Mindful Movement Standing Or Sitting

Mindful Movement helps us intentionally connect with our bodies and movement. To become fully aware of our moment-to-moment experience. In the practice, we explore gentle stretches and investigate the many sensations that arise as we move. But always within our own limits. No pressure to push beyond them. By working with our bodies in this way, we develop greater mind-body connection and awareness. Strengthening and nourishing our bodies, in support of better health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Transcript

Welcome to Waking Waves.

Today we'll be doing a mindful movement guided meditation for about 20 to 25 minutes.

It's designed to help us intentionally connect with our bodies and movement and to become fully aware of our moment-to-moment experience.

As we explore gentle stretches we investigate the many sensations that arise as we move but always within our own limits.

No pressure to push beyond these limits.

It's not about success or failure but instead exploring what lies at the boundaries and slowly building our capacity at our own pace.

And when thoughts,

Feelings and emotions arise during the stretches,

Allowing them to be as they are,

Bringing acceptance and kindness.

By working with our bodies in this way,

Being curious about our experience,

We develop greater bodily awareness and understanding and bridge any mind-body gaps in connection that might exist.

We strengthen and nourish our bodies too,

Supporting our health and well-being each time we practice.

So today bring what you need to feel supported,

Whether this is a blanket for warmth,

Cushions or pillows for comfort and perhaps bringing an intention to have this time,

This space to simply be here fully with the body and with the movements you will be experiencing.

The practice is ideally done standing but you can do this sitting and if certain movements are not comfortable while sitting simply follow the guidance until you can once more.

We can work with the eyes open and closed and moving between the two may be helpful.

So to get started we stand with our feet hip-width apart with the back straight and the head balanced,

The arms resting by your sides and bringing a sense of being awake and alert,

Firmly rooted and present like a mountain.

And if you're sitting,

Bringing a similarly upright posture with the feet planted and the back supported if needed.

During the practice ahead there will be short periods of silence where you can continue with the instruction provided followed by the next one.

And as we begin bringing your attention to your breathing at the belly,

Noticing the sensations in the lower belly as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

A gentle rise and fall,

Following the breath here for a moment as closely as you can.

Simply allowing and watching the body breathe and then settle.

And when you're ready as we breathe in we'll move the arms up each side of the body until each arm is shoulder height and parallel with the floor and holding them here for a moment.

Sensing into the weight of the arms and the sensations you experience in the shoulders,

The upper arms,

The forearms.

And then the next time you breathe out slowly,

Gently,

Allowing the arms to come down until they make contact with your sides.

Giving yourself a moment to notice whatever sensations are present.

And on the next in breath once more we'll move the arms up each side of the body but this time continuing up past the shoulders and up above the head.

Keeping them above your head with the palms facing forwards if possible or linking the thumbs together to hold that position if it's more comfortable for you,

Whatever works best.

And then holding them for a moment paying attention to the sensations of the stretch down each side and tuning into how it feels to have your arms raised above your head held here in this way.

Watching our breath coming in and going out as we do this and any changes big or small that accompany the breath.

What happens as you breathe in and breathe out?

What changes in the stretch or sensations are present?

And the next time we breathe out unlinking the thumbs and allowing the arms to slowly gently come down.

The hands and wrists facing downwards and staying with this movement as closely as possible all the way down until they reach and make contact with your sides.

Noticing this contact as it happens and then the ripple of sensations that move through the body.

What do you sense now?

And returning once again to the breath in the belly allowing yourself a few moments to breathe in and breathe out.

Just noticing the gentle rise and fall.

And it may help to close your eyes to connect more deeply with these sensations and you can always reopen at any point during the practice.

Now as we breathe in we'll reach up slowly with a right hand above our heads as if we were reaching out for a piece of fruit hanging from a tree branch only slightly out of reach.

Taking care to do this slowly and intentionally staying within our limits as we do and if you're standing the heel might leave the floor as your arm reaches towards the fruit sensing into the stretch that runs down your right arm and right side of your body remembering your limits but perhaps looking at the point just beyond your outstretched hand where you imagined the fruit might be.

Feeling the continued stretch and then on the next out breath slowly letting the heel come down to the ground the foot flat and at the same time letting the right arm come down slowly slowly until it rests by your side once more and again noticing the ripple of sensations the release as the stretch ends pausing here and noticing what is present for you and now this time on the next in breath reaching up slowly with the left hand above our heads as if we were reaching out for another piece of fruit again only slightly out of reach taking care to do this slowly and intentionally staying within our limits as we do so once more the heel might leave the floor as you stretch and sensing into that stretch that runs down the left arm and side of your body looking at a point just beyond our outstretched arm where the piece of fruit might be feeling the continued stretch and then on the next out breath slowly letting the heel come down to the ground bringing the foot flat at the same time letting the arm come down slowly slowly until it rests by your side once more again tuning into the after effects of this stretch the release that can be felt throughout the body being aware of the effort this takes the limits and boundaries you've explored and accepting when we reach our limits being kind to ourselves whatever they may be and remembering we aren't trying to be better at something not in competition or conflict with the body we're just being with the movements with the stretches and the breath as they are moment by moment and on the next in breath once more we'll move the arms up each side of the body past the shoulders and up above the head as we did before linking the thumbs together to hold a position if that is more comfortable this time slowly and carefully will allow the body to lean over to the right keeping the arms either side of the head the hips will come out to the left and there may be a feeling of stretch on the left side and perhaps a little squeeze on the right side of the body remembering again to respect our limits not over stretching paying close attention to the sensations and whenever you're ready on an in breath slowly gently coming back to the central position noticing these sensations as your body pauses here for a second or two before now moving over to the left hand side this time the hips will come out to the right and the stretch will be here on the right hand side to the slight squeeze this time in the left tuning in once more to the sensations present whatever they may be for you and whenever you're ready on an in breath slowly gently coming back to the central position and now letting go of the thumbs if they were linked and allowing the arms to slowly gently come down breathing all the way and staying with this movement as closely as possible until they reach and make contact with your sides allowing the arms to be loose the shoulders relaxed feeling the release feeling the feet planted firmly on the ground the posture steady like a mountain sensing into all the sensations present in your awareness now and staying here for a few breaths ahead now we'll do some shoulder rolls through four different positions in the first position we move the shoulders upwards towards our ears then forward as if the shoulders were going to touch in front of you and then letting them drop down low and then letting them go back as if the shoulder blades were able to meet behind you and as we do this tuning into the sensations present noticing how the muscles work together to make this possible and now we bring the four movements together in one continuous movement a continuous roll of the shoulders forwards down back and up taking your time to do this noticing the muscles worked the sensations that accompany the effort perhaps breathing in for one half of the roll and breathing out for the other half paying attention as always to the limits of your body sensing where the boundary lies and showing yourself kindness and acceptance when you reach it and then when you're ready reversing the direction of the shoulder roll breathing in for half and breathing out for half and once more coming to a gentle stop to rest noticing what sensations are present following these stretches whatever they may be tingling warmth or vibrations and if there's any tension remaining allowing and sensing its release as you breathe out and now we'll move the head in three positions first the chin down to the chest as the first movement then slowly with care moving the head over to the left side so the air moves towards the left shoulder and gently with care again moving the head all the way over to the other side so the right ear comes towards the right shoulder and then moving the head once more down towards the chest your head moving in a semi-circular movement down onto one shoulder and across to the other shoulder and down again onto the chest you can do this with your eyes open if it helps your gaze sweeping around the room now reversing this movement moving in the other direction remembering to breathe as you do this perhaps even in time with each stage of the rotation and now coming to a gentle stop to rest and noticing what sensations are present following these stretches how we worked within our limits and how he accepted our bodies as they were and brought kindness when we needed and as the practice ends coming to rest our attention on the whole body standing or sitting here tuning into any and all sensations present you slowly with care and attention gently moving your body lifting the legs gently flexing the toes or rolling the ankles rolling the shoulders and flexing the fingers and perhaps blinking open your eyes if you haven't already again no rush when you're comfortable and perhaps taking a moment to congratulate yourself for investing this time and energy in moving your body in this way to pay full attention and care to the effort it takes and to bring full awareness to the moment-by-moment experience to acknowledge how this contributes towards and supports your health and well-being physically mentally and emotionally and remembering that this direct connection with the body and with movement this openness acceptance and kindness towards ourselves is available to you in any moment you choose letting you bring feelings of calm awareness and presence into the next moments of your day

Reviews

Thank you so much 🎈🌺🎈🌺🎈for the wonderfully movements 🎈🎈🎈I’m feeling light like a balloon in the blue sunshine 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️Namaste