Hello and welcome to meditation.
Find a comfortable position for our bodies so we can be fully relaxed and still alert within our bodies.
To be aware of what's present at each time with an attitude of welcoming,
Of acceptance.
Closing your eyes.
Connecting to our breath.
Allowing the breath to bring us back to this moment,
The present moment.
By simply feeling the breath in our bodies.
Noticing the breath is always present,
Always a tool for grounding us in the moment.
We can notice our breath in our nostrils,
Or in our belly,
Or maybe just in the movement of the shoulders up and down or the chest opening up.
Noticing within your own body where you can feel the breath more easily.
And being curious about how the breath feels,
What's the movement at each moment.
Welcoming whatever sensation or thought that comes into your experience.
Saying thank you and returning the attention to the breath just for this moment.
Allowing this moment to be just as it is,
Without any effort to prevent or change.
Simply accepting everything that is present with an open awareness,
With an attitude of being aware,
But neither following or preventing anything that comes into your experience.
Simply looking,
Paying attention to sensations,
Feelings or thoughts from this place of taking a distance,
As if you're watching them on a screen.
As you're seated,
Watching the screen of what's present right now.
And whatever it is that is present,
Just like you are in a movie,
You don't need to change,
You just look at it.
You just observe.
And you might,
Just as in the movie,
Notice emotions or thoughts about how the movie should go,
What the character should feel or do,
But at the same time you can watch it from a distance and know that you're just watching,
At least for now.
And if at any moment you feel like you engaged in the story,
I invite you to take a deep breath in and return the attention to the breath and sensations in your body.
Curiously watching the screen to see what appears.
Knowing that anything can appear is allowed.
And you can just watch it.
With curiosity,
With acceptance.
And if there's anything that is more difficult to just watch that creates some traction in your body,
Your mind,
I invite you to bring that closer to your heart.
Feel that in your heart instead of watching from a distance.
And instead of going along with the story that is attached,
I invite you to just put that inside your heart and give it love,
Give it acceptance.
Say,
Yes,
I see you.
I feel you.
You are allowed to.
There's no need to identify with it as much as there's no need to prevent feeling it.
So we try our best to welcome that in our hearts.
Also knowing that at any moment.
If that's also difficult.
You can just return the attention to the breath.
Take a deep breath in and let it all out.
Whether you see it from a distance and that's easy.
Whether you bring it into your heart and you welcome it and you allow it.
Whether neither of those are possible and you return to the breath and you just again and again bring the attention back to the present moment sensation in your body.
Know that you have options.
To be with your experience.
And if you feel that is nurturing to you to place a hand on your heart.
To just offer some nurturing.
Some acknowledgement.
Feel free to do it.
Just to say to your heart.
I'm here.
I'm paying attention.
I'm feeling you.
And when you feel that that's enough.
Your heart is calm.
You can return the hand to your laps or wherever you had them before.
And I invite you to feel your body again.
Feel any sensations that are present.
Feel your body seated on the chair.
Feel the breath within your body.
And slowly open your eyes again.
