Hello and welcome to this short daily meditation.
Let's take some time to settle into our meditation by getting comfortable.
You might choose to lie down or find a comfortable seat,
Whichever works best for you today.
If you're seated,
Allowing the spine to be long,
Your heart and chest open,
Perhaps resting the hands to your thighs or your lap.
If you've chosen to lie down,
Making sure you feel comfortable here,
You might let the arms rest down alongside the body or maybe rest in the hands to the stomach.
Whichever position you choose,
Ensuring that you feel comfortable and supported for the duration of this practice.
We will be here for around 10 minutes.
If you feel the need to move during your practice today,
Know that that is okay,
But try to do so slowly and mindfully so you're able to hold on to your meditative state.
Once settled,
You can start to soften through the eyes,
Maybe allowing them to close if that's comfortable or just simply resting them on a still point in front of you.
As we approach our meditation today,
I just want to remind you that it's okay to have thoughts or distractions coming in.
Allow yourself to notice them,
To welcome them without judgment and then when you are ready,
See if you can gently guide your awareness back to the meditation,
Back to my voice.
Let go of any expectations and just allow yourself to simply be.
We'll take a moment here to arrive in this space,
To be present in this moment,
Perhaps noticing any sounds you can hear,
Any sounds in the distance,
Outside of the room.
Then noticing any sounds that might be a little bit closer,
Observing these sounds without judgment,
Letting it all be part of your present moment,
Not resisting or analysing but simply allowing and observing.
Then I invite you to notice what you can feel,
Perhaps simply drawing your awareness to the surface beneath you,
The surface that is holding you and supporting you,
Feeling the points of contact between your body and the surface.
Allow yourself to be grounded and held here and start to gently turn the awareness inwards,
Taking a moment to notice how your body is feeling today,
Knowing there is no right or wrong answer,
You are just simply checking in,
Perhaps observing any sensations,
Any areas of tension.
If you don't feel anything specific,
Know that that is okay,
That is also an observation.
Now notice how you're feeling emotionally and mentally.
As you inquire,
Do any particular emotions or feelings arise?
Again,
Can you just notice them,
Observe them?
No need to judge,
No need to follow them.
And seeing if you can soften into what's present for you right now,
Softening with compassion and kindness,
Letting go of any judgment,
Letting go of any control,
Just simply observe.
Then I invite you to bring your awareness to your breath,
Observe how the breath naturally flows,
Simply noticing each inhale and exhale.
Allow it to be effortless.
Again,
Nothing to control,
Nothing to change,
But notice how your body breathes for you,
How your body continues to take care of you.
Your breath is the simplest tool you have to bring you into the present moment,
So just focus on it for a moment here.
If it's comfortable,
You might start to breathe in and out through your nose,
Noticing any sensations this breath brings,
Maybe any sensations at the tip of the nostrils.
You might feel a cooling sensation as you inhale,
Maybe a more warming sensation as you exhale.
Again,
There is no right or wrong,
You are just simply observing your sensations today.
And then I invite you to begin following the journey this breath takes,
Seeing if you can follow this inhale through the nostrils,
Perhaps feeling the breath travel through your throat,
Starting to enter into your lungs and your stomach.
Maybe you're able to observe a gentle rise and fall of the chest and of the stomach with each breath,
Beginning to invite in a deeper inhale and a slow release in exhale.
You might choose for your exhale to be out through your nose or your mouth,
But keep the breath slow and steady.
Deep inhale,
Slow release in exhale.
If it helps,
You can add a count to your breath,
Breathing in for a count of four,
And perhaps out for a count of five or six.
If this rhythm doesn't work for you,
Please feel free to find another one that does.
Deep inhale,
Slow releasing exhales.
I'll give you a moment in silence to continue with these deep breaths.
If you find your thoughts start to wander,
That's okay,
Just gently come back to your breath as and when you can,
Knowing thoughts will come,
But allowing them to pass.
Be kind to yourself here,
This time is for you.
Slow breath in,
Maybe for that count of four.
Slow breath out for that count of five or six.
Taking a couple more at your own pace,
At your rhythm that you've chose,
And then releasing any control of this breath,
Simply allowing it to return to a natural rhythm,
Observing how the breath is received effortlessly into the body.
This breath as your anchor,
Your life force within you,
Able to guide you back to the present moment whenever you need it.
Reminding yourself that you can come back into this space,
Back to this stillness that rests deep within,
Whenever you need to.
Just simply take a moment,
Notice the breath,
And observe.
When you feel ready,
You can allow some gentle movement back into the body,
Perhaps starting with a wiggle of the fingers and the toes,
Feeling free to take any bigger movements if you feel called to,
Before starting to gently flitter open the eyes,
And release.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
I'm sending you lots of love,
And hopefully see you soon.
