Hello and welcome to this guided meditation to support you during the current time we are in as we are all facing challenges and stress related to the coronavirus.
Many of us are experiencing stress in a prolonged way.
It continues,
It sort of starts at the beginning of the day and travels through the day and through the night.
And what I am aware of is we need breaks in that.
We need moments of rest and respite that we,
A lot of us are not able to get.
It's hard to turn our brains off,
It's hard to shut our phones down,
It's hard to not have a constant knowing of what is happening and how it might impact us.
So the goal of this meditation specifically is just to give you a few moments of rest and to create a ritual,
A practice,
A habit just during this time of coming back to yourself,
Coming home to yourself in the present moment.
And this will also give some imagery that you can use over and over again to create some distance between you and the stress of coronavirus.
So with that,
Let's just find a gentle seat and start noticing your breathing.
Really just taking some deep breaths right into the belly.
And I just ask that each of us be grounded in our own bodies,
Untangling from every other person,
Every other media source,
Everything else and just be grounded right here in our own body.
You can just imagine a pillar that extends from your sit bones all the way deep,
Deep,
Deep into the earth with some gravity pulling you downward towards the earth,
Pulling your consciousness and your awareness into your body.
And as we become grounded,
We're less pulled towards information that constantly draws our attention away.
With each breath,
Just imagine yourself becoming more centered,
More grounded,
Taking more of a seat within the home of your own body,
Filling your lungs with each breath.
And each time your lungs fill,
Imagine your awareness filling your body more and more from head to toe.
Just this body,
Just this breath,
Just this one gentle moment.
Breathe.
Now I want you to just imagine any of the thoughts that might have been arising today,
Maybe even now as you try to do this,
Just the thoughts that have been coming up related to COVID.
And I just want you to see them out separate from you,
In front of you.
And we're just going to ask that there can be this beautiful jar filled with light right in front of you.
In my mind,
This is a really,
Really big,
Giant mason jar.
It kind of extends from the ground to the ceiling.
It's got to be real big for this.
And yeah,
Just imagine that jar is full of healing water and tons of light.
And it's filled with beauty.
And every worry that you have swirling around you about the pandemic will gently be placed into this container.
Gather them all up,
All the fears,
All the worries,
All the images,
Stories,
What ifs.
And on the out-breath,
Just put them in that beautiful big jar.
Each breath filling that jar with those worries and concerns and fears.
Keep breathing them right into the jar.
And we are going to call for a shower of light to rain down into this jar.
And we just ask that this jar be filled with loving light from near and far.
Only the purest,
Calmest,
Beautiful healing light to show up and fill this jar,
This jar of worries,
This jar of fear.
Being completely full of healing,
Loving light.
And when you're ready,
We're going to move our attention away from the jar.
You might sit down in front of the jar,
You might sit near it in your mind and just really,
Really notice that these things are separate from you.
You're in your body,
Grounded,
And these thoughts are contained,
Separate from you.
And you can call upon this jar anytime that you need it.
As we shift into this next part of our meditation,
We're going to practice some loving-kindness meditation.
So when you're ready,
I want you to imagine the people that are closest to you,
That you have fear.
You're worried for their safety or you're worried for their health.
I want you to just imagine them being right there with you in a very calm way,
Just sense their presence.
And you can see each other.
And on your next in-breath,
Repeat the following words.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you live at ease.
And breathe.
Now let's zoom out a little bit farther to your community,
To maybe the grocery store workers,
Medical,
Maybe even small businesses that are close to your heart,
That have been struggling.
This next level of people that might not be in your very most close awareness of what they're important and they're in your community.
Sort of just capture them in your mind's eye.
And sense them.
And when you're ready,
Repeat the following words.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you live at ease.
Breathe.
Now we will zoom out to our whole country,
To our whole world,
Wherever you are,
Wherever your country is.
And just picture your country,
Other countries,
This entire world that's affected by this right now,
All the people.
And just sense the collective.
And say this in your own way.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you live at ease.
And for our final one,
We're going to circle it all the way back home.
You might bring a hand to your heart or place your hand somewhere kindly resting on your own body.
And when you're ready,
Repeat these words to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I live at ease.
And just breathe that in.
Breathe in these wishes of wellness for yourself and for others,
Grounded within your own body,
Separate from the fears.
And gather all of this up,
All of these good wishes,
All of this separation from anxiety for just a moment.
And see if you can carry some of this with you through the day.
And you can return to it as many times as you need.
