Hello,
I'm Kelly,
And thank you for joining me for meditation today.
And if you're really new to meditation,
And you're a bit cautious about it,
I'd like to say thank you for trusting me to guide you through this process.
I know a lot of people have preconceived notions about what meditation should be and feel like,
And how it should go.
And I would like to encourage you to release any of those expectations,
Those labels,
Those stories,
And just be open.
Just see what comes and see how it makes you feel.
I didn't think that I could ever meditate,
And I started out with guided meditations many years ago,
And now it's a big part of my morning routine.
And I find that now I have benefits beyond the little time that I'm meditating each day,
And that it helps me stay calm,
Even in really stressful situations.
I recover more quickly from difficult situations,
And so I hope one day too you can realize these same benefits.
So let's start,
Shall we?
You can sit in a chair,
You can sit cross-legged on the floor or on your bed,
Maybe prop yourself up on a pillow.
Or if it's most comfortable,
Sit in a recliner or lay down.
Whatever is going to help you ease into this is okay.
So get comfortable,
Close your eyes,
And if you are sitting up,
Just try to have an alert spine,
Head straight,
Put a soft front so that you're relaxed,
Your shoulders are down,
And your back is straight,
But you're comfortable.
And your hands can just rest wherever they're comfortable.
Take a moment to check in with yourself at the moment,
And just see how you're feeling right now.
What brought you here?
What are you in need of?
And just observe that,
Don't judge yourself for it,
Just observe how you're feeling,
And see if you can release it.
Check in with your body,
Is there anywhere where you're feeling tension,
Where you need some release?
Just notice that and have compassion for it in any way you can feel compassion.
Just start to notice where you're holding tension in your body.
Just try to let go of that furrowed brow,
That clenching jaw,
Let your tongue rest in its lower palate.
Let your shoulders release.
Just take a moment to breathe together.
So we're going to do some deep inhales and exhales.
I want you to breathe through your nose slowly,
And then do a longer exhale,
And just let out every last bit of air.
So deep inhale together,
And exhale.
Another deep inhale,
And exhale.
Deep inhale,
And exhale.
One more deep inhale together,
And exhale.
Now come back to your natural flow of breath,
And notice where you feel the breath in your body the most.
Can you feel the rise and fall of your belly?
Or maybe you feel it in your chest,
Around your heart center.
Now perhaps you notice the cold air and warm air exchanging in your nostrils.
Just focus in on that,
And if it helps you,
You can place your hand on your belly or on your chest.
It helps you make that connection and stay focused.
Just pay attention to the rise and fall.
Don't worry about distractions or thoughts that come through.
You can notice them and acknowledge them without any judgment,
And let them pass through.
And as soon as you realize,
Just come back to your breath.
That's what meditation is.
It's always coming back to your breath.
It's the practice,
And we are always practicing.
Rise and fall,
In and out.
And if you find you get too easily distracted,
You can even take a moment to count your breath in and out.
One,
Two.
One,
Two.
Until you've done that a few times,
And then see if you can come back to just feeling the rise and fall.
Maybe inhale and exhale.
Come back to the breath every time.
And you notice the rise and the fall of your belly or your chest.
Now take a moment to bring your attention back to how you're feeling now.
How is your body feeling?
How is your mind feeling?
And whatever you might be feeling,
It's completely okay.
You expected to feel a bit more relaxed,
Then maybe you just need a bit more practice.
Or maybe you need to sit in silence just that little bit longer.
Or come back to it again when you feel ready.
Education is a safe place to feel all of your feelings,
Not just peace and calm and gratitude.
It's a place to sit with all of your emotions.
So as we bring this to a close,
Let's take one last big breath together.
Deep inhale through your nose.
And exhale,
Letting out every last bit of air.
And start to notice the cushion of the seat beneath you.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Let the sounds of the room come back into focus.
When you feel ready,
You can open your eyes.
