Welcome,
My name is Jen.
Today's meditation is all about renewal.
Whether it's a new year,
A new month,
A new season,
Or just a new day,
We have an opportunity to completely change the way that we look at the world and therefore the way that we experience the world in any given moment.
Wherever you're at,
Find a nice comfortable position.
Begin to breathe a little bit deeper,
A little bit slower,
And close your eyes.
With your eyes closed,
Gently bring one ear to one shoulder.
Bring your chin to your chest and then the opposite ear to the opposite shoulder.
Little half moon circles,
Continuing back the other way.
Just relaxing and releasing through the neck and shoulders a little bit,
Preparing us to ground down for this meditation.
Gently bring your head back to a neutral position and lift the crown of your head toward the ceiling,
Grounding down with your sit bones.
Breathing in and out through the nose or mouth.
Just bring yourself to the here,
To the now.
Listen to your breath.
Listen to your thoughts.
If you have certain thoughts that are trying to jump ahead to the next stage of this meditation or that are thinking back toward an event that happened earlier today,
Just notice.
Notice the tracks that are playing in your head and don't judge them.
This noticing,
This ability to notice is presence.
And it is from achieving a sense of presence,
Even if fleeting,
That we can establish the grounding to move forward in new and exciting ways.
Continuing to breathe deep.
See if you can lift the crown of your head up toward the ceiling just a little bit more.
Sitting up a little taller,
A little prouder.
Expanding through the chest.
Your arms relax down.
Your palms can be face up or face down,
Resting on your thighs or your knees.
As you continue to notice your breath,
To notice your thoughts,
Bring your attention to your energy today.
You may feel keyed up,
Ready to go.
You may feel lethargic or somewhere in the middle.
Just notice this energy level.
Notice where you're starting.
Continuing to sit as tall as you can.
Imagine that you are grounding down,
Almost as though you are sinking down into the ground as the crown of the head lifts up toward the sky.
Notice your connectivity.
How the ground is holding you up.
How your breath is sustaining you.
How you're able to take time to observe your thoughts.
Notice any messages from your body,
Any subtle aches or pains.
It may feel unnatural or uncomfortable for you to sit up really tall and straight.
It may feel empowering.
Just notice.
Be where you are now.
Now wherever you're at with your palms down or up,
Make sure that your palms are now facing up in a position from which you can receive.
You can be resting gently on your thighs or your knees.
Your fingers are loose and relaxed.
Your palm is facing up toward the sky.
Bring your attention back to your breath and feel totally and completely here now,
Ready to receive,
Ready to move forward in a way that is most fulfilling and beneficial to you and those around you.
You don't have to bring up anything specific.
You don't have to focus on a goal or a task.
Just be open and ready to receive.
We are best able to receive when we are present and comfortable where we are.
By accepting where we are completely,
We create a foundation from which to grow.
Feel that foundation building now.
Breathe into that foundation.
Now take one long deep breath,
The deepest breath you've taken all day.
Hold at the top and pull your navel in toward your spine,
Lifting the crown of the head up even higher,
Rooting down even more,
Holding the breath until you have to release.
As you release,
Release gently,
Slowly.
Releasing your belly,
Releasing expectation.
Inhale again,
Slow and deep,
Deep as you can,
Even deeper than last time.
Hold the breath,
Pull the belly in toward the spine,
Really hug it in.
Feel tall,
Feel proud.
And release slowly,
Consciously.
One more time,
Inhale,
Deep,
Deep,
Deep.
Pull the belly in,
Sit up straight.
Take in one more sip of air.
Hold,
Squeeze,
And this time release through the mouth with a sigh.
Blink your eyes open.
Take in the light of the room.
Feel yourself present here.
And return to that feeling whenever there's the tendency to get anxious or impatient,
Knowing that when you are fully here,
Fully accepting of where you are,
You're better able to move forward.
