Meditation For Centering & Softening

This meditation guides you through a full body scan, focusing on resting into a centred, anchoring mid-line that opens space for softness, lightness and ease around it. This practice of the body resting in centre helps to settle and rest the mind towards its own natural mid-line. Once this centring is established, we open our awareness to the alive, natural presence of being, anchored by the breath. Enjoy!

Transcript

Settle your body into the most comfortable shape that you can find. And I acknowledge that the process of settling the body also takes some time. It might not feel completely settled right now, That would be normal. See if there's any last really natural movement that feels like it wants to express. Could be as simple as shifting the weight across the sit bones. Or as easing the neck in a couple of really fluid directions to let it settle towards the midline. Ah, Maybe it's a soft sigh out through the lips. And invite your body more and more now to really settle in the midline. And spend some time internally exploring what does the midline feel like? There can be something so centering for the mind about bringing the body to center. Sense the touch of both sit bones. And really evenly let the weight of the sit bones pour downwards like roots or an anchor. And feel all of the various possible directions of the body. Turning so that there is this feeling of centering. Into the midline, Into the sit bones as they rest, Root and anchor. So that this steadiness of finding center helps the periphery to soften. So the shoulders. My fingers. The toes. And I'll leave you here for a minute exploring that balance between centering physically. And softening physically. Centering. And softening. And expand that whole center of the body to be from the sit bones. All the way up around the spine. Through the neck and to the top of the head. Sensing the support of the very midline of your whole structure. Allows softness through all of the edges. And acknowledge that what we're doing now are the preparation stages of meditation. We're simply settling. So really let go of any demands of yourself that might be quietly lingering. We're in a process of settling. There are no expectations right now to have an empty mind. Simply be with this process. We'll travel now with the attention through the whole of the body. Keeping that awareness of centering and softening. As a way to draw the mind more inwards and to really be with what's present. Bring your awareness now to the whole pelvis. And as you feel the pelvis, Notice the natural breath, The body breathing itself. As we meet each part, Imagine how we fill a container with liquid. In the same way, Filling the body with presence, Felt sense. Awana. The whole of the pelvis. Notice that presence doesn't need any adjectives, Any judgment. It's pure sensing. My whole pelvis. Invite the awareness from there now to travel down the legs. Aware of the natural breath. Down to the knees. Sweeps down to the ankle. Tops of the feet. Feel the natural breath. The souls of the feet. Linger here on the soles of the feet. Notice the curves and arches. Notice if there's a touch of fabric or air. A temperature or a tingling. The soles of the feet. All of the toes. Each individual toe. The tips of the toes as the breath is flowing. The whole lower body. Return to the pelvis, That quality of anchoring and supporting you. And invite awareness now to travel all the way through the upper body. Across the natural curves of the spine. And as we travel, Maybe you notice some very, Very subtle movement in the upper body. And you can always allow that to happen as a reminder of softness and ease. That were not made of straight lines. Notice the whole front and sides of the upper body. Across the shoulders, Down the arms. Elbows, Wrists, Tops of the hands, Palms of the hands. Spend a little more time there on the palms of the hands. What comes to life. As you linger there in the palms of the hands. All the fingers and tips of the fingers. Awareness then all the way across the face to the top of the head. Sense now your whole body. Presence of your whole body. And either simply focus on the touch of breath as it comes and goes. Or visualize alternate nostril breaths to help bring a bit of extra focus. And one side. Out the other. And the side that you just breathed out of. And now the opposite. Having the mind a little bit more to rest with. Just the touch of breath as it comes and goes. Invite all of your senses to be with this moment, This practice. Nothing that you need to add or take away. Welcoming the directness and simplicity. And feeling the ground underneath. Sensing the touch of fabric. And meetings again. Of the home of presence and aliveness through your whole body. And the simple, Natural waves of breath. They rise and fall. Rise and fall. It's normal to get lost. Relax, Let something soften and come back. No drama. Release the belly. Soften the jaw. Notice the space around the heart. Travel once again through your whole body. Exploring your own balance of centering and also ease, Softness. You could be still or you could see if your body wants a little bit more of that softness now. Maybe gently roll the neck. Or tip the pelvis, Or to yawn. And if you'd like to join me, You can also connect the palms together at the heart. Gesture of resting, External awareness to turn towards inner being and presence. Take a moment here to acknowledge your efforts and that you're here. Om Shanti. Om Peace.