Hello and welcome to this guided meditation.
My name is Nancy Vang and today we will be focusing on self-care.
By being here today and taking this time out for yourself,
Know that you are already practicing a form of self-care.
Come to a comfortable seat wherever you are,
Wherever that may be.
If a seat is not an option for you today,
Do not worry.
You may choose any posture that is comfortable for you.
If you are sitting on the ground and if you have a couch pillow or a folded blanket nearby,
You may prop that underneath your sitz bones and sit on the edge of it to prop yourself up into an elevated seat where your hips are higher than your knees,
If possible.
The idea here is to create that natural curve in the spine so that you can sit up tall with a neutral spine and create space for that deep,
Full breath.
Imagine a string pulling you up from the crown of the head to the sky.
Your head is over your heart,
Your heart is over your pelvis.
And if you are lying down,
Just let go and let gravity do all of the work.
The back of the neck is long.
Dip the chin slightly.
Take this time to make any adjustments you need to feel comfortable before we begin.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your nose.
If you have not done so already,
Allow your eyes to gently close or if you would like to have them open,
Allow yourself to hold a soft gaze in front of you.
With each exhale,
Allow your body to soften,
Releasing yourself to gravity.
Bring your attention to the breath.
Breathe into your lower belly and your lower back,
Allowing whatever wants to expand to expand.
Exhale,
Slowly release the breath and soften the body even more.
Breathe into your ribcage and allow it to expand from all sides.
Exhale to release all of the air out of your body.
Invite a new breath into your heart and your upper back.
Exhale gently and slowly release it back into the universe.
Continue to follow the breath and soften the body with each exhale for a few moments on your own,
Releasing any judgment or expectations.
Soften the space between the eyebrows.
Soften the eyelids.
Soften the jaw.
Soften the back of the neck.
Soften the shoulders down.
Allow the lower belly to expand without any judgment as you inhale.
If you find that the mind drifts away,
Gently bring the attention back to the breath.
The mind will wander.
The goal is not to stop the mind from thinking,
But to be aware that the mind has wandered and to gently and lovingly guide the attention back to the breath again and again.
Gently relax your attention,
Keeping the eyes soft or closed.
I'd like you to think about what self-care means to you.
What does self-care look like for you?
Take a moment to envision what your self-care looks like and think about where in your day can you carve out time for this self-care?
Maybe you already have a self-care routine,
But it's not as rich as it used to be.
Think about what you can do to make it even more rich and fulfilling.
Take a moment to envision this and trust in whatever comes up for you.
Release any judgments.
We'll be here for a few moments.
Now,
Take a moment to make note of what came up for you.
Self-care looks different for everyone,
But I believe no matter what that looks like,
Self-care will help you feel recharged,
Replenished and empowered.
So as we end today's meditation,
I invite you to think about what self-care looks like for you and I challenge you to carve out time every day for yourself.
Now,
Bring your attention back to the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
When you're ready,
Gently open the eyes.
Thank you so much for joining me for today's meditation.
I'll see you next time.
Namaste.
