Hello,
Thanks for joining me for this beginners meditation.
I'm going to assume that you're brand new to meditation,
But even if you're not,
I hope you'll find this session beneficial.
Before we start,
Let me say that there are no expectations set for this.
There's no right or wrong or even any way to fail.
You've made the decision to give meditation a go and that in itself is probably the biggest obstacle to conquer.
I know I resisted it for quite some time.
Whatever stage you're at,
The important thing is that you're here.
You've set an intention to at the very least explore if this is right for you and that is a great place to be.
So what is meditation?
There's not really an easy answer here.
Meditation is many things.
It's a tool to help you relax,
A practice to relieve stress or help you sleep.
It's personal and with that it can be whatever you want it to be.
There's many different types of meditation techniques to try and I hope that after this you'll continue to explore.
One of the great misconceptions about meditation is that it clears the mind.
You may hear people dismiss it by saying,
Oh I could never meditate,
My mind's too busy.
You may have had those thoughts yourself,
I certainly did.
But we can put those thoughts aside and take comfort in knowing that it's not about clearing the mind or stopping thoughts.
Our aim today will be to sit and breathe and rest in the present moment.
We'll aim for around five minutes of a breathing meditation.
Let's start by finding a comfortable position.
You're welcome to lie down,
However I would encourage you to sit if you're able,
Either on a cushion or on a chair.
You can sit with your legs crossed if you're on a cushion but you don't have to.
If you're on a chair let your feet be flat on the floor and let your hands rest gently in your lap.
There's no right or wrong way to place your hands,
Just whatever's comfortable for you.
Your back can be upright,
Straight but not rigid,
Just enough so you're alert but not over-exerting.
If you feel comfortable you can allow your eyes to gently close and if it's manageable for you close your mouth so you're only breathing through your nose.
Pay attention to your jaw and your tongue.
Are they relaxed?
If not,
Let them soften.
Ideally there should be no tension whatsoever in your face.
If you feel any areas of tension in the brow or around the eyes,
Even across the top of your head,
Again let those areas relax and soften.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the air coming into your nostrils,
Filling your lungs and then as you exhale just feel that air leaving your body.
There's no need to try and change anything about your breath at the minute.
Whatever's happening with it in its natural rhythm is absolutely fine.
Feel your chest expand and move slightly as you inhale and exhale.
You may notice the air coming into your nostrils is cooler than the warm air that's released as you breathe out.
If you find your thoughts are taking you away from your breath don't worry,
This is normal.
It happens to us all.
Meditation is not about stopping these thoughts.
We focus on our breath as a way to bring us back to the present moment.
The thoughts that will come will try and take you away from the present,
Make you think about past events or worry about the future.
This is all perfectly natural and not something we want to spend time trying to fight.
Thoughts will come and go all day.
By returning to our breath and paying attention to the inhale and the exhale we won't get caught up in those thoughts.
We can simply let them be.
If we allow ourselves to pay attention to the thoughts we'll inevitably embellish them,
Overthink them and create worry and stress for ourselves.
Accepting that thoughts will always come and go will make it easier to come back to your breath.
You could be distracted by a hundred thoughts during this session and that's okay.
If you recognise that and come back to your breath even just once then you're making progress and successfully meditating.
You're going to have times where you feel you're not able to focus at all,
Even during a five minute session.
That too is absolutely fine.
Remember your intention to sit and meditate is the most important step.
It can be a different experience every single time you sit but choosing to sit is the only place you can start from and you will find it easier with time.
Just spend one more minute paying attention to the breath.
If you've been distracted that's okay.
Just gently let the thoughts go and return to the cool inhale and the warm exhale.
Again there should be no effort to change anything about your breath.
Just relax in this moment and allow your focus to rest on the in-breath.
The movement within your body and the out-breath.
When you feel ready you can gently open your eyes and bring some movement back to your hands,
Your feet and your shoulders.
Thank you for joining me.
I wish you well on your journey.
Please feel free to check out some of my other guided meditations and explore the app.
Find what works for you.
I hope to see you again.
