Return to reality,
A grounding meditation.
Take a moment to settle in.
No need to sit perfectly.
No need to fix your posture or your breath or your life.
Just let your body be where it is.
And gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And gently release it through your mouth.
Again,
In.
Now,
Notice something simple.
The feeling of your body being supported.
The chair,
The floor,
Gravity doing its quiet,
Faithful job.
You don't have to hold yourself together.
You are already being held.
Take another breath in.
And as you exhale,
Let your attention drop out of your head and into your body.
Feel your feet.
Even if they're numb.
Even if your mind says I don't feel anything.
Reality doesn't require fireworks.
It shows up quietly.
Notice the weight of your legs,
Your hips,
Your belly rising and falling.
The breath you're breathing right now.
It's real.
Not curated,
Not optimized,
Not filtered.
Just air moving in and out of a living body.
If your mind starts listing emails,
Headlines or half formed worries,
That's okay.
You're not doing this wrong.
You're human in this current time.
You get a gold star just for being you.
Now gently bring your attention back to what's actually here.
Notice a sound nearby or farther farther away.
Maybe it's a hum,
A bird,
A car,
A heater clicking on.
These sounds are not asking anything of you.
They're just happening.
And so are you.
Now place a hand on your chest or your belly wherever feels natural.
Feel the warmth of your own hand.
This is not virtual.
This is not simulated.
This is you touching you.
Let that land for a moment.
You are here and a body that has carried you through every single day of your life.
Through heartbreaks and grocery trips and moments no one else saw.
This body knows reality.
It knows hunger and satisfaction,
Rest and fatigue,
Joy that bubbles up unexpectedly.
You don't need to transcend this life.
You were meant to be in it to taste food,
To laugh at the wrong moment,
To feel the ache of caring deeply.
The world may feel loud,
Distorted,
And oddly unreal at times.
But you,
You are not fake.
Your breath is the proof.
Your heartbeat is the proof.
The fact that you're listening right now.
Curious,
Present,
Willing to pause.
That matters.
Take another long,
Slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine yourself slowly,
Gently stepping back into your life.
Not having to step into the whole future,
Not stepping into the mess of the world.
Just into the one next real moment where you are alive.
You are engaged,
You are present.
You are breathing.
You are here.
In this moment,
Stepping into the next real moment.
And when you're ready,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Feel the room around you.
Open your eyes.
Welcome back.
You're here.
And this one precious life is happening now.
