Beginning this meditation practice by coming to a comfortable position suited for you in this moment.
Give yourself permission to be here,
To relax,
To be still in body and search for stillness in the mind.
We are here to turn off all distractions,
To set aside any to-do lists,
To release all thoughts and ideas running through our mind and just aiming to move into the present moment in this space in time we are reserved for guided meditation.
Coming first through a short tense and release to relax the body.
I will lead you through different areas of the body.
As I call them out,
You focus on physically creating tension there by squeezing,
Clenching and firing up the muscle groups in those areas for a short moment and then when I prompt you,
Completely relax and release that area of the body.
Beginning with the feet,
Squeeze and clench the feet,
Curl the toes,
Tense,
Tense and release.
Now the legs and hips,
Squeeze the thighs,
Squeeze the glutes,
Tense,
Tense and release.
Moving to the abdomen and lower back,
Squeeze the stomach,
Tense,
Tense and release.
Next,
Squeeze the chest,
Shoulders and upper back,
Tense,
Tense and release.
On to the arms and hands,
Clench the hands,
Flex the arms,
Tense,
Tense and release.
Last the neck,
Head and face.
Clench the mouth and shut the eyes.
Open the mouth wide,
Stick out the tongue,
Roll the eyes up and back,
Tense,
Tense and release.
Feeling a newfound sensation of relaxation and calm in the body,
Let's begin to move our awareness more to the subtle level.
Focus now to the breath,
To the rise and fall of the body as we inhale deeply into the abdomen through the nose,
Filling the lungs and then slowly and completely emptying them.
Here we connect with the breath and aim to slow it down,
To slow ourselves down.
Easy and smooth breath in,
Effortless and slow breath out.
With this we repeat.
Allow your imagination to take over as we move into the mind's eye.
Picture yourself walking along a barely visible path,
Deep in a vast lush forest.
The ground beneath your bare feet is cool to the touch.
All around you giant trees stretch as high as you can see,
Branches shooting out in all directions.
The sun has recently risen and its light is barely able to filter down to the canopy above.
Vibrant,
Green and multicolored plant life blooms every which way you look,
Sending all kinds of wonderful scents into the air.
As you walk you take note of the temperature,
It's warm,
Pleasant and comfortable.
Moving along the narrow path you feel the touch of the grass and leaves alongside you as they lightly brush against any exposed skin.
The sounds of birds and all sorts of animal life permeate the air all around you,
Creating a natural symphony,
A special song that the universe has created only for you in this moment.
You spot a small patch of thick,
Inviting grass just off to the side that a small amount of sunlight is shining down onto.
It looks just big enough for you to sit on.
So you do.
Taking in all the beauty of this journey so far,
The sights,
The sounds,
The atmosphere,
You come to a feeling of complete contentment and complete presence in the moment.
Nothing else exists but this space and you have nowhere else you need to be.
For now you are at peace.
Begin to reawaken,
To move back into the space around you,
Back into the physical feelings of the body.
Know that the space of the mind where you just were is ever available to you,
A sacred,
Safe space within,
Safe from the storms that often wage outside.
When you are ready,
Slowly blink the eyes open and begin to transition into the rest of your day.
I hope this practice finds you well and I thank you for allowing me to share it with you.
Until next time and with love,
Lokas Samastah Sukino Babantu.
May all beings be happy and free.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Namaste.
