Good morning and welcome to your gentle morning mindfulness practice.
This meditation will help you ease into your day with calm and clarity.
Find a comfortable seated position,
Either on a chair or the floor,
With your spine straight and your feet grounded.
Rest your hands gently on your lap or knees and take some nice deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
And after your next exhale,
Softly close your eyes and return your breath to its natural rhythm.
Allow yourself to fully arrive in this moment.
Now begin by bringing awareness to your body.
Feel the connection of your body to the surface beneath you.
Notice the points of contact between your feet and the ground,
Your legs and the seat,
Your hands in your lap.
Take a deep breath in and as you exhale,
Allow your body to relax a little more.
Soften your shoulders and the muscles of your face.
Starting from your head,
Scan down through your body slowly.
Bring awareness to your face,
Your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your arms,
Your abdomen,
Your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet and your toes.
With each breath,
Invite any areas of tension to soften.
There is no need to change anything.
Just observe how your body feels in this exact moment.
Now shift your attention to your breath.
Notice the natural rhythm of your breathing.
The gentle rise and fall of your chest or your belly.
There is no need to control or change your breath.
Simply observe it as it is,
Flowing naturally in and out.
With each inhale,
Feel the cool air entering your body.
With each exhale,
Feel the warmth of the air leaving your body.
Take a moment to appreciate your breath,
Knowing it is always there to support you and keep you alive.
And if your mind begins to wander,
Gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Back to the rise and the fall.
And if you make it easier,
Feel free to count your breath.
One with the rise,
Two with the fall,
Up to a count of ten and then back to one.
Each breath is an opportunity to be fully present,
Fully in this moment.
And as you continue to breathe mindfully,
Notice any thoughts that might arise.
Perhaps you're already thinking about your to-do list or maybe certain worries or concerns come to mind.
Rather than getting caught up in these thoughts,
Simply observe them as if they were clouds passing by in the sky.
Acknowledge each thought and then let it drift away.
And if your mind gets pulled into a thought,
Gently guide it back to your breath,
Back to the counting.
There's no need to judge or force anything.
Just observe,
Breathe and return to the here and now.
And now,
After your next exhale,
Let go of any counting,
Focus,
Distractions.
As you sit here,
Present and mindful,
Take a moment to cultivate a sense of gratitude.
Gratitude for this moment of stillness,
For your breath and your body.
Allow yourself to appreciate a simple beauty of being here,
Alive and present.
Enjoy this moment.
You are fully here,
Fully grounded in this moment.
Take one final deep breath in,
Feeling your lungs completely.
And as you exhale,
Feel a sense of calm and clarity washing over you,
Ready to carry with you into your day.
When you're ready,
Gently bring the awareness back to the space around you,
Back to that feeling of weight pressing down.
And then gently open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how your body and mind feel,
Hopefully a little bit more calm,
Centered and present.
I hope you will carry this sense of mindfulness with you as you go through your day.
Thank you for practicing with me this morning.
Have a wonderful day.
