Welcome to this meditation.
This is an invitation to arrive gently into your body,
Your breath and your presence.
There is nothing to achieve here and nothing you need to change.
We'll begin with some breathing,
Move into embodied awareness,
Allowing the emotions to emerge,
Rest in silence and close softly.
Find a comfortable seated position or lay down,
Allowing your body to be well supported.
After the guided meditation,
You can stay and rest a little longer.
Let's begin by bringing awareness to your breath.
Allow your breath to move in and out through your nose with a slow steady rhythm,
Approximately six seconds in and six seconds out.
There's no need to control the breath,
Simply allow it to move and let your body remember how to breathe.
I'll guide the first few breaths and then you can continue at your own pace.
If thoughts arise,
Memories,
Images,
Sensations,
Let them be there,
There's no need to follow.
As you breathe,
Lightly rest the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth,
Bringing a sense of grounding and containment.
Bring a gentle,
Neutral awareness to the space between your eyes,
Not to focus or activate,
But simply to gather attention and presence.
As you keep breathing,
Invite awareness into your body.
Feel the force of gravity under you while your body comes in contact with the surface you're resting on.
Feel how it holds you and rest into it a bit deeper,
Allowing your muscles to relax,
To be held.
Feel how it supports you and rest into it a bit deeper,
Allowing your muscles to relax,
To be held.
Feel the base of your seat as you sit or lay down and allow the muscles of your inner thigh,
Your hips and your stomach to let go.
Let yourself be supported.
Bring awareness to your thighs and calves,
Releasing any tightness in your knees and ankles and letting go.
Feel your entire lower body supported and held by the earth below.
If you're seated,
Sense the natural alignment of your spine.
Bring attention to your belly and diaphragm.
Notice how the breath moves through your lungs,
Expanding and taking up space,
Releasing and emptying.
Allow your chest to soften.
Let your shoulders drop without forcing.
Bring your awareness to your arms and let go of any tension in your elbows and wrists.
Let your neck relax and feel the back of your head resting in space.
Soften your jaw and your lips,
Your eyes and your forehead.
Bring awareness to the top of your head and feel the flow of energy along your spine from the base upward and feel the spaciousness above the crown of your head.
At the same time,
Feel grounding pull downwards into the earth.
Expansion and grounding.
If at any point your experience feels intense,
You can return to the sensation of your breath.
Feel the points of contact to the surface,
The weight of your body.
From this place of presence,
Notice what is alive for you right now.
There's no need to name it,
Understand it or change it.
Simply notice how it lives in your body.
It may show up as a sensation,
An emotion or a quality of energy.
It may feel clear or hazy,
Strong or subtle.
Allow what is here to be here,
You don't need to go anywhere else.
If it feels right,
Notice where in your body this experience is most alive.
The chest,
The belly,
The throat or somewhere else.
Let your breath gently meet this place without trying to fix or shift anything.
Whatever is present is welcome.
Let's stay in this space for a few moments,
Focusing on your breathing,
Being present.
As we begin to close,
Keep sensing your body and breath.
Notice what feels settled and what may still be moving.
Carry this quality of presence and this gentle awareness of your body into the rest of your day.
When you're ready,
You may slowly bring movement back to your body or stay in silence as long as you like.
There's no rush.
