Hello my name is Justine and I'm pleased to share this time with you today.
This meditation will support you to mindfully notice how your body and mind are today and I will guide you to be curious as to what you notice within yourself.
The aim of this meditation is to connect with yourself in a way that helps you to feel more centred and grounded.
So let's begin.
Start by finding a position that you can remain comfortable in for approximately 15 minutes.
You can choose to sit on the floor using a pillow or a bolster or you might like to sit in a chair with your back resting comfortably or maybe you prefer to lie down.
Whichever position that suits you best today please make sure your spine is as straight as you can with your neck long and your arms and legs comfortably resting next to your body.
Allow your feet to rest against the floor and of course if it feels comfortable for you you're welcome to remove your shoes and socks.
Once you are comfortable in your position keep your eyes open just for a little longer and take a gentle look around you and what you can see objects that might be close to you.
Notice their shape and colours,
Maybe notice the materials and the textures of those objects.
Allow your gaze to just wander around the space that you are sitting within or lying in today.
Just noticing everything that you can see,
Being a curious observer of your environment.
When it feels right for you allow your eyelids to gently close.
Notice the colours behind your eyes.
Notice any shapes or patterns and textures and notice any movement or stillness in what you see.
Just being an observer of what it looks like behind your eyes today and then taking your attention to what you can hear.
Notice the sounds that are close to you,
Maybe within the room you are in.
Noticing the sounds of your own body,
The sound of your breath or the sound of your stomach gurgling.
Then allow your awareness to extend further away and notice any sounds that are outside or off in the distance.
Listening carefully and just witnessing and listening to any of the sounds that are present there and maybe imagining that your ears are recording a musical soundscape of the world around you right now.
Then move your attention to what you can smell on the air.
Maybe taking a deeper breath in if that helps and detecting what fragrances or aromas rest in the air today.
Just allow your breath to flow and smell any of those fragrances as they come into your nostrils.
Then taking your awareness to your mouth and seeing if you notice any tastes that are within your mouth.
Is there a flavor there from your last meal that just sits within your saliva.
Just be curious to what's there in your mouth today and what you notice and maybe there's no taste there that you notice and just witness what that tastes like.
And then gently when you are ready allow your awareness to shift right down to your feet and notice the sensations of your feet resting on the floor.
Notice the exact point of connection between the floor and your body.
Feel this connection point now between your feet and the floor and allow your attention to rest here in this point of connection.
Feel the pressure of gravity holding your body and holding your feet connecting you to the floor and the earth below.
Become an observer to the sensations of your body sitting on the chair or sitting or lying on the floor.
Feel into those connection points between your body and the surface that you're on.
And if it feels right to maybe give a gentle push downward with your body pushing into the chair or the floor to exaggerate that connection point.
And feel the gentle resistance pushing back into your body from the surface that you're on.
Then allow that to drop away and let your body relax once again.
Feel into the connection points of your back resting on the chair or the floor.
Feel into the connection points with your shoulders.
And again noticing the exact point of where the floor and your body meet.
Letting all of that go and allow your body to relax once again.
Releasing the pressure and just returning to normal.
Allow your awareness to turn gently inward now.
Becoming aware of your inner landscape.
Taking note of any internal body sensations you can feel in this moment.
Maybe you can feel your heart beating gently in your chest.
Do you notice your stomach gurgling or swirling around?
Do you notice any tingling in the body?
Do you notice areas of warmth or coolness?
What else can you notice in your inner landscape right now?
If you notice that thoughts are creeping into your awareness,
Know that it's the normal part of meditation.
Thoughts are there and when you notice your mind has drifted away,
Then lovingly guide your awareness back to focusing on your body or on your inner sensations like your heartbeat or your stomach gurgles.
Or maybe when you notice that your mind has drifted away,
Return your awareness back to the external sensations of what you hear,
Smell,
Taste,
Touch or see.
You could also return your awareness back to the pressure points between your body and the chair or your body and the floor.
Just choosing one of those things that feels easy for you to use as your point of focus and your point of awareness should your mind wander.
And continue with this awareness now,
Resting in a few minutes of silence now until you hear the sounds of the bells and then my voice will return.
Slowly and gently allow the awareness to dissolve away,
Releasing your focus on the internal and the external sensations of your body.
Slowly returning yourself to the present moment,
Allowing your attention to come back to yourself and the location that you are sitting or lying on within the room.
Slowly returning back into your physical body and welcoming in any gentle movements now into your fingers,
Your hands,
Your toes and feet and taking a gentle stretch of the body and making any movements that feel good for you.
And then when you are ready you can open your eyes.
Thank you for taking the time for yourself today.
Thank you.
