Welcome to this guided meditation.
My name is John Dettering and I will be your guide.
Let's begin.
Find a position that is comfortable for you.
Either sitting in a chair,
On a cushion or lying down.
Whatever feels best for you.
Adjusting your position so that you can maintain this for around 15 minutes.
Gently closing down your eyes,
Bringing your attention to your breath.
Connecting in with the gentle ebb and flow as you breathe in and breathe out.
You may notice the breath at your nostrils as the air enters your nose.
Or more strongly as the air passes down through your throat.
Or perhaps you feel the rise and fall of your chest.
Connecting in with wherever you feel the breath the strongest.
And for today's practice,
If you find yourself lost in thought,
Which is quite common.
Simply acknowledge the thought and return your attention to your breath.
You can do this through your anchor by connecting in with where you feel the breath the strongest.
Sensing the weight of your body being held here,
Supported through your cushion or up through the floor.
Resting,
Relaxing into your cushion or the floor.
Your body held here in this room,
Connected all the way down through the floor and down to the earth below.
Slowing down,
Sensing your connection to this room and the floor below.
Your body coming to rest.
Noticing other parts of your body in contact with the floor.
Your feet,
Your legs,
Connecting in.
You may also sense the clothing resting on your body,
Your sleeves or around your neck.
Bringing your consciousness to your physical body through the sense of touch.
Noticing any fragrances or smells in the room.
Letting them drift to you.
Noticing,
Connecting in.
Becoming present in this space.
Grounding and centering yourself into this present moment.
Noticing any sounds that you can hear.
The music playing gently in the background.
Maybe a fan or air conditioning.
Resting your attention on your sense of hearing.
Allowing your attention now to move outside the room to any sounds that you can hear.
The sounds of nature or passing traffic.
Bringing your attention now to your feet,
To the tips of your toes.
Notice any tightness or tingling there.
The soles of your feet.
The bones of your feet.
The top of your foot.
Your heel and ankle.
Sensing the aliveness,
The energy flowing through your feet.
You may also sense the temperature of the room or a slight tingling through the skin.
Bringing your attention now to your hands.
To the very tips of your fingers.
And working your way back up the finger.
You may feel a sensation or tingling or aliveness in your fingers.
Up past your knuckles.
And into the palm of your hand.
Connecting in,
Arriving in this space.
Turning your attention now to the backs of your hands.
Noticing any subtle tingling or tightness.
Whatever you can sense there.
To your wrists.
These hands that do so much for you.
Turning your attention now to your lower back and lumbar region.
And as you breathe in,
Bring your attention to your lower back.
And as you breathe out,
Notice any tightness,
Tension or tingling sensations.
Holding yourself erect.
Connecting in with the life as it flows through your body.
Bringing your attention now to your heart space.
The centre of your chest.
Feeling the rise and fall of your chest as the air enters and leaves your lungs.
Perhaps sensing the beating of your heart as it pumps blood throughout the body.
To your shoulders and neck.
Often a source of tightness or tension.
Placing your attention there and observing.
Taking note of any sensations or tightness.
You may even feel a sense of ease.
Noticing,
Connecting in with any sensations.
Bringing to mind your whole body.
Being held here in this space.
The energy and aliveness flowing through your feet.
Your lower back.
Your heart space.
Your hands and neck.
And up into your head.
All of these points interconnected.
Providing paths for energy to flow throughout the body.
Connecting in with the sensations of your body.
Simply being at rest and at ease.
Noticing the quality of your mind.
And any thoughts or feelings drifting in and out of your consciousness.
Sensing the space that exists between your thoughts.
And subtly lengthening the space and letting go.
Returning your attention to your breath.
Connecting in once more with the life giving breath.
No need to alter it.
Simply connecting in.
And as you breathe in,
Follow the air all the way down through your nose,
Throat and into your lungs and belly.
You may notice a slight pause between the end of the in breath and the start of the out breath.
You may like to gradually lengthen your breath cycle by adding a count of four to the in breath and to the out breath.
Breathing in for the count of four.
Then noticing the point where the breath changes from being the in breath to the out breath.
And then breathe out for the count of four.
And through this practice of focusing on the breath.
Breathing in for the count of four and breathing out to the count of four.
You may create some distance and space between your thoughts and feelings.
A point of observation for you to notice.
And from this point of observation you can see,
Feel and sense your thoughts.
And therefore you are not your thoughts or feelings.
That you are separate from them and that you can maintain that distance.
And see your thoughts and feelings in a different light.
As the observer,
As they drift in and drift out of your consciousness.
No need to follow them.
No need to get caught up in the story.
Simply observing and connecting in.
You may like to stay with the deeper breath or let it return to your normal ebb and flow.
As we sit in silence for a period.
Observing and being connected with our thoughts and feelings.
Aum.
Gently reconnecting back in with your breath.
Sensing the breath entering your body.
Filling your lungs.
Connecting in with your body.
Being held here in this space.
Sensing your body at rest down through your cushion or the floor.
Connecting in and returning your senses to the physical body.
Noticing any sounds or smells in the room.
Connecting in and arriving back in this space.
And know that you can find this space whenever you need to.
Simply by finding a quiet space.
Slowing down.
Closing down your eyes and connecting in with the breath.
Perhaps you would like to introduce some small movements to the body.
A wriggling of your toes or fingers.
Or maybe a clenching and unclenching of your hands.
Perhaps a gentle roll of your shoulders.
And when you are ready,
Opening your eyes and softly reconnecting with the objects in the room and the world around you.
