Welcome to this guided meditation for cultivating santosha or increasing contentment.
Find a comfortable seated position,
Allowing your tailbone to draw down,
Your sitting bones to grow heavy.
Tuck the chin slightly,
Feeling length in the back of the neck,
Length in the spine.
Allow the shoulders to release,
The tops of the shoulders drawing down away from the ears and the shoulder blades drawing down the back.
Allow the feet to be heavy,
Maybe they're supported by the ground beneath you.
And allow the joints to soften,
Allowing for the body to be effortless.
And allowing for the body to relax with each breath.
Each breath connecting you deeper into the present moment.
With your attention on the breath,
Notice the natural rhythm of your inhalation and your exhalation.
With each breath,
Feel yourself becoming more grounded and more connected to the present.
As you inhale,
Imagine breathing in peace and acceptance.
As you exhale,
Release any tension or resistance.
With each breath,
Let go of any desires or expectations,
Allowing contentment to take root within you.
Breathing in peace and acceptance.
Breathing out tension or resistance.
Now picture yourself in a peaceful place,
Mentally taking yourself to a setting that brings joy and calm.
It might be a serene forest,
A quiet beach,
A cozy room.
Imagine yourself fully at ease,
Surrounded by a gentle,
Comforting light.
This light represents contentment and acceptance,
Filling every part of your being.
As you rest in this peaceful state,
Silently or softly repeat the following affirmations,
Feeling their truth resonate within you.
I am grateful for the abundance in my life.
I accept myself exactly as I am.
I accept myself exactly as I am.
Contentment is my natural state.
I am grateful for the abundance in my life.
Contentment is my natural state.
I release the need for external validation.
I release the need for external validation.
I find joy in the present moment.
I find joy in the present moment.
I find joy in the present moment.
Everything I need is within me.
Everything I need is within me.
I embrace life's journey with peace and acceptance.
I embrace life's journey with peace and acceptance.
I am at peace with what is.
I am at peace with what is.
Taking this moment to reflect on these affirmations,
Noticing how they resonate with your current state.
Noticing how they resonate with your current state.
Allow yourself to fully embrace the sensation of contentment that is growing within you.
Now bring to mind something you are grateful for.
It could be a person,
A place,
A moment,
Or simply the breath you are taking right now.
Feel the warmth of gratitude fill your heart,
Deepening your sense of contentment.
Take a deep breath in,
And a full breath out.
Beginning to bring awareness back to your body,
Bringing some movement to your fingers,
To your toes,
To your wrists,
To your ankles.
Whenever you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Carry this sense of santosha with you,
Knowing that contentment is always within reach.
