This meditation is produced by Harvesting Happiness.
Take 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?
Let your arms rest by your side in a way that feels right for you.
Make any final adjustments you need.
Take a moment to become familiar with your surrounds.
What do you notice in your environment?
Gently close your eyes if this feels comfortable for you.
Give yourself permission to settle in.
Right now there is nowhere else you need to be.
Remember,
It's okay to take this time for yourself.
If during this meditation you notice yourself thinking,
That's okay.
Our minds are designed to think.
Feel free to engage with your thoughts,
To give them what they need and when it feels right for you,
Return to the sound of my voice.
Now can you become aware of the sounds around you?
Initially noticing the most distant sounds.
What do you hear?
Gradually drift towards the sounds that are closer to you.
Nothing to do,
Just noticing.
Slowly returning your attention to your body.
How does your body feel right now?
Are there parts of your body that feel tense or tired?
Does your body feel light or heavy?
Perhaps you feel relieved to have stopped moving,
To be still.
Whatever your experience is,
Can you be okay with it?
When you are ready,
Bring your awareness to your breath.
Perhaps you notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest or the soft expanse of your belly as the air flows in and out.
Can you allow yourself to soften a little on each exhale as if your breath carries tension out of your body?
Notice what your breath feels like for you in this moment.
Soft,
Deep,
Light,
Shallow or warm.
However your breath feels to you in this moment is just right.
There is no need to manipulate your breath,
Just continue to observe.
Sometimes life can feel really busy,
Like you are being pulled in all different directions and that there are not enough hours in the day.
Practicing gratitude can help with these feelings of stress.
During this meditation,
Give gratitude the opportunity to come up naturally.
When it emerges,
See if you can notice how it feels in your body.
You may notice a sense of relaxation,
Of openness,
Of calm.
If it doesn't surface,
That's okay.
There is no need to force anything,
Just be open to whatever your experience is.
Let's start this body scan by returning to your breath.
Notice 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.
Perhaps you are able to let go of a particular thought or feeling.
Can you let go of a worry you have?
Can you be thankful for this opportunity to let go?
Move your attention to your heart and the space around it.
As your heart beats,
It is pumping blood with oxygen and nutrients around your body.
Can you feel your heart beating?
Is it faint or strong,
Fast or slow?
Gently bring your awareness to your eyes,
The eyes that allow you to see colors,
Shapes,
Faces of your friends and family,
Flowers in bloom,
Sunsets,
The glimmer of the moon and the twinkle of the stars.
Your ears,
Offering the sound of music,
The familiar voices of your family and friends,
The songs of birds,
The rustle of the wind,
The gentle lap of a tide.
Bring your awareness to your nose that smells the aromas from your kitchen,
Salty air by the beach,
Freshly cut grass.
What about your lips and mouth that taste,
Speak and kiss,
That communicate your ideas,
Desires and hopes?
Bring your awareness now to your hands that hold and touch and open and close.
The arms and shoulders that lift,
Carry and embrace,
That hold your tension and your strength.
Your feet and your toes that allow you to walk,
To run,
Skip,
Dance and leap.
These precious feet that take you where you want to go.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Can you feel your belly expand and contract as the air flows in and out?
Can you breathe into this place?
Can you feel gratitude for all your body does for you each day?
Now bring your attention to your mind.
Allow your focus to rest on your entire self,
Your self that moves,
Carries,
Loves,
Teaches,
Learns,
Laughs.
Can you feel gratitude for each and every part of it?
How do you feel?
What do you notice?
May you bring this felt sense of gratitude into your day.
When you are ready,
Slowly bring your awareness back to your fingers and toes,
Moving them just a little.
Take a big stretch if it feels right for you.
Gently open your eyes.
