Take a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable position.
Now close your eyes,
Or if it's more comfortable,
Keep them slightly open and relax your gaze.
Now begin to take a few gentle breaths in,
Allowing your shoulders to soften and drop down with each gentle exhale.
The mind is a busy thing.
It is constantly thinking,
And it's a wonderful thing that our minds think.
Our minds can run wild though,
Dwelling on the past or ruminating on the future.
And often these thoughts are not productive and do not match our desires for our highest good.
Through the practice of meditation,
You can become more aware of your thoughts and practice focusing your attention on the present moment.
It's often believed that meditation means emptying the mind of all thoughts,
But this is a false belief.
We never completely eliminate our thoughts.
The practice of meditation helps us to tune into our thoughts and be aware of what we are thinking,
To be aware of thought processes that are helping us and thoughts that may be hindering us.
As you meditate,
Each time you find your mind thinking about the past or ruminating on the future,
Go back to the anchor of your breath or the anchor of your body.
Inviting the sensations of being in your body,
The way your skin feels against your clothes or the way it feels to have your feet on the ground,
Aromas in your environment,
Sounds you may hear,
The rhythm of your breathing moving in and out of you.
When you do this,
You are inviting a sense of stopping and being present.
And the present is truly a gift.
It's here one moment and then it's gone.
We are living life,
But are we truly living in our life?
Meditation can help us strengthen our ability to live in the present.
Just as we strengthen a muscle by repeated use,
We can strengthen our ability to be present by practicing living in the moment.
This moment to moment awareness helps us better cope with the challenges of life and also helps us to feel happier and more gratitude even during life's great difficulties.
Notice what it feels like to just stop,
To simply be still and present in this moment.
You may notice thoughts,
Physical sensations,
Sounds or smells.
Just notice what it's like to be alive in this moment.
Simply stopping.
Today we will be practicing simply stopping and finding our anchor to the present.
As we stop,
We are going to bring our awareness to the breath.
Breathing in for four seconds and then exhaling out for six seconds.
So when you're ready,
Take a full breath in two,
Three,
Four and then release the breath two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Just continue breathing like this for two more breaths.
And if this is comfortable for you,
Just keep breathing in this manner.
In four and out six.
If not,
Just gently allow your breath to normalize in and out,
In and out.
And as you continue to breathe gently,
Bring your awareness to your body,
Noticing what it feels like to just be in your body,
Feeling the sensations of holding the weight of your head up,
Perhaps feeling your shoulders and how they sink down a little more with each gentle exhale.
Noticing your arms and now your hands and fingers and how they just rest easily on your lap.
As we tune into the body and the different sensations it brings,
We may notice sensations like tingling,
Numbness,
Stiffness,
Softness,
Tightness,
Itching,
Dryness,
Clamminess,
Pulsing,
Shaking,
Warm,
Chilly or many other sensations.
Tune into whatever sensation you are feeling and just be with it.
Acknowledge what you are feeling without trying to change it or push it away.
Now feeling your torso and how it holds up your body,
Bringing your awareness to your baby,
Feeling your baby's presence,
Feeling into the space that holds your baby,
Maybe even noticing what feelings come up as you think about your baby.
Now feeling your lower body as it sinks into the surface you are sitting on and now your legs,
Your feet and each toe,
Feeling your entire body,
Just being present with it as we stop and feel the self within the body.
We are grounding to the earth,
Being with ourselves in the moment.
Understanding what it feels like to just stop,
To simply be present in this moment,
Simply stopping.
Each time you find the mind somewhere else,
Thinking about the past or ruminating on the future,
Go back to the anchor of your breath or feeling the sensations of your body.
When you do this,
You are inviting your mind to the present moment.
Please continue practicing this for a little while longer.
As we near the end,
We are going to take a deep breath in and out.
As we near the end of our session here today,
Let's close with a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Thank yourself for taking the time to be present in this moment here today.
Release your stabilization.
You You
