Bell Begin by settling into our posture,
Choosing a dignified,
Alert,
And relaxed stance.
And then beginning to grab a hold of our attention,
Bringing it down to the breath.
Beginning to watch the air coming in and the air going out.
Letting go of everything we were doing before this and settling into the here and the now.
If the mind begins to wander,
Just noticing it and gently escorting it back to the breath.
As we sink deeper into our seat of awareness.
And remembering that any time during this meditation,
If you feel overwhelmed or need a break,
You can simply return to the breath and take refuge there.
Begin exploring our emotions by recalling one event that upset us.
Maybe it stressed us out or overwhelmed us,
Frustrated us.
And start to bring yourself back to that moment in time.
Visualizing for yourself everything that was going on.
Where were you?
Who were you with?
What was going on?
Maybe you remember what you or the other person were wearing that day.
You might possibly be able to recall the temperature in the room.
Did you hear any sounds?
Were there any smells?
Any taste?
Was your body making any points of contact with a chair,
Yourself or another person?
And just start to remember what was going through your mind during that time.
What thoughts were you having?
What emotions were you feeling?
Try your best to accurately label the emotions.
Were there one or more than one?
Seeing if you can pull apart your thoughts from your feelings.
See if you can remember how those emotions landed in the body.
Did your heart rate increase?
Did your palms get sweaty and tight?
Seeing if you can get in touch with that emotion in this moment as you think back.
Remembering that in this moment you're okay.
You're just remembering.
And just getting acquainted with those emotions in a safe environment,
Here and now.
Knowing what they feel like in the mind,
In the heart,
And in the body.
And start to let go of your visualization.
Bring your attention back to the breath.
And start to follow the inhales and the exhales.
Taking a moment to recalibrate.
Let go of the feelings.
Regain your inner calm.
If you feel real flustered,
You can take some deep inhales here and some slow,
Long exhales.
Showing yourself that you can regulate yourself anytime you feel an unpleasant emotion.
And remembering too that emotions are impermanent and that unpleasant emotions will pass.
And when you're ready,
Sit back in that seat of observation and start to remember a time when you felt joy,
Happiness,
Some pleasant emotion.
Where were you?
What were you doing?
Was there anyone else with you?
Do you remember smelling anything?
Hearing anything?
Tasting anything?
Or touching anything or anyone?
Take a moment to get in touch with what you were thinking in that moment.
Noticing any emotions that you were feeling.
Contentment or happiness.
Joy or love.
Seeing if there's one or more emotions.
And remembering what they felt like.
How did you experience them?
Noticing how those emotions landed in the body.
Were you smiling so hard that your face started to go numb?
Was your heart rate racing and there was butterflies of excitement in your stomach?
Was there a sense of peacefulness that fell on your mind and your heart?
Maybe a sensation of warmth and joy in the body.
Allowing yourself now to re-experience those feelings in the present moment.
Letting them wash over you and bring you joy again.
And starting to let go of that memory.
Remembering that pleasant emotions too are impermanent.
And that they will reoccur and there's no need to cling to them.
Return to your breath.
Feeling the air coming in and the air going out.
Using your breath to ground you.
Anchor you.
As you start to let go.
Knowing that in this moment you're exactly where you're supposed to be.
Doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing.
And you are exactly who you're supposed to be.
Taking a moment to thank yourself for showing yourself that you can ground after experiencing an unpleasant emotion.
That you don't need to avoid it.
That you can face it.
And for showing yourself that you can call upon pleasant experiences when you need them.
And you can also let them go.
This is what builds our internal resiliency and allows us to step into each moment free of the moment before it.
Bringing a gentle curve to the sides of your lips.
With each in-breath a new beginning.
With each out-breath a complete letting go.
Breathing in knowing you are enough.
Breathing out knowing you are wonderful.
Take a few more conscious breaths here.
And when you're ready you can bring your hands together.
Start to rub them.
Generating some heat.
Cupping them over your eyes and gently returning to the room.
