Hello my friend,
Let's meditate.
Start by finding a comfortable seat,
Something underneath you like blocks,
Bolster,
A meditation cushion,
Or even a pillow to create a little height so that your hips are a little bit higher than your knees.
Find a comfortable resting position for your hands.
That could be palms face down,
Palms face up,
Or even one hand resting inside of the other with your thumb tips touching.
Lift your shoulders up to your ears,
Roll them down your back,
And lift the crown of your head up towards the ceiling.
If it's comfortable to you,
Close your eyes or find a gentle resting position where you can set soft gaze.
Start by noticing the sound of your breath.
Even if there are other sounds happening around you,
Identify your sound.
This sound may be undetectable to others,
But to you it is the sound of your life moving in and out of your body.
Notice the effortlessness of the breath flowing in and out.
Now bring your attention to the sensation of breath.
Notice the way it feels when the breath first enters the nostrils,
The cool burst of air when it enters your nose.
Notice how the breath feels as it moves into your nasal cavity,
Down your throat,
And fills your lungs and your belly.
Notice the sensation of the rise and fall of your belly and chest.
And then notice the way the breath feels when it leaves the body as the chest and belly compress and the air moves through your throat,
Out of your nasal cavity,
And exits through your nose with a warm,
Slow exit.
Just continue to notice these sensations.
And now bring your attention to your hands.
Notice the weight of your hands as they rest on your legs.
Notice the sensations that you feel or don't.
Notice if there's any temperature,
Cool or warm,
Possibly neutral.
Notice your thumbs,
Forefingers,
Middle fingers,
Ring fingers,
And your pinky fingers.
Notice the palms of your hands and the backs of your hands.
And then notice your feet,
The weight of your feet.
Notice the points of contact between your feet and the floor or any other parts of your body where your feet are touching.
Notice any sensations.
Notice the temperature.
Notice your big toes,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toes,
And your pinky toes,
The sole of your foot,
And the tops of your feet.
Now bring your attention to the crown of your head.
Lift the crown of your head a little bit taller.
Notice any sensations or tingling at the crown of your head.
Or maybe not,
But either way,
Place your attention there.
And then bring your awareness back to your breath.
The gentle rise and fall.
Stay anchored into the physical sensation of your breath,
Hands,
Your feet,
The crown of your head.
Notice the way the breath moves effortlessly in and out.
We'll spend two minutes in silence together.
Take a long,
Full,
Intentional breath and slowly empty it.
Drop your chin to your chest and take some neck rolls.
Gently move your head from side to side and reach your arms up overhead.
Interlace all ten fingers.
Flip your palms to the ceiling and ground into your sitting bones.
Now then bring your hands to your knees or the floor right in front of you.
Take a couple cat-cows just from your seat.
Roll your chest and shoulders front to back.
Break up any tension and then come to a neutral seat with your palms touching at the center of your chest.
Take this final moment of your practice.
Notice how you feel.
You don't have to call it anything or name it.
Just notice.
Bring your thumbs to the center of your forehead.
Bow your head towards your heart.
In honor of you and me and this practice that we share,
I bow to you my friend and say namaste.
