Hi,
I'm Laura Hayes.
We're here together for a 10-minute meditation designed to help you tap into the present moment.
So take a comfortable seat or lie down if that feels better for you today.
Allow your hands to rest loosely,
Your eyes to soften or close.
Give yourself permission to set aside everything that came before this moment and everything that lies ahead.
For the next few minutes,
Your only job is to simply be here.
Begin by taking a slow,
Steady breath in through your nose,
Hold it gently at the top,
And then exhale through your mouth,
Letting something go.
And do that again,
Inhaling fully and exhaling completely.
Now allow your breath to find its natural rhythm,
Maybe noticing the rise and fall of your chest or your belly.
Notice the subtle pause between each inhale and exhale.
And as your thoughts start to wander,
Which they will,
About your to-do lists,
About the past,
About the future,
Just notice them,
Like clouds drifting across the sky.
And then return gently,
Without judgment,
To the feeling of your breath.
Now bring some awareness to your physical body,
Paying attention to the points where your body meets the surface beneath you.
Feel the support of the ground,
Steady and unmoving.
Notice your feet.
Can you sense warmth,
Coolness,
Stillness?
Notice your legs,
Your hips,
Your upper back,
Your shoulders,
The back of your head.
And allow any tension you find to soften,
Almost as if you're giving permission to release.
Now let your awareness move slowly through your body,
Scanning from head to toe.
And wherever you land,
Just notice,
Without needing to change anything.
Now as your body relaxes deeper,
Bring your focus back to your breath.
And see if you can be aware of just this one inhale,
And then this one exhale.
Feeling grounded,
Feeling present,
With your breath as your anchor.
Remember,
The past is all memory.
The future lives in your imagination,
And the only real moment is this present moment.
This is where life is happening.
This is where you are.
As your mind naturally wanders,
Gently return to this breath.
To help anchor yourself,
You might silently say,
Inhale here,
Exhale now.
Inhale here,
Exhale now.
Visualize those phrases as you breathe in and out,
Staying present and aware.
Feel how simple it is to rest in the rhythm of now.
No striving,
No stressing,
Nothing to achieve,
Only this moment.
Now take a deeper breath in,
And a long smooth exhale out.
And as we close our practice,
Notice how you feel in your body.
Maybe a bit more grounded,
Maybe calmer,
Or perhaps simply more aware.
Remember,
Presence isn't something far away.
It's always available,
Hidden in the ordinary rhythm of our breath,
Sensation,
And awareness.
Whenever you find yourself pulled into the past,
Or to the future,
You can return here,
Anchored to your breath.
Noticing the present moment.
When you're ready,
Deepen the breath a bit more,
And start to gently wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Bringing some movement back into the physical body.
Allow your eyes to float open,
And may you carry this sense of presence with you as you return to your day.
Thank you for sharing your time and your energy with me today.
Until next time.
