Hi there,
This is Anu.
Today we'll practice mindfulness together.
So wherever you are,
Come to a comfortable seated position,
Your spine long,
Feet planted on the ground,
Hands resting on your knees.
Relax your shoulders,
Your neck,
Your jaw,
Opening up your chest,
And bring your eyes to a gentle close or place your gaze at a stationary point in front of you.
What we'll do today is just go through the body,
Really starting with becoming aware of and strengthening that skill of mindfulness with what's here at all times,
Using our body as our primary object of awareness.
So let's begin.
Bring your attention to your forehead.
Notice any sensations in the forehead,
Perhaps some holding,
Some tightness,
And see if you can relax,
Release.
Just consciously repeating those phrases,
Relax,
Release.
Now bring your attention to your jaw,
Your tongue.
This is often a place we collect a lot of tension,
A lot of tightness.
So see if you can relax,
Release.
If the mind has begun to drift again,
Notice what it's doing.
Perhaps it's thinking,
Planning,
Whatever it is,
It's just a habit.
See if you can bring your awareness back to your jaw.
This is the practice that we're developing,
The practice of returning to the present moment.
And at this time,
Really cultivating the practice of bringing mindfulness to our body.
Relax,
Release.
Now coming to your shoulders and your neck,
Notice if there's any tension there and see if you can relax,
Release.
Coming to your chest,
Notice if the shoulders are drooping over the chest.
See if you can expand your heart,
Rising nobly,
And then just relax,
Release.
If the mind has wandered off again,
That's okay.
We're not trying to quiet the mind.
What we're trying to do is notice what it's doing.
Perhaps it's in the past or the future.
See if you can bring it back to the present moment,
Back to your body,
Your chest,
Releasing any holding,
Feeling a sense of expansion and openness.
Relax,
Release.
Coming down to your belly,
Really noticing the expansion of the belly out on your inhales and the way it comes back in on your exhales.
See if you can relax,
Release,
Really focusing your attention.
Now bring your attention to your arms,
Your left arm,
Your right arm,
Your left hand,
Your right hand.
Notice if there's any holding there.
Notice the sensations of holding,
Perhaps a tightness,
Some tingling.
Then with your mind,
See if you can loosen,
Relax,
Release.
We have the most number of nerve endings here.
So oftentimes we feel a doing energy in our hands.
But in this moment,
We have nowhere to be,
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do,
But just being aware,
Being mindful of what's always here,
Our bodies.
Relax,
Release.
Now bring your attention to your legs,
Your thighs,
Your knees.
Notice any holding,
Any tension.
Relax,
Release.
Coming down to your feet,
Your left foot,
Your right foot.
Notice any contraction,
Any tension there.
Really surrendering,
Releasing all that energy.
Relax,
Release.
Now take that energy of relaxation to all other parts of your body.
See if there's any other body part that we haven't covered that's holding some tension,
Some tightness.
And just gently nudging this request of relax,
Release,
Relax.
Feeling centered here,
Present,
With nowhere to go,
No place to be,
But here.
Really savoring the ease and openness of being here in your body.
Now bring your attention to your skin,
The largest organ in our body.
Notice what the skin feels like,
This covering that really keeps the entirety of our body together,
Regulates our body temperature,
Maintains homeostasis.
But in this moment,
Just feeling the skin,
The skin across your face,
Your scalp,
Your torso,
Your chest,
Your arms,
Your legs.
Notice any sensations.
What do they feel like?
Not needing to change them,
But just observing them.
This is just an organ that all of us have that offer protection.
And in this organ,
There's a cell called melanocytes that all of us have.
But for some of us,
That cell produces the protein melanin.
And that protein is what gives our skin some color.
The more melanin that's released,
The darker our skin appears to be.
Often as a protection from the sun and other environmental factors.
But that's it.
See if you can feel what your skin feels like,
If there's any tensing up.
And then relax,
Release,
Relax.
Now you can bring this energy of release,
Of relaxation to your body at any time you notice holding or tension.
This is the practice we're cultivating,
The practice of mindfulness.
We'll come out of this exercise shortly.
Notice if the mind has drifted.
What is it doing?
And see if you can bring it back to your body just for these last few moments.
Take these last few seconds to savor the openness you may feel in your body.
This is available to you at any time,
Anywhere.
By bringing awareness to your inner experience,
To your body,
You'll be better able to make decisions that align with your purpose and values.
After your next exhale,
Bring your chin to your chest.
And if your eyes were closed,
Gently open them.
Thank you for practicing today.
Have a wonderful day ahead.
