This meditation is produced by Harvesting Happiness.
Taking a moment to find a position that is comfortable for you,
This could be seated or lying down.
Can you allow your shoulders to relax a little,
Softening from the inside out?
Let your arms rest by your side,
Making any other adjustments you need.
Taking a moment now to become familiar with your surrounds.
Cast your eye around the room you are in,
Taking in details big and small.
When it feels comfortable for you,
Gently close your eyes.
There is nowhere else you need to be.
It's okay to take this time for yourself.
Becoming aware of the sounds around you,
Initially noticing the most distant sounds.
Gradually drift towards the sounds closer to you.
Nothing to do,
Just noticing.
Can you broaden your awareness to take in all the sounds,
Both near and far?
Letting the sounds come to you.
Being curious,
Noticing the beginning and end of sounds,
Noticing the moments of silence.
Can you sense your place amidst these sounds,
Your place in the movement of life?
Allowing yourself a few moments to feel safe here.
Letting this feeling of safety wash over you.
When you are ready,
Bringing your awareness to your breath,
Noticing the subtle movement of your body as you breathe.
Resting in the simplicity of this movement.
Spending some time getting to know your breath as it is for you today.
Perhaps you notice your mind has wandered.
You are thinking.
That's okay.
Just as our eyes give us the gift of sight,
Our minds offer us the gift of thought.
It's okay to think in meditation.
It doesn't mean you are doing it wrong.
During this meditation,
We are going to attend to our thoughts much like you would attend to a friend with interest,
Curiosity and openness.
I will guide you in this process,
But if at any stage you feel like letting my voice drift off into the background,
That's okay.
You can come back to my voice at any time that feels right for you.
This is your meditation.
They are your thoughts.
Beginning now by noticing your mental traffic.
Is it fast?
Free flowing?
Perhaps it feels slow,
Congested and stuck.
Are all the cars moving in the same direction?
Or does it feel like a busy intersection with cars moving in all directions?
How does this imagery make you feel in your body?
Open and spacious?
Tight or contracted?
Breathing into these sensations?
What about the direction of your thoughts?
Where are they taking you?
Back in time or off into the future?
If they relate to the past,
Are you reminiscing,
Reflecting,
Ruminating?
If your thoughts are taking you into the future,
Are you planning,
Hoping,
Worrying?
Can you be curious about the purpose of these thoughts?
Are your current thoughts a help or a hindrance to your overall sense of wellbeing?
Returning your attention now to the natural ebb and flow of your breath.
Resting in the comfort of this movement.
Perhaps you are again becoming aware of your thoughts.
Can you be curious about their qualities?
Are your current thoughts loud or soft?
Do they travel alone,
In pairs or in clusters?
Do they feel fluid or more structured?
Who is speaking?
Who is listening?
Turning your curiosity now to the tone of your thoughts.
Is it peaceful,
Soothing,
Reassuring?
Is it self-critical,
Cautious,
Fearful?
Is it something else?
And what about your approach to these thoughts?
Have you remained open and curious?
Or have these thoughts sparked a different response in you?
Nothing to do,
Just noticing.
Gently observing what happens to your thoughts when you attend to them with curiosity and openness.
Do they change?
Now,
Once again,
Returning your attention to your breath.
Its rhythmic ebb and flow.
As steady and constant as the tide.
Perhaps you notice yourself thinking again,
Offering yourself a mindful smile.
A pause.
Cultivating curiosity.
Are these thoughts old and familiar voices you have heard before?
Are they new thoughts?
Are they creative,
Insightful?
Or do you notice they have a more limiting,
Cautionary feel?
How do these thoughts make you feel in your body?
Returning again to the rhythm of your breath.
Noticing that with each inhale you are receiving new oxygen.
And with each exhale there is an opportunity to let go.
Perhaps you can let go of tension in your body,
Your shoulders,
Your eyes,
Your stomach.
Are you able to let go of a particular thought?
Is there a worry or concern you could let go of right now?
Taking some time now to breathe into this feeling of letting go.
Again resting in the comfort of your breath.
We are not our thoughts.
We are the awareness that notices these thoughts.
There is no need to push our thoughts away.
When we attend to our thoughts with curiosity and openness they can ebb and flow like the tide.
A steady rhythm.
Developing greater awareness around our thoughts can create a space for you to get to know yourself a little better.
Have you learned anything about yourself during this meditation?
Offering you now a few minutes to absorb your personal reflections.
Noticing once more how your mental traffic feels.
Does it feel different to when you started this meditation?
Again you become the observer.
You are not your thoughts.
You are the awareness that notices these thoughts.
When you are ready begin to deepen your breath.
Slowly finding movement through your fingers and toes.
Taking any other movements you feel comfortable with.
Taking any other movements your body needs.
Slowly bringing your awareness into the room.
Gently you may open your eyes.
Gently you may open your eyes.
