Hello,
Welcome to this eight minute meditation to ground and focus.
Begin by finding a comfortable seat,
Either cross-legged on the ground,
Sitting back on your heels,
Or seated in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
Ensure you have contact with the ground beneath you and ensure that your spine is tall and straight.
Dip your chin slightly and gently close your eyes.
Feel the crown of your head reaching up toward the ceiling,
The back of your neck is long,
And your sits bones are rooted down into the ground.
From here,
Begin to slow and deepen the breath,
But also begin to notice the mind chatter.
Whatever thoughts are distracting to you,
Simply observe them.
For some of us,
Distraction comes in the form of physical pain,
Aches and pains and stresses.
For some of us,
It comes in the form of to-do lists,
The incredible amount of work that we've committed to.
And for some of us,
The dings and notifications from social media or other entertainment focused distractions keep us from focusing.
Whatever it is for you today,
Simply acknowledge where your thoughts are headed,
What comes up.
Notice the way certain thoughts enter your mind and exit the mind just as quickly.
Notice how there are some distractions that seem to hang around nagging you.
Just watch them.
Notice and observe.
This meditation is perfect for preparing for a session of studying,
Reading,
A presentation or project that needs our focus.
So whatever it is for you,
Whatever you want to focus on,
Pull that to the forefront of your mind.
As distractions continue to rise and fall,
Continue to notice them and bring back the event or project or activity that you would like to focus on.
Now,
Just as you watch other thoughts come and go,
Notice and observe this thought,
The importance you've assigned to it.
Even if your goal is to meditate,
We can sometimes put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve a particular outcome.
I invite you to feel this pressure and release it,
Instead simply observing,
Noticing where you are today and beginning to transition into a feeling of groundedness,
Of connectivity and trust.
As you deepen your breath here,
Feel as though your breath can reach below your belly,
Below your sitz bones and all the way into the ground beneath you.
Breathing in slowly and deeply and exhaling softly.
Notice your connection to the earth.
Notice the grounding of really focusing on the body.
Notice how your toes feel right now.
Do they tingle?
Are they warm or cold?
Notice the coolness of your breath on the inhale and the warmth on the exhale.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes and make very gentle fists with your palms.
Reach your arms out,
Extending them wide like you're giving someone a big hug.
And with your right arm over your left,
Give that hug to yourself.
Repeat that motion on the other side,
Really feeling the expansion in your chest as you reach your arms back and the compression and comfort as you embrace yourself.
After you've done that a few times,
Allow your palms to rest on your knees.
Notice any shifts in your energy.
Notice if you feel more grounded.
The light in me salutes and honors the light in you.
Namaste.