Welcome to this mindfulness meditation,
Cultivating Peace.
Find a comfortable position,
And if it's safe for you to do so,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
We'll start by simply noticing your breathing,
Just how it is right now,
Naturally.
When you're breathing in,
Know that you're breathing in.
When you're breathing out,
Know that you're breathing out.
Notice what your breath feels like.
Does it feel warm or cold,
Calm or rushed?
Simply observe it without trying to control or judge it in any way.
Perhaps notice the transition spaces between your inhales and your exhales.
See if you can make them just a little bit smoother,
As effortless as the tide,
As it comes in and flows back out.
We will deepen the breath slightly now,
Lengthening your inhales and your exhales.
And as you do,
Just notice where you feel the breath most prominently.
Do you feel it in your nose on the inhale,
Or perhaps in the rise and fall of your belly or chest?
Maybe you feel the exhale as it graces your upper lip.
Do you notice how on your inhales,
The air feels cold?
And as you exhale,
The air is warmer.
We'll take some deep breaths in through the nose,
Exhaling through the nose as well.
On the inhale,
Breathing into your belly,
As if your belly was a balloon you were filling up with air,
Fully filling the lungs.
And we'll make the exhales slow so that they're just a little bit longer than the inhales.
And after your next exhale,
You can go ahead and let your breath resume its natural rhythm,
Keeping your belly relaxed.
And just notice how your breath is still a little bit more relaxed.
And as you exhale,
You can go ahead and let your breath resume its natural rhythm,
Keeping your belly relaxed.
And just take a moment to remind yourself that for these next few minutes,
You don't need to fix or solve or change anything or anyone.
You may have thoughts or feelings or experience different sensations,
Or you might feel nothing at all.
And we will just welcome and accept whatever arises and give ourselves permission to rest for these next few minutes.
Bringing to mind now the quality of peace.
Perhaps taking a moment to remember the last time that you felt deeply peaceful.
See if you can sense on your inhales an openness or a willingness to receive the breath or a feeling of peace.
Just allow the in breath to inform you what it feels like to be open and willing to receive.
You might even want to say to yourself in your head the word peace on your inhales.
Peace on your inhales.
And as you exhale,
See if you can sense a feeling of release,
Of letting go.
And imagine on your exhales that you're letting go of anything that might be keeping you from experiencing peace.
Letting go of stress,
Letting go of judgment,
Of bitterness,
Letting go of worry,
Worry about the things that you can't control,
Letting go of the need to control,
Letting go of resistance.
Simply take a few moments to just be with your breath.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is your breathing.
Feeling that willingness to receive on the inhale and the surrender of the exhale.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is the feeling of your breathing.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is the feeling of your breathing.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is the feeling of your breathing.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is the feeling of your breathing.
Let the only thing that your mind is feeling is the feeling of your breathing.
Noticing now the chair or the couch or the floor underneath you.
Notice how it's supporting you and how unwavering it is in its support,
How it holds you up with ease.
Just see if you can sink a little bit deeper into that support.
Just allowing your body to melt,
Relax a little bit more,
Soften a little bit more,
And allow what is below you to ground you.
Allow it to remind you that you are supported every moment of every day.
And as we begin to make the transition from this meditation,
Just begin by bringing your awareness to your body and just move your body ever so slightly in any way that feels good.
Just begin to awaken your muscles,
Awaken your bones,
Bringing life back into the body,
Bringing an awareness to the body of where your body is in space right now.
And when you feel ready,
You can go ahead and open your eyes and just give yourself a moment to just notice the space around you,
Notice the colors and the textures and the shapes in the space around you,
Allowing yourself to take as much time as you need in this transition and be gentle with yourself as you go into the rest of your day or your evening.
Thank you so much for joining me in this meditation,
And I will see you next time.
