When the music starts,
We're going to explore a list of personal qualities,
So that you can see which ones resonate most with you today.
You may like to use a pen and paper,
Or you may simply like to allow each one to flow through you.
Let's do this.
Let the following personal qualities flow through you and gently notice your response as you connect with them.
Flexibility Strength Curiosity Kindness Independence Authenticity Gently noticing what comes up,
What arises within your mind as you reflect upon these.
Let's continue with some more personal qualities,
Allowing them to flow through you as I call them out.
Gently noticing your response as you connect with them.
Courage Openness Trust Spontaneity Resilience Friendliness And so once again,
Gently noticing what comes up,
What arises within your mind.
Let's continue with some more.
Compassion Reliability Encouragement Caring Generosity Gratitude When was the last time you experienced one or some of these from somebody else?
Where were you?
And who were you with at the time?
Gently reflecting upon some of these and recalling how one or two have contributed to a sweet moment that you hold.
And let's continue with our final list of personal qualities for today.
Allowing them to flow through you,
Gently noticing your response as you connect with each one.
Honesty Consideration Patience Humour Receptivity And forgiveness Gently reflecting upon some of these and recalling how you have expressed one or two of these and somebody else has benefited.
And so once again,
Gently noticing what comes up,
What arises within your mind.
Let's continue with our final list of personal qualities for today.
Let's move into this space of awareness and meditate together.
Spending the time to be here now,
To be nurtured by the now.
Whether your eyes are open or closed,
Give yourself the right to be here now.
Letting any residual thoughts and feelings from taking part in the first part of this practice.
The in-go of everything,
Including the reflective practice we've just been doing.
This now is a moment for you and from you.
Nothing else can be added to this moment.
Nothing else can improve this moment.
Just in this moment.
What do you notice when you acknowledge that nothing else can be added to this moment we are sharing right now?
And now close your eyes and as you do so,
Notice any sensations within or upon your body,
Bringing awareness from your head,
Below the level of thought,
Into your body.
You may like to use numbers to count in any way that you wish the various sensations that you are aware of,
Upon or within your body.
Acknowledging the sense of touch in all these different aspects.
You may like to start from your head down to your toes,
Or you may like to explore in an organic,
Non-systematic way,
Just as your attention opens to these experiences.
Distraction will happen.
You'll know when it does because you lose connection with the numbers.
Come back to counting these experiences.
You may notice that the more you count,
The more experiences from the sensation of touch you can find,
Recognising that this oh-so-simple practice of being connected to the body is nurturing your wellbeing.
Now let go of counting and simply continue to explore and connect to the experiences you find within or upon your body.
Now see if you can introduce the gentleness of your breathing at the same time.
How are you going with this?
Both the experience of noticing sensations of the body and your breathing at the same time.
If you prefer to choose one or the other,
That's okay.
This is all about finding an anchor that we can connect to,
Just as long as your attention is away from your head and into your body or the breath.
Every time you gently return from distraction and reconnect once more to your anchor,
You're strengthening your capacity to enhance meaningful connection in future moments where it's necessary.
Gently reconnect each time and know that each time you do,
You are experiencing a moment of mindfulness.
Thank you for taking part in this.
