Hi,
My name is Asa,
Welcome to this everyday meditation for beginners.
Please come to a comfortable seat.
You may close your eyes or leave them open with a soft gaze on the floor a few feet in front of you.
Reach your head up,
Align it over the center of your body and slightly tuck your chin to lengthen the back of your neck.
On your next inhale,
Draw your shoulders forward and up towards your ears.
And on the exhale,
Bring them back and down,
Opening in your chest.
Relax your face and soften your jaw.
Take a deep breath in and on the exhale,
Visualize a wave of relaxation flowing through your body and releasing any tension.
Try this relaxation breath twice more at your own pace,
Breathing in and then relaxing your whole body as you breathe out.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
Notice where you feel the breath the strongest in your body,
Perhaps through the rise and fall of your belly and chest,
The subtle movement in your shoulders as you breathe in and out.
Or maybe you notice your breath the most in your throat or at your nostrils.
And without changing your breath or judging how it should be,
Let it flow naturally.
Observe the length of the breath and how far down it feels like it's moving into your body.
Notice the temperature of the breath,
How it feels cooler on the inhale and warmer on the exhale.
And become aware of all of the little movements in your body as you breathe in and out.
Stay curious and watch each breath as closely as possible.
And whenever your mind wanders,
Take a deep breath and bring your focus back to your body breathing.
You can focus on one aspect of the breath or you can focus on your body breathing as a whole.
Be aware of all of the details and movements the breath makes as it flows in and out.
And whenever a thought comes up and you notice your focus has shifted from your breath to the thought,
Take a deep breath and kindly bring your focus back to your breath.
Meditation isn't about completely clearing the mind of all thought.
It's about holding a relaxed,
Judgment-free awareness of the present moment.
Thoughts will come and go regardless of how much or how long you've been meditating.
The practice is about releasing any attachment to the thought or emotions that arise and returning again and again to the present moment.
And since the breath can only happen in the present moment,
That's why it's often used as a focal point during meditation.
Maintain a gentle curiosity,
Noticing what happens in your body and mind as thoughts come and go.
If you'd like,
You can visualize the thoughts like clouds in the sky,
Aware of them coming and going but not focused on anyone.
For this last little bit,
Release your focus on your breath and open your awareness to whatever comes up,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Sounds,
Sensations,
And if your mind wants to think,
You can let it think.
As our practice comes to an end,
I invite you to take a moment to notice how you feel.
There's no such thing as a good or bad meditator,
Only distracted or undistracted.
The more you practice meditation,
The stronger your focus becomes and the more steady you become in your mind.
When you're ready,
Take a deep breath in and on your exhale,
Gently sit back,
Take a stretch and blink open your eyes.
Thank you for practicing this everyday guided meditation for beginners.
I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.
