Hi and welcome.
I'm Ellie and this meditation is a little different,
As in it you'll be drawing.
You don't need to be artistic and you don't need anything fancy,
Just some paper and a pen or pencils.
Coloured ones can be fun but whatever you have is fine.
This isn't about making something beautiful,
It's about using the act of creating as a way to find presence.
Let's begin.
Come to a comfortable seated position.
You can close your eyes for now if you wish or leave them open and let your gaze land softly ahead.
Start to notice where your body meets the surface below you.
Allow that surface to support your full weight.
Let it ground you here.
Become softly aware of any tension in the body and using the breath,
Release that tension into the surface below you with each exhale.
On your inhale,
Notice where stress gathers and with each exhale,
Let it go.
Let the surface below absorb whatever you're holding so that you can be here in this moment at ease.
Now become aware of the wider field of sensation the temperature of the air on your skin,
The feeling of fabric against your body,
Any sounds,
Sights or smells in the space around you.
Welcome everything about this present moment and just be here now.
When you're ready,
Take a deep inhale and slowly exhale.
If your eyes have been closed,
Softly blink them open.
Bring your paper in front of you if it isn't already and now pick up your pen or pencil and just spend a few moments noticing everything about it.
Observe its shape and colour.
How does it feel in your hand?
Notice its weight,
Where it rests between your fingers.
Are you gripping it tightly or holding it loosely?
Let it rest comfortably but securely between your fingers and observe how the muscles in your hand feel while holding it.
Now bring your pen to meet the paper.
To begin with,
Just explore the paper and engage with the pen.
Let it move freely and notice how it feels.
Observe the movement of your hand,
The texture and pressure of the pen on the paper,
The subtle sound it makes as it glides across the page.
Just spend a few moments observing these sensations.
Now start to notice the natural flow of your breath.
Don't control it,
Just become aware of its rhythm and let your hand begin to translate the breath onto the page.
It's length,
It's depth.
Is it smooth or sharp?
Don't think too much about it,
Just let the pen mirror the pace and shape of your breath making waves or patterns that follow its natural rhythm.
With each inhale,
Let the pen move upward.
With each exhale,
Let it fall.
Continue with this flow for a while now.
See if this connection to your breath draws you further within to become more aware of your inner world.
Allow your subconscious mind and its creativity to guide your hand where it wants to go.
You don't need to draw anything that looks like anything,
Just allow your awareness to immerse itself in the experience of drawing.
Like dancing for the joy of dancing,
Let your pen dance across the paper.
With this presence and space from distraction,
You may find that emotions and sensations begin to unfurl quietly.
Let them reveal themselves.
Just be with whatever comes up,
Allowing it to guide your hand where it needs to go.
You don't need to label or understand what arises,
Just allow it to be felt exactly as it is.
A certain image may come to mind and you might feel drawn to it.
Maybe you're just scrolling on a page,
Maybe your hand is still flowing with the rhythm of your breath.
Whatever is on the page doesn't matter,
The destination doesn't matter.
Just be aware of your inner journey as you give yourself this space to create.
Notice too if as you draw your emotions and sensations begin to shift and transform.
If we don't feel our emotions,
We can't let them go either.
Emotions are energy in motion and this space to be felt can encourage what's been held to move through you.
Continue now for as long as you feel you need or want to.
Whenever you're ready,
Let your pen come to rest.
Spend a few moments just being.
Notice how you feel now compared to when you first began.
If you like,
Take a look at what you've drawn.
It might make sense to you or offer a quiet insight into something you hadn't noticed.
Observe the shapes,
The angles,
The pressure of your marks on the page or maybe it doesn't make any sense and that's okay too,
There was no goal here.
Take a deep breath in and with the exhale,
Softly return to your surroundings now.
Remember that this open,
Unhurried space of creativity is always here for you to come home to.
