Hi,
Welcome.
My name is Joy Koneska.
We live joyfully well.
I want to thank you for joining me today.
Now this is a mindful meditation to honor our lovely planet and to also nurture environmental wellness,
Which is everything dealing with your surroundings.
So this practice can be done outdoors or sitting next to a window if that's more accessible for you.
We will briefly cover what it means to nurture environmental wellness and then shift our focus to a beginner friendly guided meditation focusing on breath awareness,
Relaxation,
Mindfulness and connection to our planet with loving kindness.
So you're going to want to find a safe place outdoors or next to a window.
And if you can open a window,
I encourage you to do so but by all means work with what you have available to you right now.
You're going to want to sit in a tall comfortable position that allows your breath to move freely.
Environmental wellness is your surroundings.
This is both home and work and wherever you are.
It's about taking time to be mindful and open to the things around you.
And so when you're thinking of your environmental wellness this week,
Maybe ask yourself some questions such as what makes me feel at home?
What brings me joy when I think about home or work or wherever I am?
And many studies show that spending time in nature actually not only nurtures environmental wellness,
But it also nurtures physical and emotional wellness and in some people it can nurture spiritual wellness as well.
So it's about balance.
So with this in mind,
What outdoor places nurture you?
And what outdoor places connect to your soul?
And so these types of questions help to create mindfulness with your environment.
Let's get ready to meditate.
So you've found your comfortable seat and we will start with our eyes open.
Remember that it's normal if your mind starts to wander to other thoughts.
And when you notice this happening,
Just come back to the breath and back to the moment when this happens.
Remember to adjust the volume of my voice and let's get started.
Start by connecting with our breath.
Take a deep breath in and a long,
Easy exhale out.
Relax the shoulders.
Feel the balance of your head over your heart.
And there's a softness to your face.
The muscles of the neck and upper back release.
There's a little length through the sides of the waist and the belly is soft,
Which allows the breath to flow in and out.
And the hips and legs are relaxed and grounded.
And you feel the support of your props if you have them and you feel the support of the earth.
And now take another deep breath in and a long exhale out.
Return to normal,
Easy breathing and feel that flow of breath in and out.
And feel how the breath helps to calm the body.
Focusing on the breath gets you into this present moment.
And now let's shift our focus to our eyes and what we can see.
So look off into the distance.
What do you see?
Feel free to turn your head to the right and to the left.
Notice colors and textures.
And now use your eyes and look a little closer to what's around you.
Still noticing colors,
Textures,
Contrasts,
See things that have movement and things that have stillness.
And then look right next to you and notice the things that you see right next to you.
If you feel the urge to shift to your sense of touch with what's next to you,
Notice the texture of what you're touching or the temperature and the contact of your skin to what you're touching.
And take a deep breath in and an easy,
Gentle breath out and feel gratitude for your eyes,
Which allow you to see and for your sense of touch,
Which allows you to feel.
Now,
If you're in an area that does feel safe to you and you feel comfortable closing your eyes,
Feel free to do so.
Or you can just simply soften the gaze over the tip of your nose or focus in on an object.
The point is to limit visual distractions and shift your focus to the sounds that you hear.
What sounds do you hear that are far away?
And what sounds do you hear that are closer to you?
Taking in those sounds,
Have gratitude for your ears that allow you to hear all these amazing things.
With your mind,
Shift your focus to your sense of smell.
Do you notice any smells,
Fresh air,
Any hints of floral or woods or nature?
And when you're asking yourself these questions,
You're always creating a little bit of space to notice what you're thinking,
But without any judgment of it.
Noticing what your nose smells and know that your sense of smell helps you to decipher odors and your sense of smell can soothe emotions and enhance taste.
Have gratitude for your nose.
Take another deep breath in and a long breath out.
And let's shift our focus to our lovely planet.
You know,
Every single one of us calls our planet Earth home.
Take a moment to think about God's creation,
Ultimate consciousness or whatever you personally believe.
Just take a moment to think about the things this planet gives you.
And maybe with a slight easy smile,
Visualize an energy of loving kindness growing from a seed right in the center of your heart.
And that loving kindness grows outward and it starts to send that loving kindness out into the space around you.
Getting bigger,
That loving kindness opens up to your neighborhood,
To your city,
Your county,
Your country and expands out to our loving planet.
Place your hands over your heart and feel that loving kindness.
Feel that connection with our planet Earth.
And now shift your focus back to your body,
Back to the space around you and the space you're in.
And when you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
You can slowly open your eyes or refocus your gaze to your surroundings.
And take a moment now to feel the effects of your practice and feel your connection to this loving planet.
I want to thank you so much for trusting me and guiding your practice today.
I wish you an amazing Earth Day.
My name is Joy Koneska.
Live joyfully well and have a beautiful day.
