This is Jean Vitrano.
Thank you for joining me for this guided meditation.
So this meditation may be helpful when we need the reminder that we can be present to what's here just as it is,
To let go of expecting things to be different,
To let go of controlling and to ease into the life that is here.
So let yourself get comfortable in your seat.
Dropping into stillness,
You can let your eyes close if you'd like.
You might see where in your body right now,
You could be using more effort than you need to be,
Or any places where you're holding habitual tension,
That you can let go simply by reminding yourself that you can let go.
Your shoulders and your arms can rest.
Invite the muscles in your face to soften.
In this moment,
Letting go of thinking,
Planning,
Reviewing and let your mind rest instead on your breathing.
Which means simply to start to experience your in breath and your out breath.
Follow along with it,
With its rhythm just as it is,
Like watching the ocean roll onto the shore and roll back out.
Just breathing in,
Breathing out.
And we'll listen to the sound of the bell and then we'll work with the breath.
Breathing out.
And we'll listen to the sound of the bell and then we'll work with a handful of phrases that you can coordinate with your inhale and your exhale.
But for right now,
Simply listening and breathing.
As you breathe in,
My breathing.
As you breathe out,
It's like this right now.
My breathing.
It's like this right now.
Experiencing your breath just as it is.
Not needing to control it.
Reminding ourselves it's one thing we don't have to control.
Instead,
Simply sense the expansion as you breathe in and the softening back in as you breathe out at whatever pace and depth it is right now.
My breathing.
It's like this right now.
Knowing it will change and it will change again.
My breathing.
It's like this right now.
As you breathe in,
My mind as you breathe out,
It's like this right now.
My mind.
It's like this right now.
So noticing the quality of your mind right now.
You might notice if your mind is busy,
Or maybe it's calm.
Or maybe you're drifting toward planning or reviewing.
When you notice it,
Whatever it is,
However it is,
Simply observe neutrally and then say,
My mind.
It's like this right now.
Not attaching.
It will change and it will change again.
Breathing in my mind.
Breathing out.
It's like this right now.
As you breathe in,
My feelings.
As you breathe out,
They're like this right now.
My feelings.
They're like this right now.
In this moment,
You might notice if a feeling is present in you as you do this.
Whatever the feeling may be,
You can simply name it.
And just note,
My feeling.
It's like this right now.
Feelings we know well are constantly changing.
No need to judge or analyze or fix.
It's just like this right now.
Breathe with the feeling.
As you breathe in,
My sensations.
As you breathe out,
They're like this right now.
My sensations.
They're like this right now.
You might notice any physical sensations as they arise.
If you experience an ache or a pain somewhere,
Or fatigue or heat or cold,
Sounds that arise or smells.
Whatever you sense with your body,
It's just like this right now.
Sensations come and they go.
My sensations.
They're like this right now.
As you breathe in,
My life.
As you breathe out,
It's like this right now.
My life.
It's like this right now.
At this particular stage in your life,
At this age,
In this day,
This moment,
Allowing your life to be just as it is right now.
No need to judge or evaluate.
It will continue to change.
We can allow ourselves to be open to what comes.
My life.
It's like this right now.
Before we close this meditation,
Take a moment to thank yourself for your practice today.
I thank you as well.
I invite you to go slowly into your next moment.
