Today,
We'll practice a very basic introduction to self-reflection.
If you don't have a meditation practice,
This may feel challenging to you at first,
But I want to encourage you to think of this as a playful experiment rather than work.
The more excited you are to explore the depths of your experience,
The easier it will be to make meditation a consistent part of your life.
First,
Let's see what it feels like to sit quietly.
There's no need to focus on anything specific.
If you have a meditation technique you normally use,
Abandon it for this practice so you can compare your two experiences.
Just sit quietly.
That's it.
No need to focus on anything specific.
How many different thoughts have you had so far?
Go ahead and close your eyes.
It might help keep you in the present moment a little longer,
Or you may find your mind wanders more easily.
Allow yourself to sit in silence for a few moments.
Allow your thoughts to wander.
It's okay.
Don't focus on them,
But don't try to prevent them from happening either.
In this practice,
We're just sitting.
How long can you sit before you're lost in thought and thinking about something you either need to do or something you've already done?
It's very hard to sit and be in the present moment and allow sensations to happen around you without getting sucked in.
The ability to be mindful to the present moment is actually an advanced practice,
So if sitting in silence without anything to focus on felt weird or pointless to you,
You're not alone.
Meditation is more than just sitting still.
We're trying to quiet the brain from our most active brainwave states to the most restful.
To do that,
We often need to use some technique to distract the thinking mind while intentionally engaging the relaxation response at the same time.
Try sitting in the present moment while giving your default brain something to process.
With meditation,
There are dozens of techniques that you can use to harness the power of your default brain.
The key is to gently rest your awareness on something,
Sort of like a passing thought rather than focusing your attention.
We want the body to remain relaxed and the mind free to explore.
Imagine experiencing the feeling of heaviness and lightness at the same time.
It sounds like a contradiction,
But it takes practice to train your focus with nonchalance.
Here are a couple of techniques you can use to occupy your thinking mind.
First,
Explore your awareness of your breath.
Without forcing your breath to be any specific way,
Begin to become aware of the space where your breath enters your body.
Notice where your breath lands in your body.
Consciously,
Feel your body breathing in and out without judgment or control.
If training your awareness on your breath or the sensation of your body doesn't work for you,
You could practice listening.
Hear all the sounds around you like a symphony without discernment or classification.
Imagine all of your senses are quieting except for your hearing.
Your hearing is growing stronger and you can perceive the vibration of every subtle sound.
If a thought distracts you,
The sounds of the present moment return you to your body.
The next technique you can use to calm your nervous system or to calm your anxiety is to experience each of your senses while mindfully relaxing your body.
Now that you have a couple pointers and some direction,
Set a timer for 10 minutes and practice being present with yourself in whatever way feels most comfortable.
The point isn't to have all the answers right now or to do it right.
The point is to explore,
Play,
And to create a moment just for you.
When you're done,
I highly recommend journaling your reflections and any thoughts that came up either by tapping into the notes app on your phone or writing by hand in a notebook.
A few sentences helps deepen your self-reflection practice by giving you space to release your thoughts and expectations.
It seems simple,
But it's a powerful way to keep yourself accountable.
Thank you so much for joining me for Chronically Chill Self-Care Meditations.
I'm so glad you're here with me.
And in case no one else says it to you today,
I love you and you're worth it.
