Hi,
This is Julie Potokur from Balanced Mind Meditation Center.
We're going to do a terrific mantra meditation.
Should take about 10 minutes.
So let's get settled in a comfortable position,
Either seated in a chair or on a cushion on the floor.
You could even be in your car.
You could lie down as long as you can stay awake.
When you're comfortably seated,
We're going to take three nourishing breaths together,
In through our nose and out through our mouth.
And this third one,
Hold it in at the top for a moment.
See if you can sip in a little bit more air and then let it out with a sigh.
Okay now we're going to relax.
Let your breathing resume its normal rhythm and relax your eyebrows.
Relax your jaws.
Relax the inside of your mouth,
The root of your tongue.
Imagine a slight smile to the outside corners of your lips.
Dropping that smile down into your throat and your neck.
Let your shoulder blades just melt down your back,
Keeping your shoulders nice and open.
Dropping that smile down into your heart center,
Into your chest.
Not to cover up anything,
But just noticing what's there.
Any kind of vibrating,
Heart beating,
Pulsing.
And then dropping down into your belly and really let your abs go.
Relaxing your hips,
Your thighs,
Your knees.
Relaxing your calves,
Your ankles,
Your feet.
And softening your hands.
You might want to place your hand on your heart or where you find it soothing.
It could be your belly.
It could be one hand inside the other hand.
But just as a reminder to yourself that you're giving loving attention to yourself during this meditation.
You're giving compassion to yourself during this meditation.
And then let your hands find a comfortable position.
Face up or face down,
It doesn't matter.
On your thighs,
In your lap.
And now notice your breathing where you find it most easily.
Because even though we're going to choose a word,
We always start with our breath.
Noticing your breathing.
Are you noticing at the tip of your nose or your chest or your belly?
But somewhere find yourself breathing in and breathing out.
Feeling it and seeing it.
Going into the meditation.
Now I'd like you to choose a word that you'd like to use on the in-breath.
And it could be the same word on the out-breath.
Or like Fitnat Han likes to do,
It could be a different word.
He likes peace on the in-breath and calm on the out-breath.
Could be ease,
Love,
Whatever it would make you feel good to take into your body and out of your body.
Those are the words you're going to be repeating during this meditation.
Focusing your mind wanders,
Which it will,
Because that's what minds do,
Coming right back to those fabulous words that you chose.
Focusing your attention on the breath and the word.
Focusing your attention on the breath and the word.
Focusing your attention on the breath and the word.
Bringing your attention back,
If you forgot what you were doing,
To the breath and the word.
And now I'd like you to release the word and see if you can even release focusing your attention on your breath and just notice what comes up.
Imagine your mind as a huge sky and whatever thoughts or feelings or emotions as clouds drifting by.
Or as leaves bobbing on a stream.
Just noticing,
Not judging.
Watching the thoughts come and watching them go.
And allowing your experience to be just as it is.
Now,
Wiggling your fingers and your toes.
The chime is going to ring,
Signaling the end of the meditation.
And you're going to come gently back into this space.
And give yourself a hug for giving yourself this time and giving your brain a much needed break.
From all of the worrying and ruminating that we primates do.
And have a balanced mind day or a balanced mind night.
Thank you for listening.
It's Julie Potokor from the Balanced Mind Meditation Center.
