Get yourself settled,
Begin with the bell.
You can do this meditation standing,
Seated or lying down,
Eyes open or eyes closed,
And you'll probably be happiest doing it.
In the most relaxed position you can find yourself,
Settling in,
Bringing yourself ease.
Meditation doesn't have to be complicated or awkward or esoteric.
You're not really doing anything at all.
Just giving yourself permission to not do,
Not to think about anything in particular,
Maybe even to be a little bored.
Notice your body,
Where you find yourself.
Where are you holding tension?
Where are you settled and relaxed?
Maybe let gravity do most of the work.
Notice the space your body is taking up.
Accept your breathing where it is.
Study it,
Long,
Short,
Shallow,
Deep.
We're not judging it yet or trying to change it.
We're just absorbing where we are at this particular moment in this particular meditation.
You may want to breathe a little deeper,
Using that breath to stretch out your rib cage and spine and adjust any muscles that are tight.
Maybe breathe in a little deeper and out a little slower,
Getting comfortable.
Using the oxygen to soothe and salve your cells and muscles,
Bones and sinew,
To bring calm.
You're letting go,
Being patient with yourself,
Releasing and slowing down,
Letting yourself settle into this sacred act of undoing,
Of not acting,
Of releasing the rational and cognitive mind,
Centering on the sensory experience here and now.
Congratulate yourself,
To give yourself this time.
Breathing in deeply,
Perhaps through your nose,
Breathing long out,
Perhaps from your mouth,
Settling into the quiet and stillness and beginning to notice your face,
Small and delicate muscles with which you express yourself,
Verbally and non-verbally.
You might notice your brow,
Any place you scrunch or tense.
Invite it to let go,
To go without forming any expression.
You continue to breathe,
Notice the space around your ears,
Temples and jaw,
May hold tension there.
That space does a lot of work when we talk.
Just reflect on it with gratitude and a generous appreciation.
Your eye sockets into your nose and the bridge of your nose,
Part of where we smile or cast stern looks or just strive to view the world.
You're breathing,
Pigeon in your chin,
Your mouth,
So many expressions just in the corners of your mouth,
Smiles and frowns,
And then inside your mouth,
Even as you're breathing,
Your mouth,
Tongue,
Teeth,
Gums,
The interior wall of your cheek,
The small and subtle movements to produce letters,
Sounds,
Phonemes,
Things we learned as a child without conscious awareness.
As you breathe,
You may wanna take a moment just to form shapes in your mouth of letters and syllables,
Letting those experiences buzz in your mouth.
Breathing in deeper,
Out slower,
Relaxing into the space of your body,
Noticing the quiet and the subtle noises around you,
Even in the quiet you cultivate.
What do you use your mouth to do that comes out of your mouth without judgment,
Begin to pay attention now and even perhaps after this meditation for the ways in which you use words.
Do you gossip?
Do you compliment?
Do you deflect criticism or praise with words?
Do you use your mouth to create humor as a way of avoiding sensation and feeling?
Do you avoid using your mouth when you should speak up?
Are there times you enjoy your voice perhaps more than you need to and speak more than might be warranted?
We're not evaluating,
We're just witnessing,
Just noticing the ways in which we use our mouth with other people.
Could we be more constructive or healing with our words?
At least as importantly,
What words do you use about yourself?
Do you say things like,
Oh,
I'm so stupid?
I don't have any particular talent.
Do you say things that go beyond being humble into being excessively self-effacing?
Do you diminish your voice or your agency in your words?
We're not judging,
But certainly when you consider these things,
Feelings will come up and they might be a guide to future action.
Remain aware of the workings of your mouth literally and figuratively.
As you go through your day,
We'll conclude with a little more breathing,
Just being gentle with ourselves,
Being open to new awarenesses about the ways we use words.
Breathing in,
In deeper,
Out slower,
In deeper,
Still,
And out slowest.
When you're ready,
You can let your eyes open.
