This meditation will help you slow down in anxious moments to connect to your physical body and gently usher your attention back to the present moment.
Please take a minute to get seated comfortably.
You may want a blanket over your lap or fold it under your hips and seat.
Become aware of the physical body.
Feel the warmth or cool of the air on your skin.
Sense the breath coming and going.
Without changing anything,
Just notice the rhythms of your natural breath.
Feel or sense your navel rising and falling with each inhale and every exhale.
When you are ready,
Close your eyes or gently lower your lids halfway,
Keeping a soft gaze ahead of you.
Just find a point that you can focus on.
Feel or sense the space you are seated in,
Becoming mentally aware of space to the left of the body,
To the right,
The space in front of your body,
The back body,
Above and below.
And now bringing your awareness back to your natural breath and your connection to the ground beneath your seat.
Begin to scan your whole body,
Starting at your feet.
Notice all the small points of your seat,
Feet and legs that are in contact with the ground beneath you.
Root down through your seat.
Feel the steady foundation of your hips and legs as you sit.
Bring your awareness to your upper abdomen.
And now your navel,
Scanning for any subtle holding or tension in this area.
We tend to hold our bellies tightly.
Soften the belly by bringing the gentlest breathing to this area.
And let go of any holding if you can.
And if not,
It's okay.
Just keep breathing into your belly.
And move up to the center of your chest,
Pausing at the heart center.
Notice any sensations that arise here.
Moving to your upper chest,
Sense the lungs as they fill to capacity and then relax as you let the breath flow out.
Notice the sides of the ribs lifting slightly and settling back in with each breath.
Allow your shoulders to release down and away from your earlobes.
Release the shoulder blades down your back,
Both arms releasing and relaxing.
Spread the fingertips on top of your thighs as you soften the palms of your hands.
Coming up to the throat,
Soften the pit of your throat,
Relaxing the muscles of your face,
Your jaw,
Letting the lips slightly part.
Relax your chin and teeth.
Bringing awareness to the tip of your nose,
Notice the wisp of air that passes as you draw the breath in and then exhale.
Both nostrils relaxed.
Relax your eye sockets,
Letting your eyes sink back.
Rest your vision both outwardly and inwardly.
And let the point at the center of your brows relax and your forehead spread to either side,
Temples at ease.
Allow all things passing across the screen of your mind as simply phenomena,
Coming and going like clouds in a vast sky.
And finally,
At the crown of your head,
Notice the infinite space above you.
As universal light pours into you,
Sense your connection to creation,
Including all beings big and small.
One heart,
One body,
One mind,
One pulse.
Finally,
Resting your awareness back at the heart center as you sit tall,
Grounded,
Connected,
And present.
Rooted squarely in your physical and inner wisdom,
Ready to greet this moment.
Bow your chin slightly towards your chest,
Placing both hands,
One on top of the other,
Over your heart.
May this practice bring you continued peace,
Presence,
Connection.
When you are ready,
Gently blink your eyes back open and arrive back into your space as you feel called.
