Bridge.
Falsehood.
Thank you for joining me today.
My name is Amanda and I'm honoured to be your guide for the next 15 minutes while we sit together in our practice of allowing our mind the space to process the day.
I invite you to close your eyes and make yourself comfortable in the chair that you're in,
To lean into it and let it support you,
Letting your back,
Your legs and your feet give their weight to the supports beneath them.
I really admire you for dedicating time in your day to pause.
Whatever happens in our next 15 minutes together,
Wherever your mind roams,
It's okay.
That's what your mind does and it's completely natural for thoughts to come and go.
Trying not to force them in any direction or judge them,
Just gently returning to my voice or an awareness of your body if you become conscious of thinking.
There's no such thing as a good or a bad meditation.
The only thing that's important is that you've given yourself this moment.
You're exactly where you need to be right now and you're thinking and feeling exactly what you need to be thinking and feeling.
In this moment you are perfect and you are safe.
Let's start by connecting with our breath.
In your own time take a slow and steady breath in,
Feeling your belly rise as you do and breathe out,
Noticing how your belly gently recedes.
In your own time,
Breathing in,
Feeling your belly rise and breathing out,
Feeling your belly fall.
Just continuing with slow and steady breaths,
Filling your belly with fresh new air.
1 keeping your eyes closed you can let your breath return to a natural rhythm I invite you now to scan your body with your mind,
Releasing any built-up tension that you might discover in the process.
I'll guide you through the body,
But if you notice you're holding more tension anywhere you're welcome to pause there for as long as you need to.
We'll begin at the top of the head,
Noticing if you're holding any tension in your scalp and just imagining that it's softening and seeping away.
Moving to your forehead now,
Dropping your eyebrows away from each other and letting them soften.
Drifting your attention to the tiny muscles around your eyes,
Just allowing them to rest and release any worries they're holding onto.
Bringing your awareness to your jaw,
Noticing if you're holding any tension at the back of your jaw or more towards your chin,
Letting your tongue soften in your mouth,
Moving to your neck now,
Allowing your neck to relax into this moment under the weight of your head.
Dropping your shoulders,
Letting them slump away from your ears,
Noticing any tension that's collected there and just imagining it softening.
Bringing your awareness to your chest,
Where your heart is,
Offering a moment of gratitude to your heart for beating endlessly.
Noticing now again how your belly is rising and falling with your breath.
Becoming aware of your lower back and allowing it the space to release any tension that it's holding onto.
Moving slightly if you feel like that will take any pressure off.
Feeling where your legs are meeting the chair,
How they're being held by the chair,
Becoming aware of the bend in your knee and finally noticing the soles of your feet and each individual toe.
Expanding your awareness back to your entire body now,
Feeling your body in this chair and in this space.
For the last few minutes bringing to mind someone that loves you or something that loves you.
It could be a child,
Your parent,
Your partner,
Your sibling,
Your best friend,
Your pet or even your plant.
Remembering how it feels when they look at you with unconditional love.
Extending that feeling of love to your own body and sitting in a place of peaceful,
Perfect,
Love,
Admiration and awe.
Whenever you happen to become conscious of your thoughts or judgments or self-doubt,
Ever so peacefully and gently guiding your awareness back to those feelings of the love and admiration and awe for the vessel that carries you through each and every day,
Each and every challenge,
Each and every struggle,
Your body.
You you you you you Moving on to those feelings of love and admiration and awe for your body.
Comfortable in the knowledge that you're exactly who you need to be right now and simply resting for the last few minutes while you allow the effects of your meditation to slowly sink in.
Gradually starting to deepen your breath now.
Feeling the tips of your fingers pressing against whatever they're touching.
Noticing again the connection you'll have your feet have with the ground or the soles of your feet and your toes.
Perhaps wiggling your toes.
If it feels right,
Stretching your head from side to side.
Keeping your eyes closed for as long as you need to while you come back into your body and become aware of your space once again.
Whenever you're ready I'll be here.
My name is Amanda and it's been an honour guiding you today.
You you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you
