A warm welcome to your practice today,
To this small slice of time where you dare to give up the fight to achieve more,
To be more,
Where you dare to allow the small moments to be enough.
My name is Fleur Chambers.
I'm the voice behind the Happy Habit Meditation app.
And today it is my pleasure to share this time with you on Insight Timer.
The more I live,
The more challenges I face,
The more I teach and learn,
The more I realise that happiness comes from a collection of small moments.
That when entered into with a warm hearted presence and openness,
Create the type of wellbeing that allows us to feel safe and secure.
The type of wellbeing that encourages us to let down our guard and be moved by the beauty of life in all its variations.
An unexpected belly laugh with a friend,
A walk after the rain,
A perfect piece of fruit,
A cool breeze on a summer's day,
A hug that lasts longer than expected.
These moments,
When we allow ourselves to slow down and really notice,
When we offer ourselves over to the experience,
They fill us,
Move us,
Sustain us.
In today's practice we shall bring to mind and heart some of these small moments and with the power of our awareness and our intention,
We shall invite more of these moments into our lives.
So please,
Settling into your preferred position today,
Really listening to your body,
Making any final adjustments you need.
Who said you can't be super comfy when you meditate?
Closing down your eyes if you like and beginning with three slow,
Deep breaths.
And noticing that as you focus your attention on your breath,
Your awareness naturally turns to your body and to this moment.
Air flowing in,
Air flowing out.
Really noticing its natural flow.
Allowing its gentle rhythm to bring you here into the fullness of this moment.
Body breathing,
Body sensing,
Heart beating,
Blood pumping.
Resting in the intelligence of your body.
Drawing your awareness to your out breath.
Allowing each exhale to feel long and smooth.
Each exhale sending a message to your mind and body that it's okay to slow down,
To arrive here,
To let down your guard.
And as you arrive a little more,
Softening the space above your eyes,
So often busy with thoughts.
Softening the small muscles around your eyes,
Always on the lookout,
Predicting,
Taking in information.
Softening your jaw,
A place we hold so much tension and worry.
Relaxing the landscape of your entire mouth,
Tongue,
Teeth,
Gums.
Allowing your entire face to be touched by a sense of relaxation and ease.
Almost like a gentle breeze of relaxation is caressing your face.
This ease travelling down your neck,
Softening these muscles and arriving across your shoulders.
Deep breath in and on the exhale,
Letting go of the burdens that rest upon your shoulders.
These burdens big and small.
Another deep breath into your chest,
A real sense of opening here,
A welcoming of this moment.
A welcoming of your experience,
Just as it is.
Belly at ease,
Concern softening,
Feeling safe in this moment.
Awareness deepening now to include your bones,
Your organs,
Your tissues.
All softening with each breath.
Blood pumping gently throughout your body.
In this relaxed and open state you have created,
Allowing an image from your past to naturally come to mind.
An image of a time that felt happy.
Perhaps a time when you felt like right there you had everything you needed.
Presence,
Contentment and ease.
Remembering that these moments don't need to be overly exciting,
That often it's the smallest moments that create the biggest impact.
Bringing the details to mind now.
Was it day or night?
Were you inside or outside?
Who was there?
What were you doing?
What was your body language like?
How did it feel to be in this moment?
Enjoying a few deep breaths into this image.
Each breath planting this image a little deeper into the fabric of who you are.
Opening up to any physical sensations.
Perhaps a softening,
A feeling of warmth or openness.
Maybe a feeling of having arrived or a feeling of having let something go.
As you continue to rest here in this memory and in the felt experience of this memory,
Can you open your awareness to what this moment symbolised for you?
Awareness sinking a little deeper to explore the meaning behind this simple moment you have called to mind.
Breathing into this deeper level of understanding for a few breaths now.
Softening,
Opening,
Receiving this moment of awareness just like you would receive a gift with warmth and gratitude.
By lingering in this moment,
By allowing its meaning to sink into the fabric of who you are,
You are sending a message to the universe that you are ready for more of these moments.
For more opportunities to feel this way.
Imagining now what your life would look and feel like if you allowed yourself more moments like this where you felt fully engaged with life.
What would you do more of?
What would you let go?
Allowing a word,
A feeling or an intention to come to mind and heart now.
Breathing it in,
Breathing it out,
Letting it land so that it may guide your actions.
And just noticing now if you feel any different to when you first began your practice today.
Perhaps more calm,
Open,
Grateful,
Optimistic.
This is the power of lingering in the small moments long enough to realise how precious they really are.
Offering your body some gentle movement.
Opening your eyes.
Today may you linger,
May you notice,
May you feel connected to those you love and the world around you.
May you feel alive.
