Welcome to this guided meditation.
I'm Julia and I'm going to guide you through a mindfulness practice aimed at bringing some focus to your mind.
Oftentimes when we struggle with focus or experience scattered thoughts,
We respond with annoyance or try to control our minds better.
For the duration of this meditation,
I'd invite you to just allow your thoughts to exist.
We're not going to control them.
We're not going to judge them.
We're just finding a way to quiet our minds and to better coexist with all that we've got going on inside of them.
I would invite you to begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down,
In a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
You may wish to use headphones or an eye mask.
Close your eyes if that's comfortable for you and begin to take a few deep breaths in,
Allowing yourself to settle in to this present moment.
Inhaling in through the nose and allowing your exhales to wash away any frustrations or any annoyance.
As you continue to breathe like this,
Begin to bring your attention to the sensation of your breath,
Noticing the natural rhythm of your inhales and your exhales,
Feeling the temperature of the air as you breathe in and breathe out,
Letting your breath become your anchor,
Grounding you in this present moment.
As you focus on your breath,
Continue to be gentle and non-judgmental with yourself.
If your mind wanders or you're feeling distracted,
Just telling yourself that that's okay.
When you begin to notice your attention drifting away from the breath,
Just acknowledging this,
Acknowledging the distraction without judgment and gently guiding your focus back to the sensation of breathing.
In your next breath,
Shifting that attention to the sensations in your body,
Noticing the points of contact between your body and whatever surface it is that you're resting on,
Feeling the weight of your body being supported by the grounds beneath you,
Beginning to scan yourself from head to toe,
Noticing any areas of tension,
Any discomfort,
Or any holding.
As you become aware of any of these sensations,
Imagining sending your breath deep into those areas,
With each breath bringing a soothing wave of relaxation,
Imagining the tension and the discomfort melting away,
Being replaced immediately with a sense of ease and comfort,
Allowing your breath to bring a gentle release and relaxation to any areas of your body that need it,
Allowing your exhales to wash away this tension and discomfort,
Beginning to expand your awareness to the sounds around you.
Instead of labeling them or getting caught up in their details,
Just observing them with a curious and open attitude.
Notice how the sounds might arise and fade away or remain constant.
Observe these things without allowing yourself to get caught up in any particular sound and without allowing them to distract you,
Just letting these sounds come and go like clouds passing in the sky.
As you continue this mindfulness practice,
Know that it's normal for thoughts to arise.
Whenever you become aware of these thoughts pulling your attention away,
Just acknowledge them without judgment and gently bring your focus back to your breath or to the present moment.
Treat your thoughts as if they are passing visitors,
Just allowing them to come and to go without getting entangled or caught up.
Now bringing your attention to any emotions or any feelings that may be present inside of you,
Just noticing them with an attitude of curiosity and acceptance,
Allowing them to be there without trying to change,
Without trying to judge them.
You may notice some sensations that are associated with these emotions,
Whether they are pleasant sensations or if you find them unpleasant or even neutral.
Remember that like everything else,
These feelings are transient and just like those passing clouds,
They will come and they will go,
Allowing yourself to remain in this space for as much time as you need for restoration and for a reset.
Whenever you are ready,
Taking a moment of gratitude,
Thanking yourself for taking the time for this practice,
For being kind to yourself and for allowing this opportunity to refocus and to reset.
Whenever you are ready and in your own time,
Gently starting to bring some movement back into the body,
Taking a few deep breaths in,
Gently opening the eyes if they were closed and bringing your attention back to the room in the current space,
Knowing that you carry this sense of mindfulness and presence with you at any point in time as you navigate your day and knowing that you have the tools within you to cultivate focus and to find peace in this present moment.
