Hey yogis,
Welcome to this week-long intro to meditation course day four,
Designed to repeat week after week to help you build a consistent meditation practice by offering a few different ways to drop in and find stillness.
We'll get started today lying down in any comfortable shape to begin a body scan style meditation.
You might support your head with a pillow or even add a pillow under your knees to help lengthen your spine.
Once lying down,
Guide your arms to the sides of your space with your palms facing the sky.
Invite your eyes to close.
Create a little bit more distance between your shoulders and your earlobes.
Settle into stillness and tune into the natural rhythm of your breath.
Let's take two cleansing breaths together to release some still energy.
A deep inhale through your nose.
Feel your breath reach from your lungs all the way to your hands,
Your feet.
You'll hold that inhale at the top.
And a big audible open mouth exhale,
Sigh it out.
One more,
Even deeper,
Even louder.
Inhale and expand.
Hold it at the top.
Exhale and release.
Soften back into the natural rhythm of your breath.
Guide your focus to the space in between your eyebrows,
Your third eye center.
Soften here.
Close by,
Notice your eyelids shut,
Getting heavier,
More relaxed.
Take a moment here to feel gratitude for your sense of sight.
For all of the beautiful places and people you visually acknowledge every day.
For the way your eyes light up with joy,
But also have the ability to express a beautiful depth of sadness through tears.
Feel gratitude for your sense of sight.
Allow this sensation of gratitude to travel from your eyes to your nose.
Notice your sense of smell.
Feel gratitude for the smells of spring and summer of a home-cooked meal.
Feel gratitude for the healing nature of your breath.
Subconsciously,
But constantly moving in and out of your body through your nasal passageway.
There is nothing as soft or as flexible as the breath that moves through your body.
But there is also nothing as strong or as capable of change.
Feel gratitude for your sense of smell.
This sensation of gratitude spreads to your ears.
What a blessing it is to listen to all that surrounds us.
To educate ourselves through different media,
Through listening to loved ones or trusted mentors.
What a blessing it is to immerse ourselves in sound.
To dance to creative tracks.
To get lost in a musical vibration.
Feel gratitude for this sense.
This gratitude moves from your ears towards your lips.
Tune into gratitude for your personal expression through voice.
What a powerful tool.
What a healing tool this can be.
This sensation of gratitude moves from your ears to your nose.
The sensation of gratitude moves from these senses down your neck,
Slowly relaxing deeper towards the center of your chest,
Your intuitive heart space.
Feel gratitude for your heart's emotions.
The kinder you are to yourself,
The kinder the universe becomes.
Send some love in words to this space.
Feel gratitude for this space.
You are so loved.
This loving gratitude travels from your heart space,
Slowly down your arms,
Softening the muscles there until it reaches each fingertip.
Notice gratitude for your sense of touch.
For the opportunity to interlace your hands with those you love.
For the opportunity to embrace others in a hug.
Notice gratitude for your ability to create with your hands.
From making a meal to holding a child.
We are so blessed with this sense.
This energy of gratitude slowly travels back up your arms,
Past your heart space,
Towards the center of your belly,
Your gut,
Your intuition,
Your powerhouse.
Notice and tune in to gratitude for the ability to stand up for yourself.
To listen to your intuition.
To learn along the way.
You are so strong.
You are so capable.
This gratitude travels from your belly,
Down your legs,
Softening those strong,
Supportive muscles,
And resting at your feet.
What a blessing it is to move from place to place.
To wander,
To maybe even get lost,
To find a new way.
Your soul has so much yet to show you.
What a beautiful journey your life will continue to be.
Notice your body here now,
Fully relaxed and loving gratitude.
Life brings many trials,
Many opportunities to learn about ourselves,
Many opportunities to expand our awareness of love.
Moving from a state of gratitude raises our vibration to that of one that is open and accepting of the gifts life has to offer.
If you're ever struggling to find gratitude,
Start with your breath.
If you're ever struggling to find gratitude,
Start with your breath.
You're here,
You're breathing,
And that alone is so much to be grateful for.
Take a big intentional inhale through your nose,
Expand in loving gratitude,
Hold it at the top,
Maybe even smile.
And an audible,
Open mouth exhale to release.
Invite some movement back as you're ready,
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Namaste.
