Welcome to this morning meditation for energy and positivity.
I'm your guide,
Dorsey Standish.
Let's begin by settling into a comfortable seat for today's practice.
As you're ready,
Close down your eyes.
We'll begin by softening the body to encourage softening of the mind.
See if you can relax the muscles of the jaw and let the tongue drop away from the roof of the mouth.
Soften the muscles of the face,
Especially the area around the eyes.
Let your shoulders melt away from your ears and bring some softness to your belly.
Feel into all the places that your body is supported by your chair,
Your props,
The floor.
Let yourself relax deeply into this support.
Remember that for the next few minutes,
There's nothing to do and there's nowhere else to be.
We are training our brains for energy and positivity through the simple practice of being here in the present moment.
Invite a few deeper breaths into your body.
Feel the air as it moves in and out.
See if you can notice any sensations of your breath,
Perhaps around your nostrils,
Your throat,
Your chest or your belly.
And we'll continue to feel sensations of the breath and the body as we move into the practice of coherent breathing,
Evening out the length of the inhales and the exhales to help calm the central nervous system.
Feel sensations of the breath and the body as you breathe in for four counts and breathe out for four counts.
Inhale for four counts and exhale for four counts.
Continue counting this equal part breath at your own pace.
If you notice the mind has drifted,
That's actually a moment of mindfulness.
That's why we're here.
Each time we bring ourselves back to the object of focus,
In this case,
The breath,
It's like doing a bicep curl for the mind.
We're strengthening our brain's connection to the piece that can only be found in this present moment.
Let's take a few more of these coherent cycles of breath,
Inhaling for four and exhaling for four.
Having centered the mind and body through this coherent breathing practice,
We'll move into cultivating positivity for the day ahead.
As human beings,
We have evolved with what psychologists call a negativity bias.
Our brains fixate on negative experiences and easily let go of positive ones.
The good news is that we can actually rewire our brains for positivity through the practice of gratitude.
Consider something you're grateful for that happened recently.
It can be as simple as a really good cup of coffee or snuggles with your pet.
Bring this memory to your mind's eye and really feel the emotions of joy and gratitude it brings up.
Next,
Consider a relationship that has nourished you and helped you grow.
Bring this dear person to mind and silently thank them for their support.
You might even imagine embracing this person,
Remembering a recent time spent with them.
Finally,
Think about an opportunity that you have today or this week,
Perhaps an opportunity to help others.
Maybe it's a challenge that will help you grow yourself.
Can you find gratitude for this opportunity to impact the world around you and improve yourself?
Great job.
Curl the corners of your mouth up in a small smile,
Sealing in this practice of presence and gratitude.
As you continue on throughout your day,
Keep coming back to these tools of coherent breathing and gratitude practice for a boost of energy and positivity.
As Brother David Steindl-Ras says,
It is not happy people who are grateful.
It is grateful people who are happy.
You hold the power to have a great day.
Take care.
