Seeking out the pleasant meditation.
Taking a moment to settle into a comfortable posture.
You might like to do this sitting,
Standing.
Or lying down.
Whatever's most comfortable for you.
And take a moment to adjust your body to make sure you have the support that you need to be comfortable for this meditation.
And then allowing your body to sink into gravity.
Noticing the contact between your body and the surface beneath you,
Gently cradling your body.
If you're seated,
Perhaps you can notice the back of your body resting against the chair,
Your buttocks on the seat beneath you,
And your feet grounded into the floor below you.
And if you're lying down,
Noticing the contact across the length of your body with the surface beneath you.
Just taking a moment to settle.
Allowing yourself to feel the weight of your body.
Sinking into the surface beneath you.
And then I invite you to take your attention to your breath.
Noticing the sensations of breathing.
The inhale and the exhale.
Where do you notice the sensations in your body?
Perhaps noticing your belly rising and falling with each breath.
Perhaps you can feel your ribcage expanding and subsiding as you breathe in and breathe out.
Maybe you can feel your chest rising and falling.
Or your shoulders rising and falling with your inhale and exhale.
Perhaps you can notice the sensation of the air passing through your nostrils and your mouth as you breathe in and breathe out.
Just taking a moment to notice these physical sensations.
And to tune into the rhythm of your own breath.
And I invite you to notice any sensations in your body.
Noticing your feet,
Your legs.
Your torso.
Shoulders,
Arms.
Hand your neck.
Your face and your head.
Noticing if there's any tension or resistance there.
And perhaps allowing it to release and soften.
And if it feels helpful,
If there are any tense areas,
You might like to put a hand on the spot.
And just allow this tension to release and ease.
And if your mind wanders,
That's perfectly normal.
Our minds are made for wandering.
Simply noticing that you've had a thought is a moment of awareness and mindfulness.
You can acknowledge the thought and then gently invite your attention back to the body.
Back to the sensations in your body.
And the rhythm of your breath.
And now I invite you to open your awareness with tender curiosity.
To see if there's anything pleasant here in your experience right now.
Not looking for anything big,
Just something small.
Maybe part of your body feels pleasantly warm.
Maybe you feel air on your hands or your face and that feels pleasant.
Maybe part of your body has a feeling of ease and groundedness.
Maybe it's pleasant to stop for a moment and just breathe.
Or it could be that a part of the body.
Which is normally painful or tense,
Isn't today,
In this moment.
And it's pleasant to bring our awareness to this.
Whatever you notice that is pleasant in this moment.
Dwell on this pleasant feeling for a few moments.
Really letting it sink in.
Really absorbing that pleasant sensation.
And if the mind wanders.
Just gently guiding your attention back to this pleasant experience.
You And if you can't find anything pleasant in this moment to focus on,
Another option is to bring to mind a memory of a pleasant experience.
Perhaps standing in the sea with the waves tickling your toes.
Or maybe you were standing outside,
With the sun on your face.
Perhaps you're listening to birds.
Any memory that gives a gentle sense of pleasure.
You can bring to mind.
And as you're bringing that memory to mind.
Notice how it affects you here and now.
How does your body respond?
What kind of emotional response is there,
If any?
Tuning into the memory and allowing yourself to stay with that experience for a few moments.
Really letting it sink in like a warm cup of tea.
And if the mind wanders,
That's okay.
Gently guiding the attention back to the sensory experience in the here and now.
To the memory of the sensory pleasure.
Noticing how the body responds when we're bringing that memory to mind.
Softening and opening around the experience.
Simply savouring this pleasant experience.
And now I invite you to begin gently broadening your awareness.
Noticing the contact of your body with the surface beneath you.
Perhaps noticing the temperature of the air around you.
Maybe noticing the air on your skin.
And tuning in to any signs around you.
Perhaps noticing light on your eyelids if you have your eyes closed.
When you feel ready.
You can gently blink your eyes open.
And come back to the room,
Come back to the space that you're in.
What's around you.
Maybe having a little stretch,
If that feels good.
And taking this sensory pleasure into the rest of your day as we bring this practice to a close.
