Welcome,
Dear one,
For this meditation on Centering in Presence and Reducing Stress.
I invite you to make your way into a comfortable posture,
Whether that's seated or lying down and just doing whatever final movements you need to that you can really settle,
Coming to a place where there's nothing to do or be,
But simply allow your body to be breathed.
And take a gentle breath in and a slow,
Long breath out.
In this moment,
Let the world soften.
Imagine the edges of time loosening,
The air widening around you,
As if the present is a vast sky,
Steady and open,
Welcoming you back home.
Feel the weight of your body fully supported.
Inhale through the nose,
Holding softly.
And exhale through the mouth even longer than your inhale.
And maybe doing that two more times,
Clearing,
Cleansing,
Breathing in fully and letting go effortlessly.
Bring awareness to the points of contact,
The floor,
Perhaps the cushion,
The chair,
The earth beneath you.
Let gravity do the work.
With each exhale,
Imagine the body unwinding its grip.
Repeat in your mind,
I release,
I arrive.
We're now going to do a pranayama technique for stress reduction.
So we will be doing a rhythmic breath,
Inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six.
And I'll guide you through a round or two and then perhaps silently repeat on your own.
Inhale for two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Repeat it on your own.
As you settle into this pattern,
Visualize a warm,
Golden light on the inhale,
Gathering into your chest.
And on the exhale,
Dispersing any heaviness,
Tension,
Or urgency.
Notice the breath becoming smoother,
Quieter,
Steadier,
And more relaxed.
Let the breath itself become the home you return to.
Whisper internally,
Each breath softens me.
Shift attention to the sensations around you,
The air on your skin,
The temperature,
Subtle sounds in the room.
No need to label.
Just let awareness rest lightly.
Bring attention to your hands.
Notice any tingling,
Warmth,
Pulsing.
Feel the aliveness there.
Now to your heart center.
Place a hand there if you wish.
Inhale gently into that space.
Exhale,
Easefully.
Imagine the heart glowing like a steady ember.
Repeat inwardly.
Here,
Now.
Enough.
Here,
Now.
Enough.
Allow your awareness to expand outward,
Like widening the lens of your inner vision.
Sense the whole body at once,
The posture,
The breath,
The quiet movements of life within you.
Imagine your awareness as a calm,
Wide lake.
Thoughts land on the surface and dissolve.
Ripples form and fade.
If stress arises,
Meet it with compassion.
Say inwardly,
I see you and I soften.
Return to the breath for a few more cycles.
Allow stillness to deepen.
Let presence become your entire landscape.
Begin gently returning awareness to the physical body.
Wiggle the fingers.
Notice the rise and fall of the breath again.
Ask yourself,
What does presence feel like,
Not as a concept,
But as sensation?
Anchor this experience with a simple mantra on the breath.
Inhale,
I am here.
Exhale,
I am steady.
Repeat this slowly for several rounds.
I am here.
I am steady.
Sense how grounded,
Open,
And awake you feel now.
Take one slow,
Deep breath in and a soft,
Complete breath out.
Let this moment be a quiet promise to yourself.
That presence is always waiting for you like a lantern in the night,
Steady and warm.
When you're ready,
Gently open the eyes.
Carry this softness with you like a calm current beneath everything you do.
