A very warm welcome.
If you are new to meditation you have landed in the right place.
If you have tried meditation and you're struggling or you're unsure what the true purpose of meditation is you too are in the right place and I'm so glad you have chosen to join me.
Practicing meditation effectively is a way of creating space within our entire being.
It's where we learn to bring equanimity into our everyday lives which is a feeling of calm and composure despite challenges.
Meditation enables us to let go of the things that do not serve us to make way for the things that do serve us.
Each time we practice we are creating space by simply letting go of repeating and unnecessary thoughts.
We are allowing the thinking mind to surrender into the present moment and with this an abundance of creativity and new opportunities for growth will arise.
Eventually we will find that we are moving forward with a more natural flow and less resistance.
We are expanding our awareness and living more fully in a higher state of consciousness flowing with ease,
Clarity,
Gratitude,
Love and true peace of mind.
When we hold on to things we often hold on too tightly and for too long and this not only relates to thoughts and emotions but to people,
Material things,
Expectations of ourselves and others and the way we believe things should be.
In Buddhism this grasping mentality is the cause of suffering and if you think about it it really does make so much sense why this is.
Our conditioned state of mind will always try to resist so we need to develop a deeper awareness of self to stop our thinking mind from getting in the way of meditation.
This comes with time,
Patience and of course practice.
Take some time now to focus on your posture in preparation for a mindfulness meditation practice.
Correct posture is an important part of traditional meditation and that is for good reason.
The preference is to sit although you may have no choice but to lie down.
Tune into your body and listen to the needs of your body right now.
Notice any areas of pain,
Discomfort or tension.
Acknowledge those sensations without judgment or attachment.
The way you choose to sit must allow for a straight spine.
This can be on a chair with your feet flat on the ground or on the floor in whatever posture you are comfortable in.
Use blankets,
Towels,
Cushions whatever you need.
Imagine a piece of string coming from the top of your head being pulled upwards.
Your shoulders should be relaxed,
Rolled back and dropped down away from the ears.
Try some shoulder rolls to help relax them further if you're struggling to let go of tension.
Your chin should be tucked in towards your chest just enough to maintain a straight neck.
Feel free to close your eyes or keep them open with the gaze down about a meter in front of you.
Your hands can rest in your lap with the palms facing up or nearer to your knees with the palms facing down.
If you have a yoga practice you may wish to adopt a sacred hand gesture also known as a mudra.
Relax the entire face keeping the mouth closed and gently place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind the teeth.
If you are lying down on your back you may want to place a rolled up towel or pillow under your knees to take some pressure off the spine.
Raise the head slightly with a cushion or towel not too much but to where the neck is straight and the chin is tucked slightly in towards the chest.
The correct posture allows energy to flow freely and effortlessly and you will notice the difference when you meditate like this compared to a slumped or tense posture.
It keeps us more alert through the practice and stops us from wanting to fall asleep.
When we sit with mindful awareness of the body this in itself is the practice of meditation.
When you get to this place and you are settled with full awareness of the body's posture and presence just pause for a short while.
Now begin to deepen the breath breathing slowly and deeply with focus and mindful awareness in through the nose out through the nose.
Keep your full attention on the breath as it enters and leaves the body.
Notice the sensations as the breath passes in through the nose down the back of the throat into the chest and abdomen.
It's here where we can begin to engage the diaphragm muscle which is located between the chest and the abdomen.
This dome shaped muscle aids breathing and gives us the ability to fill up the entire space with those deep nourishing inhales.
When this muscle is being used to its full potential the belly should rise and fall,
The chest and abdomen will be fully expanding and releasing,
Expanding and releasing.
Take five more breaths here.
Stay focused,
Mindful,
Aware,
Present,
Relaxed,
Expanding and releasing.
Be aware of the entire physical body.
Notice how your weight is distributed in the place where you sit or lie.
Notice the subtle involuntary movements of the upper body with each breath.
Acknowledge any areas of discomfort and the sensations that arise.
Imagine the in-breath traveling from the soles of the feet up the body to the crown of the head and the out-breath taking the same path in reverse from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet as you release.
Allow your entire body to become the breath.
Take five more breaths here.
Stay focused,
Mindful,
Aware,
Present,
Relaxed,
Expanding and releasing.
If your mind wanders gently bring it back to the breath without judgment.
Know that this is all a normal part of the practice.
We are retraining the conscious mind,
We are letting go of old thought patterns in the subconscious mind,
We are accepting what is exactly how it really is right now.
The mind can never travel too far when the breath is used as our anchor.
We drift,
We come back,
We drift,
We come back.
Simply observe with mindful awareness.
Start to feel everything now.
Tune into your entire being physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally,
Spiritually.
Take a moment here to have gratitude for yourself,
For allowing you this precious time to let go,
Heal and grow.
Take five breaths here with a focus on self compassion,
Gratitude and spiritual growth.
With conscious awareness begin to return to the natural rhythm of breathing.
As we come out of the meditation slowly and mindfully notice how your body has softened,
Notice how your mind has also softened,
Blinking the eyes open in your own time.
Notice how those thoughts that occupied your mind somehow don't seem as relevant anymore.
Become aware of the space that you have created and think about what amazing things you can fill that space with now.
Come back to this practice daily and watch your life slowly transform as you start to view the world through a clearer lens.
Embrace those moments of equanimity throughout your day and smile as you rejoice in the space you have created.
