Being present means we're fully conscious of the moment,
Whatever that moment may contain.
This takes practice.
Being able to sit with challenging emotions that we feel,
When we feel them,
Is not easy.
It may happen when we sit to take a breath or when we're triggered by circumstances or situations in everyday life.
No matter what we feel,
We sit and experience that feeling without pushing it away or distracting ourselves.
Let's take three deep breaths.
Inhaling through the nostrils and exhaling through the mouth.
Inhale through the nostrils and exhale through the mouth.
Now return to your normal breathing pattern.
If you haven't already,
Close your eyes.
Invite your body to settle into a space where you can be calm and alert.
Feel the sensation of your body against the floor or chair or bed that's supporting it.
Check in with your body.
Are any sensations present?
Maybe there's a stiffness or tension or maybe your body feels pretty good.
Whatever is present,
Simply notice what's going on.
Try your best not to attach any judgments,
Criticism,
Or labeling about what is present in your body.
Just observe and breathe.
Now check in with your emotions.
See if you can sense what might be present right now.
Perhaps you feel anxious,
Like it's hard to sit still.
Maybe you feel a sense of sadness,
But you're not sure why.
Or maybe you just feel blah.
Whatever emotions or feelings you notice,
Just name them in your mind and notice how those feel in your body.
If you're anxious,
Your shoulders might be tense.
If there's sadness,
You might feel a heaviness in your chest.
Try to simply notice the feelings,
How they show up in your body and allow yourself to feel them.
No attachments or labeling emotions as good or bad.
Just allow them to be present and breathe.
Take three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Two more breaths like that.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
You can stretch or roll your shoulders,
Bringing movement back to your body.
Remember,
You can come back to this meditation to practice being present with what is happening in the moment.
The more you practice being present,
The more comfortable you'll feel when you experience tough emotions.
And whenever you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
