Welcome to day seven.
Today's guided meditation is focusing on recognizing needs.
Before we begin the meditation practice,
Please take a few moments to bring some kind awareness to how your belly,
Chest,
And head feel when you reflect on this topic.
The emotions that you can associate with these feelings,
The positive or negative impact of any stories you believe regarding this topic,
The fact that many others are feeling similarly,
How you might feel with increased awareness around this topic,
When you can apply mindfulness to your day-to-day life.
When you begin tuning in mindfully to your experience,
You may also start to notice your difficulties and struggles.
Part of mindfulness is recognizing what you need in these moments.
See if you can respond in a way that promotes your well-being and freedom,
And not in a way that perpetuates your pain and suffering.
Today's exercise offers a concrete way to pause and look at your own needs in any given moment.
To begin,
Please sit up as straight as you are able and gently close the eyes.
For this practice,
It is helpful to start with a few minutes of concentrated practice to truly settle.
Pick a location in the body where you can feel your breath.
Tune into the sensations of the breath for a couple of minutes.
Noticing the inflow,
The outflow.
Noticing any shifts or changes.
Maybe this is the first time that you have focused on your breath all day.
Continuing to notice where you may be feeling sensations in your body.
Keep your mind to a recent situation that you found difficult or painful.
Without falling too far into the story,
Acknowledge how this experience feels in the present moment.
With the memory and experience present in your consciousness,
Ask yourself,
What did you need in that moment?
Focus on general emotional needs like compassion,
Understanding,
And insight.
With this difficulty,
With this moment,
What would have helped you?
And as you sit with this,
When a need pops up,
Say to yourself out loud or internally,
I needed.
To tune in to other needs,
Pausing to acknowledge each one.
And as the needs pop up,
Say to yourself,
I needed.
I needed.
Now start to turn your awareness to your experience in the present.
Refraining from stories and goals.
Ask yourself what you need right now.
Let go of thoughts about getting stuff done,
Completing tasks,
And pleasing others.
Focus on your deeper needs.
Self-care,
Patience,
Or whatever might be true for you in this moment.
As we begin to close this exercise,
Reflect on your own capacity to meet your needs.
Can you do something to meet these needs right now?
Are there any needs you have that are not within your power to fulfill?
Offer yourself self-care,
Compassion,
And patience.
And as you go on about your day,
Noticing moments as they arise,
Asking yourself what you need in that moment.
I thank you for making it through this first week with me,
Wishing you a most beautiful day.
And I look forward to sitting with you.
Thank you for being with us today.
