Hello and thank you for being here.
My name is Adriene and I will be your meditation guide.
This meditation is for anyone who is either new to their practice or is looking for a quick refresher.
Either way,
Welcome.
This practice is meant to help ease you into meditating or remind you why you started your practice to begin with.
Be gentle with yourself and remember that whatever unfolds in your practice today is exactly what is meant to unfold.
Meditation is not about keeping your mind from thinking.
It is about the awareness of your thoughts and the ability to not identify with them.
It is about slowing down the activity of your mind and observing what arises in stillness.
Meditation takes you beyond the mind,
Beyond the intellect,
Beyond the ego.
Whether we realize it or not,
Between each thought and the next,
There's a gap.
The gap is silenced.
You are not your thoughts.
Your true self lies in that gap.
Let's begin.
Be sure you are seated in a comfortable position.
Preferably with your hands in your lap and your palms facing upward,
Ready to receive.
Now take a moment to really settle in.
Close your eyes.
We will begin with our breath,
Nice,
Slow,
And with the intention of relaxing your physical body.
Breathing in through your nose and then out through your mouth.
When you are ready,
Slowly inhale through your nose to the count of four.
And then exhale through your mouth gently.
As if you're trying to blow through a straw.
Do your best to make your exhale twice as long as your inhale.
Do this for just a few breaths at your own pace.
When you're ready,
Take one more slow,
Deep breath in.
And on the exhale,
Let it all go with a sigh.
Feel yourself sink deeper into your seat.
Allow your entire body to soften as you become aware of your breath.
With each in-breath,
I'd like you to imagine that you are breathing in a beautiful white light.
The light fills you with warmth.
On each exhale,
You let go of what is no longer serving you and you relax a bit more.
Continue to breathe in the beautiful glowing light.
Feel it filling you.
Healing you.
Calming you and lifting anything you no longer want to hold on to.
Just breathe.
Begin to feel the light gently filling you up.
It expands all the way down to your feet and up to the top of your head.
Keep breathing as the light grows brighter.
Imagine you are held by this warm light.
Allow the light to expand beyond your body.
See it reaching the people in your space.
And stay with this feeling of expansion,
Of peace.
As we take this a little deeper.
We will be using the mantra Aum Shanti.
Aum is the universal vibration and Shanti is Sanskrit for peace.
Repeat the mantra silently.
Do not worry if you stray from the mantra or if your thoughts begin to float in and out.
Simply become aware of them.
And when it happens,
Just return to the mantra,
Aum Shanti.
I will watch the time as you silently repeat the mantra,
Aum Shanti.
Let's begin.
Shanti.
Now take a moment.
To become aware of your physical body.
Wiggle your fingers gently.
Wiggle your toes.
Now inhale deeply.
And exhale fully.
Feel the peace and stillness that you've created within you.
If you prefer to remain in this stillness and continue your meditation,
You are welcome to do so.
Otherwise,
You may open your eyes slowly.
The peace that you have created is part of the ripple effect.
Carry this stillness and peace with you throughout the day and feel it rippling outward.
Thank you again for being here.
Have a beautiful day.
Namaste.
