Hi everyone!
Happy International Women's Day!
I'm excited to do a meditation about celebrating women.
We tend to not celebrate ourselves the way we should.
We tend to downplay our successes and accomplishments.
Women everywhere are achieving amazing things.
We are strong and brave,
And we deserve to be celebrated.
International Women's Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year,
And it is a focal point in the movement of women's rights.
Before we begin the meditation,
I would like to walk you through an exercise.
If you feel comfortable to do so,
Please close your eyes,
And take a few long,
Slow,
Deep breaths as you settle into the exercise.
Now I want you to think of someone that inspires you.
Maybe it's your mother,
Or your grandmother.
Maybe it's Mother Teresa,
Brene Brown,
Princess Diana.
Maybe it's Amelia Earnhardt,
Or Rosa Parks,
Or Audrey Hepburn.
Maybe it's Emma Watson,
Or Maya Angelou.
Consider who is inspiring to you.
Take a few long,
Slow,
Deep breaths as you consider who that inspiring person is for you.
Continue to focus on that individual.
Next,
Think of the characteristics that make this person inspiring.
Maybe they are brave,
Strong,
Courageous.
Maybe they are authentic,
Compassionate,
Generous.
Next,
Think about the characteristics you just came up with,
And put the words,
I am,
In front of each one of them.
For example,
I am brave.
I am strong.
I am courageous.
Notice where you feel those statements in your body.
Be present with the statements,
And breathe in the statements.
Take a few more long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
As I will now take you through a guided meditation.
At the end of the meditation,
You'll hear a soft bell.
It is important to come out of the meditation slowly and mindfully,
And it is important to take your time.
There's no rush.
I will be here guiding you through the entire process.
The theme of this meditation is International Women's Day.
Mindfulness is about engaging your attention in the present moment,
On what you are experiencing without judgment.
Let us center our attention and bring awareness to the present moment.
Let us center our attention and bring awareness to women.
Explore this meditation with mindful curiosity,
As you become mindful of your body,
Mindful of your environment,
Mindful of courage,
And as you maintain a gentle present moment focus,
Start by finding a comfortable position,
And let us settle into our breath,
Placing your feet flat on the ground,
With your hands laying comfortably in your lap,
Closing your eyes if you prefer,
And become present,
Still,
And relaxed in this moment.
Observe the sensations of the body and notice what you are thinking.
Observe your courage in this present moment.
Observe your strength in this present moment.
As you become more relaxed,
Notice the chatter of your mind starting to quiet.
When your mind wanders,
Come back to this present moment.
Be mindful of anything getting in your way and let it go on the next exhale breath.
Gently release any tension you notice,
Letting go of anything that might be getting in the way of you being here in this present moment.
Remembering it's okay to have thoughts,
And when a thought occurs,
Simply notice the thought without judgment,
And then simply let the thought go on the next exhale breath.
Allow each area of your body to settle into the breath.
Allow each area of your body to settle into the stillness.
Exploring the sensations in your body mindfully,
With curiosity,
And without judgment.
Mindfully engaging your attention in the present moment,
On what you were experiencing without judgment.
At any point during this meditation,
If your mind starts to wander,
Simply come back to your breath as an anchor of focus,
Or come back to the sound of my voice.
For this meditation,
Let us welcome everything,
And simply let go of any expectations.
Let us send loving kindness to ourselves.
Let us send loving kindness to our families and friends.
Let us send loving kindness to our community.
And let us send loving kindness to women all over the world.
Trust your own experience,
And be mindful of your true,
Authentic self.
Let us cultivate courage.
Love your imperfect self.
Trust your own experience.
Believe yourself,
And believe in yourself.
Feel the gratitude of connection.
Let us listen mindfully without judgment.
Return to your breath.
As feelings arise in this moment,
See if you can hold yourself with tenderness and compassion,
Remembering to be kind to yourself.
We will take the next few moments in silence,
Giving you the opportunity to continue to focus your breath as you mindfully maintain a gentle,
Present-moment focus.
Let us consider how we can bring this experience with us.
I will keep track of the time as we take these moments of silence together.
Let us take a moment to realize that we are all in this together.
Let us take a moment to recognize that we are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
Keeping your eyes closed as we integrate back from the meditation,
Take as much time as you need to come out of the meditation slowly and mindfully.
Start by wiggling your toes and fingers or any part of your body that feels right to you.
Take as much time as you need and when you are ready you can open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation and I hope you enjoyed the experience.
May we honor women everywhere.
May we honor the light,
Love,
Truth,
Beauty and peace in all of us.
Namaste.
