticing I encourage you to continue some nice deep breaths and if there's any judgments or shame Criticisms that are coming up in your mind You can gently ask those to step back for this exercise Breathing into your body noticing What is happening inside of me right now? What are the different thoughts? Emotions perspectives What kind of pain? Worry shame fear or anything else Am I noticing and how do I want to respond to that? And if this is a day where you're not really noticing anything or none of this is connecting I want to encourage you to breathe into that and just be curious Rather than trying to force a connection or force something that you're noticing You can be curious and see hmm. Is this how I felt yesterday. Is this how I've been feeling all week? Is this how I generally feel or is this different than how I generally feel? We don't need to have answers about why or what's happening exactly. You can simply start with noticing and continuing those nice deep breaths. I invite you to set an intention for what you will do with what you have noticed So if you have noticed Okay, There's something inside of me. There's some part of me that's feeling really worried How do you want to respond to that? What is something that you would like to do today or this week? To engage with or respond to something that you're noticing inside So just taking a few more moments You can pause if you need more time Thinking through how you would like to respond to what you're connecting with or any disconnects that you're noticing and by doing this You're communicating that you're not only checking in but that when you check in That means you'll also respond And if you're having a hard time thinking about how you might respond to what you're noticing internally I'll offer a few ideas You can take these or leave them you might consider if going on a walk and Dialoguing with God during that walk about what you're experiencing inside could be helpful You might consider taking some time to journal through What you're noticing inside Inviting God into that asking him for clarity about what's going on in the depths of your soul Maybe what you think you need is something Very simple and tangible Like a break Time to lay down and take a nap. I Love the example that we have of God ministering to Elijah By giving him a nap and a snack That is how he sustains him. I Think this gives us a lot of permission to do the same in moments when that's what we most need and You might also leave this check-in With a simple prayer asking God to give you clarity on what it is that these parts of you need And or asking him to minister To these parts of you that you're noticing as you do this you can notice How different parts of you might feel about inviting God to minister to them If they're open to this if this feels safe if this feels known And before we close I'll say a short prayer Lord God, I thank you that You already know and understand the complexities of what's happening inside of us at any time at any moment I Pray in your goodness your grace and your mercy You would give us insight and discernment to see what is happening inside and What it is that we need Not just from ourselves and not just from other people but ultimately from you And would you help us see your hand your ministry your care and How you can use people and experiences and things that we can do to try to take care of ourselves Would you lift our eyes? Back to you over and over again Helping us see your goodness and your grace as the source of any of those things And Would you especially do this for the parts of us that don't quite know you? Or don't quite see your hand and your care in our lives