Hi,
This is Ed.
Welcome to the Mind Gym.
Meditation is like taking your mind to the gym,
The same way we take our physical body to the gym.
It's really important for our health.
I'll share today one reason why starting to take your mind to the gym or starting to meditate is really important during trying times.
That's building your self-awareness,
Noticing what you're thinking when you start to think it,
And noticing what you're feeling when you start to feel it.
If your mind starts to ruminate or if you start to feel anxiety,
Both are not bad.
Both are how our mind and body deal with stress.
But knowing that thoughts are okay is important.
Meditation and mindfulness allows us not to be taken away by our thoughts.
We know when we need space,
So we can get back to the present moment.
And that goes well with feelings.
Feelings are okay.
Being able to lean into the difficult emotions and being able to comfort ourselves is a super power.
In today's meditation,
What we'll be doing is we're going to start by listening to our body and then we'll do a breath awareness exercise.
So we're going to start by just feeling the body.
This is a great way to start to build this self-awareness.
You can be doing this either laying down,
Sitting,
Standing.
There's no right or wrong way to meditate.
Just take a moment to connect with your posture.
Do you feel any coolness or any warmth?
Do you feel any tightness?
If you can feel the contact points,
Your feet touching the ground or the contact that you're making with the cushion or the chair.
Your hands touching your lap.
We're trying to just be aware of sensations.
We're not trying to make up feelings or be in any certain place.
We're just trying to be here right now.
Take a moment to send yourself this message.
You can put down everything for the next few moments.
I'm going to be watching the time.
Just give yourself the permission to put it down.
Just be present.
We're not trying to grow anywhere or being in any certain place.
Just right here,
Now,
In the present moment.
See if you can give yourself the space to be here right now.
We're going to bring our awareness to our shoulders.
See if you can open your shoulders.
This is an area of our body that we have lots of stress and tension in our necks and our shoulders.
Take a moment to open them up.
If you need to,
You can slowly roll your shoulders forward and backwards.
See if you can open your chest.
What sensations do you feel on your shoulders and your neck?
If you feel nothing,
That's okay.
See if you can bring your awareness to this area of your body.
Now we're going to bring our awareness to our back.
See if you can lengthen your back.
You have a strong spine.
Take a moment to bring awareness to this area.
See if you can lengthen your back.
One way you can lengthen your back is imagine there's a string on the top of your head pulling your head up.
As it pulls your head up,
It aligns and straightens your back,
Giving space between each vertebra.
Bring your awareness to your back.
What sensations are there?
Any stress,
Any tension?
And again,
We're not trying to change how we feel.
We just want to be aware.
Sensations are there.
And if you feel nothing,
That's okay.
Now we're going to bring our awareness to our stomach.
See if you can soften your belly.
If it's useful,
You can bring your hand to your belly.
See if you can feel each inhale and exhale as your hand moves with your stomach.
How much space and room can you give with each breath?
You don't have to change or fix or control anything.
Just give yourself what is needed.
There's nowhere to be right now.
There's nothing to do.
See if you can do with the breath.
As you're giving yourself the space,
See if you can find some tenderness in that space.
As you're experiencing your breath,
Softening your belly.
What we're trying to do right now is hold ourselves with lots of tenderness and kindness.
Sometimes that can feel like a warm blanket or a hug.
Just take a moment to soften your belly.
Now we're going to take a moment to open our hearts.
Can you bring your awareness to your heart area?
If it feels helpful,
You can bring your hand to your heart area so you can feel the sensations in your heart.
Just take a moment to bring your awareness there.
The sensations are there.
Again,
We're not trying to make any sensations up.
Just feeling what is there.
As your mind kicks in,
You can't do this wrong.
You can't be present with yourself wrongly.
Just trying to be present,
Seeing what we feel,
And opening our hearts.
As you're bringing awareness to your heart,
You can see if you can just feel that love inside of you.
And just by bringing awareness to your heart,
You can feel this love.
What is your experience right now?
Just tune into it.
It might be the pulse,
Your heartbeat,
Sensations in your chest.
Just notice what's there.
So now we're going to bring our awareness to our breath.
So if your hand is on your heart,
You can either see the there or put it down.
Whatever you feel more useful and more comfortable.
We're going to keep it very simple.
There's no need to control the breath.
We just want to be with it.
Being aware of the in-breath and being aware of the out-breath.
Your mind will wander as you're following your breath.
That's normal.
Remember,
Thoughts and distractions are okay.
We're in the mind gym right now.
Just coming back is that exercise.
And each time you return,
Just welcome yourself.
Welcome yourself to each returning breath.
Each time we do this,
Just be kind to yourself.
Have our awareness on our breath.
This attitude of kindness to ourselves.
Giving ourselves some space to follow our breath.
As you're following your breath,
You notice this tenderness.
And again,
Don't worry if you're doing it right or wrong.
There's no reason to be concerned.
You can't do this wrong.
Remember,
You can't be wrong bringing your awareness to yourself.
Now let's bring someone that we haven't seen in the last few days.
Someone that we might be missing.
Someone that we care for deeply.
Bring them into your mind's eye.
You bring them into your mind's eye.
You can feel the joy in your body.
And also,
Right,
You're feeling the joy in your body.
Send those feelings of joy back.
Feelings of love and joy.
It causes a mindfulness hug.
We want to bring our awareness back to our body.
From the top of your head down to your toes.
What are you feeling right now?
And there's no right or wrong answer.
Just notice how you're feeling.
Does your mind feel dizzy?
Does your body feel calm?
Just be with it.
Be tender with it.
Bring awareness to it.
You might notice you bring awareness to different parts of your body.
There's an opening.
As we come out of our meditation,
See if you can stay connected to your body.
We're going to slowly bring our awareness to the room and as we do so we've been connecting with our body the whole time.
And there's no reason why you need to take your awareness away from your body.
Just because we're coming out of a formal practice doesn't mean you can't stay connected.
So gently you can move your hands and feet,
Fingers.
When you're ready you can open your eyes.
Thank you for meditating.
Bringing peace to the world.
Thank you.
