This is a meditation focused on how to keep you grounded and centered during difficult times.
So whether you're experiencing something personally in your life or whether you're reacting to a difficult situation in the world around you,
These are some practices that can help keep you well and focused.
So to start you're going to want to find a comfortable position.
This might be a traditional meditation posture of seated or it might be lying on the ground in some way.
Just finding a position where your body can rest comfortably but yet tune inwards and be alert enough to be aware of the sensations going on inside of you.
Once you find that comfortable position go ahead and close your eyes and just take a few breaths to notice how your breath is sitting in your body.
You can breathe in through the nose and out through the nose or out through the mouth,
Whatever feels most natural to you,
But just sensing where your body moves as you breathe.
And as you start to sense that movement,
Maybe just starting to sense along with the movement of the breath if there are any emotions kind of trapped in those areas,
Any sensations that go along with that movement of your breath.
As you start to notice that movement in those sensations,
Maybe your breath will just naturally start to slow down.
You can particularly think of letting your exhalations slow down.
These slower exhales are going to help to stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system,
Which is the part of our nervous system that helps us relax,
That helps us feel centered and grounded,
And helps us feel safe.
And it might be helpful as you tune into these sensations of your breath to maybe place your hands on different parts of your body where you feel the breath happening,
Whether it's the belly,
The chest,
The rib cage.
And if it's comfortable to place your hands on your body,
Maybe you can offer up a little bit of support to those internal sensations,
Whether that support is just that tactile support of feeling the warmth of your hand,
Or maybe the support comes from saying to yourself,
I'm here,
I feel you,
And I'm here for you.
Just bearing witness to whatever sensations come up,
Physical or emotional,
Often both,
And offering up that support to yourself,
Bearing witness,
I'm here for you,
I feel you,
Offering up the care and support for yourself that you would to a small infant,
To a child,
To a pet,
Bringing that same sense of pure compassion and loving-kindness to yourself that you would bring to any vulnerable creature in the world.
And maintaining the slow breathing,
This internal focus,
And the sense of care,
Maybe your body wants to start to create a little rocking motion.
So this might be a swing side to side,
Or a gentle rocking forward and back.
Again,
You can think of this like the cradling of a baby,
Or just that gentle sway that we bring when we slow dance with a loved one.
And if you like,
You can just keep with this internal focus,
Just offering this care and this sense of nurturing towards yourself,
But particularly if there is collective suffering happening in your community or somewhere in the world around you,
Maybe you want to take this focus and offer it outwards.
Maybe you want to offer it up to someone you know who's suffering.
Maybe you want to offer it up to someone you don't know personally,
But you know is out there in the world suffering.
Maybe you just want to offer it up to collective suffering.
That suffering could be of a person,
It could be of our planet,
Whatever form it takes for you.
But even if you're directing your focus outward,
Still on some level staying present with how that changes your internal state.
Staying grounded in your body,
In your breath.
And now maybe just start to wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes.
If you're doing a swaying motion,
Maybe just allow that swaying to just organically move into any kind of stretching that feels good for your body.
Follow your instincts,
Let your body just gently move,
Letting this newfound sense of nurturing and support for yourself and for the world around you just inform the movements.
Feel it deep in your breath and when you feel ready you can open your eyes and move forward with your day with this newfound sense of nurturing for yourself and for the world around you.
Namaste.
