I invite you to settle now,
To put aside all the roles you play,
The distractions of the day,
The needs of others,
All claims on your attention and come into a place of peace and stillness,
Knowing you are enough,
Without attachment to identity or labels,
Simply present,
In this moment,
Being here,
Now,
In your purest,
Perfect simplicity.
Settle into your preferred meditation posture,
Sitting or lying down,
Paying kind attention to your body,
Take a few lovely,
Deep,
Nourishing breaths,
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth,
As a sigh,
Releasing any old,
Stale air that may be sitting in your lungs,
Welcoming in the fresh breath of each inhale,
And then allow your breathing to return to whatever normal feels like today,
Breathing in and out through your nose if that is available to you.
As you rest here,
In your mind,
Whisper the words,
I am here,
I am now,
Feel your body where it touches the floor or cushion beneath you,
Notice each point of contact,
The weight of your limbs,
The feel of your clothes,
The touch of the air on your skin.
And whisper,
I am here,
I am now,
Notice your breath,
The soft inhale,
The warm exhale,
Notice the expansion and contraction of your ribs,
As your lungs welcome and release each breath.
Notice how your whole body responds as you breathe in,
As you breathe out,
And whisper to yourself,
I am here,
I am now,
Listen in to the beating of your heart,
Even if you can't feel it right now,
Listen deeply,
Knowing it is beating for you.
I am here,
I am now,
Pay attention to the tips of your fingers,
And the tips of your toes,
What do you notice there,
Maybe a subtle tingling,
A reminder that even these furthest extremities of you are fully present in this moment.
And say to yourself,
I am here,
I am now,
With each inhale,
I am here,
And exhale,
I am now,
I am here,
I am now.
I am here,
I am now,
Notice your breath,
Notice your body sitting or lying here,
In the gentlest way,
Begin to return some movement to your body,
Moving your fingers and toes,
Perhaps bringing your hands to your chest in a gesture of gratitude.
Let your eyes blink open to a soft downward gaze,
And thank yourself for giving yourself this gift of peace and quiet attention,
Here,
Now.
