Hello and welcome to this meditation on making space to be present.
I'm your host,
Alison Hart.
Today we are going to settle into ourselves,
Our whole being.
We are going to make space for the part of us that yearns to be present.
The one we can often cast aside when we dwell on the past,
On unresolved issues.
When we open old wounds in an attempt to heal differently.
But we linger too long.
The one we disregard in favor of planning,
Problem solving,
Preparing.
Can you sense the often quiet but present part of you?
Sometimes we have to practice being present even when the mind feels chaotic.
And invite that part of us to come forth so that we may soak in its wisdom and the freedom to just simply be.
Today let's open up to being present.
I invite you to close your eyes.
Allow your eyelashes to feel.
Gently wade down to the tops of your cheeks.
If your tongue is on the roof of your mouth,
Allow it to fall away.
Imagine creating just a little more space in your mouth.
If there is clenching in your jaw,
Allow your jaw to drop slightly.
If there is tension,
Just notice it and invite the cells in your jaw to slow down,
Untighten.
Even if just for this meditation.
But there is certainly nothing for you to force.
Just inviting.
If at any time during this meditation you notice your jaw or tongue returning to their tense states,
That's okay and completely normal.
Gently release them again and return awareness to the meditation.
I invite you to bring your attention to your breath.
We are not here to control the breath in any way.
There is nothing for you to do,
To be,
Only to witness.
Notice your breath nourish you with every inhale.
Imagine each cell of your body awakening to your breath,
Taking what it needs.
Imagine the exhale removing what no longer serves you.
Notice the sensation of cool air as it enters your nose,
Goes up into your sinus cavity,
Down your throat and into your lungs.
Notice the belly move outward.
Your shoulders raise upward slightly.
Then follow the warm exhale out the same way it came.
Observe your tummy,
Shoulders and chest move back into a contracted and rested state of being.
Notice the pause at the end of the exhale when all is still.
Observe the stillness for the next few moments as you follow the breath.
For these next few moments,
Continue to follow your inhales and exhales,
Noticing these breathing sensations.
Cool air in,
Warm air out.
If it's helpful,
Draw attention to the place in your body where you experience your breath the most for right now.
Maybe it's at the top of the inhale or the cool air in the back of your throat.
Or just simply keep following its flow with your attention.
If at any time you get distracted by the mind,
We are going to welcome it because it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do.
This is how we're going to practice being present today.
When thoughts arise,
Imagine noticing them as thoughts by saying to yourself,
I'm having the thought that,
And fill in the blank.
Or you can simply label the process as thinking,
Planning,
Problem solving,
Reflecting,
Feeling.
You can also label an emotion that comes up.
Discomfort,
Resistance,
Peace,
Restlessness,
Impulse to do something different or to engage with your thoughts.
Envision yourself at a train station sitting on one of the warm wooden benches.
Imagine labeling the thought,
The process or the emotion,
Helping them board the train,
Watching it move farther away from you as it leaves the station,
Giving them permission to return later at any time.
Smile warmly and with understanding at them,
Knowing that your mind is constantly trying to work for you,
Even if it's not useful at this moment.
If the same thought comes up,
Keep putting it on a thought train.
I do promise that these thoughts always return to us,
So there is no need to try to remember or keep track.
Wave to them as they leave your station.
Between your observations,
Always return to your breath.
And so for the next little bit,
We are going to sit in the slow,
Soft music,
Practicing noticing these mental processes if they arise.
Allow them to board a thought train,
Keeping yourself anchored on your bench.
And you do so by drawing your attention back to your breath and envisioning yourself there.
Sometimes your anchor can be the stillness at the bottom of the exhale.
Return there.
If you get distracted by these mental workings or if you notice you started to board a thought train,
You can step off and return to your bench.
We're going to practice this for the next few moments.
So,
Let's start.
You You You You You You I invite you to return now to the anchor The stillness at the bottom of your exhale go there Observe your breath from that vantage point As if you're beneath it all observing your internal world from the seat of your heart or good But whichever feels right for you Cool air in warm air out Stillness This stillness is your anchor It's your pause It's your presence It's your chance to start over and return to center Which means there are so many chances throughout the day to start again being present So many opportunities to practice presence It can keep you seated on your bench as thoughts leave your train station Whatever you need You can feel free to continue on here I hope you take these practices with you into today and each day moving forward And that they help you connect to your presence Have a wonderful day
