Good morning.
In the same way that we stretch and warm up the muscles of the body,
This meditation is designed to help you ease into wakefulness and warm your heart and mindfulness muscle.
Whatever kind of night you've had and however you are feeling right now,
Let this time be an oasis of peace.
Welcome yourself into this new day,
The 12 hours or more laid out in front of you with a sense of curiosity and hopeful expectancy.
Hope is like a bird that senses the dawn and carefully starts to sing while it is still dark.
Feel the particular quality of this part of the morning before everything gets into motion.
Let yourself soak up its atmosphere.
Whether you are still in bed or sitting up,
Get into a position that feels comfortable,
But also invites some alertness by straightening a little.
Close your eyes,
Not to go back to sleep,
But so that nothing distracts you from taking your attention inwards.
Place a hand in the middle of your chest above the heart centre.
Take time to notice how this feels.
Take a slightly deeper breath.
Breathe in the air of this new day and breathe out the old air from the night.
Do this for a few more breaths while feeling the contact of your hand over your heart centre.
See if you can gently release any residue of dreams,
Feelings or low mood as you breathe out.
Feel the rise and fall of your body,
Breathing in and out normally.
If you wish to,
Place your other hand just above the navel over the solar plexus.
Feel the comfort and holding for the whole body,
Placing this hand here brings.
If you are feeling tired,
Let the in-breath energise you.
Feel its freshness coming into the entrance of the nostrils and whole of the front of your face.
If you are feeling it in any anxiety,
Let the out-breath soothe your nervous system.
Every emotion has its own breathing pattern,
So changing the breath can relieve difficult feelings.
Let your out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath.
Try making the in-breath last for a count of five and the out-breath for a count of seven,
Or whatever number fits most comfortably with the rhythm of your breathing as it is.
Now let go of the counting and just feel the breaths flow in and out like a lapping wave on the shore of a pristine beach at first light.
Let an intention arrive that isn't necessarily in your plan for the day,
Something unexpected,
Like a shell you hadn't noticed gleaming on the sand.
Perhaps something small that wouldn't take very long that you might like to do during the course of the day.
Now move your attention deep inside your body and sense its unified energy field.
Feel the presence that is here,
That is you.
Peaceful,
Watchful.
Move inside this space of beingness.
Your ultimate place of safety and belonging,
Which you always take with you and return to.
During the day,
Thoughts can put us on autopilot as we race to get things done,
But we can step out of this.
Whenever you remember as you go about your day,
You could keep a background awareness of the in and out of your breath.
An awareness of your feet in contact with the ground,
Like your hands holding your body.
This will help you to be much more grounded in whatever you are doing.
Perhaps you can find a quiet place on your own to return to the breath,
Body and your own presence.
Even setting a timer on your phone to remind you to connect back in with yourself every few hours.
You may not be able to change the elements of your day,
But how you meet them can make all the difference.
Like greeting everybody you encounter with kindness and respect,
With openness and a sense of depth.
Look out from wise and gentle eyes and the day can be transformed into one full of possibility.
From here,
You might be able to take steps your speed of thought and make your day.
