Hello and welcome.
Thank you for listening to this meditation.
Today's focus is going to be about dropping out of the chatter of the mind,
Finding moments of peace and pause,
And finding ways to drop into the physical body as a way of becoming more present to what's happening here and now.
Finding that our thoughts are just those reflections of past experiences or worries about the future,
But they're not what's happening now.
So come to find a comfortable seated position,
Making sure that your spine is supported with some cushions,
Maybe a wall behind you.
If you prefer to lie down for this one,
You're welcome to do that as well.
Now that you've found your comfortable seat,
Go ahead and close the eyes,
Bringing awareness to your spine,
Feeling the spine long and spacious.
Just allowing a wave of softness to wash over the entire body like a waterfall a couple of centimeters above the head trickling all the way down,
Washing over the entire body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes,
Completely surrounding you and covering you in this beautiful water or mist or light as you invite surrender,
Softness,
And relaxation.
Take a nice full breath in and a gentle sigh out.
Tuning in now to the natural rhythm of your breath,
Feeling the air as it travels in and out,
Gentle,
Unrestricted,
So much focus,
Intimately interested in the air as it flows through the inner lining of the nostrils and out.
As the thoughts arise,
Acknowledge them without judgment.
Become a witness to the thoughts,
Taking a separate seat of awareness as if you're standing looking from the outside in,
Seeing your thoughts for what they are,
Past memories,
Future worries,
Information,
Dialogue,
Pictures,
Images,
Emotions,
Trying not to get too attached or carried away into any particular story,
Just noticing that the thoughts are there,
Swirling around in the mind.
Now think about having an empty imaginary bowl sitting on the floor next to you.
As you see a thought arise with your mind's eye,
Acknowledge it and let it go.
Imagine yourself pulling the thought out of the mind and drop it into the bowl.
Set it aside for later if you need it or maybe not,
Just leaving it there.
Imagine as the next thought arrives to greet you,
To disturb you,
Acknowledge it without judgment,
Pull it out of the mind,
Gently drop it into the bowl with loving kindness and compassion and let it go.
Just repeating this process one by one,
Thought by thought,
Worry by worry.
Perhaps arriving at tiny moments of pause in between the thinking,
Using your breath as your guide to remind you of the present moment,
To remind you that you are not your thoughts,
You are not the past or the future.
You are only what's here and now,
Existing,
Breathing and being from one moment to the next.
You can repeat an intention or a mantra to yourself to guide you.
As you inhale,
Perhaps silently saying,
I am not my thoughts.
Imagine as you exhale,
I am more than my thoughts,
Inhaling I am not my thoughts,
Exhaling I am more than,
Inhaling I am not these thoughts,
Exhaling I am more.
Inhaling not these thoughts,
Exhaling I am,
I am,
I am.
Slowly beginning to bring your awareness back into your space,
Back into the physical body by bringing a little bit of movement.
Moving the head a little side to side,
Wiggle the fingers and toes and then take a nice full breath in,
Exhaling release the air out.
Bring your hands together,
Connect them at the center of the heart in prayer.
Deep gratitude to yourself,
To your mind,
Your body.
Namaste.
