Welcome and thank you for being here.
My name is Kristine and I'll be guiding you through this meditation.
This meditation is a part of a short series designed to support your well-being,
Balance the nervous system and help release stress and tension through conscious breathing and embodied awareness.
There is nothing you need to achieve.
Simply allow yourself to arrive.
Let's begin.
Settle into a comfortable position,
Whether you are seated or lying down.
Allow the spine to be long yet relaxed.
Close your eyes.
Make sure to move your body to find a really comfortable position.
Maybe adjust your shoulders and neck,
Arms and legs just to be in a really comfortable position.
Now let your body find stillness.
Scan through your body from the inside out and find the most comfortable position of your head,
Torso,
Hips,
Pelvis,
Arms and legs.
Whatever thoughts arise in this moment,
Just stay with your breath.
Notice the natural flow of your breath.
Let this be your main focus for a while.
Thoughts may come and go and you will keep coming back to the flow of your breath.
Notice the movements in your belly,
Maybe in your chest.
Inhale and exhale.
Now take a really deep breath in,
Filling the whole body from top to bottom,
Back to front,
Side to side.
Inhale a bit more and at the top of the breath,
Pause gently.
Rest in the fullness at the top of the inhale and when you're ready,
Slowly sigh it out.
Take two more of these,
Filling the whole body.
Inhale a bit more,
Pause gently,
Rest in the space and then slowly sigh it out.
Last one.
Now I want you to keep your eyes closed.
Imagine you're looking at a wide open sky above you.
Clear,
Spacious,
Limitless.
It's your own special sky so you can just imagine it as you like.
If it's day or night,
If there's clouds or endless blue skies.
As you inhale,
Sense the breath rising gently through the body and as you exhale,
Allow the body to soften.
Still aware of this open sky above you.
It's like every breath that you take.
It's a part of the sky,
A part of this high and clear energy that you are a part of the sky above you.
Begin to feel this sense of spaciousness around the chest,
Throat,
Head.
The breath moves freely like air through open space.
Now imagine the vast open sky above you.
High,
Clear and expansive.
Sense the quality of the air.
Light,
Fresh and vital.
In eastern traditions such as Qigong and Yoga,
The breath and the air around us carry life force,
Energy that nourishes the body and mind.
The lungs in particular are closely connected to the air element.
Helping to circulate this vital energy throughout the body and supporting both physical and emotional balance.
As you inhale,
Allow this clear high energy to flow into your body.
Feel it uplifting,
Refreshing and clarifying your mind.
As you exhale,
Release any heaviness or tension,
Letting it drift away like clouds in the sky.
Visualize the clouds in the sky.
Notice the shapes,
The movement,
How they transform and change.
With each breath,
Notice how the air connects you to openness,
Clarity and a subtle sense of lightness.
Allow yourself to be carried by this expansive energy,
Feeling both grounded in your body and free in your awareness.
Any thoughts or sensations that arise can be seen like clouds in the sky.
They appear and they pass.
You don't need to follow them,
Simply remain aware.
Allow the inhale to create a feeling of lift,
Of endless opportunities,
A subtle lightness,
A floating feeling.
Allow the exhale to bring ease.
Rest a while in this open awareness,
Clear,
Spacious,
Peaceful,
Free.
Gently bring attention back to your physical body.
Notice where you are,
The ground beneath you.
Notice gravity,
The feeling of being at home in your body.
It might feel good to place your hands on your belly or just give yourself a hug.
Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale.
Carry this sense of openness with you as you continue your day.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
May this practice support you in both everyday moments and in more challenging times.
You're always welcome to return to the breath,
The body and this sense of presence.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I wish you clarity and lightness.
