So if you'd like to make yourself comfortable in the posture,
The posture that supports you,
Making sure that your body is well supported,
Your back is supported,
You can sit in an upright but not rigid posture.
You might like to put cushion behind your back if you need to do that.
Allowing your shoulder blades to sort of slide down your back a bit if you're sitting up.
Allowing your shoulders to drop.
Making sure that your arms and legs are supported,
Your feet are supported.
Also making sure that you are warm enough or cool enough.
Making sure that your temperature is taken care of,
The temperature around you.
Finding a blanket if you need it.
Taking a few deep breaths.
Allowing yourself to arrive,
To land.
You might like to put your hand over your heart or on some other place on your body that feels soothing.
Reminding yourself that we are here,
I am here,
I have shown up for myself in meditation,
I care for myself and that's what brought me here.
I care for this body and that's why I'm taking some time to be still with this body.
Noticing the contact between your hand and the part of your body where your hand is touching at the moment.
Really bringing your awareness to the surface area of your body and the surface of your hand.
In that space where the two are connected with each other.
Allowing yourself to be a little bit curious about this place of connection.
Almost as if you are down there at that place where your hand meets your body and you're wandering that landscape.
What are you noticing there?
Temperature,
Pressure,
Colour,
Texture.
The emotional content,
The emotion as you feel your hand on your body.
Is that place dry or moist?
Is your hand warmer than your body or your body warmer than your hand?
Is one side starting to warm up or cool down?
Because it's in relationship with the other side for longer and longer.
Maybe even reaching your curiosity below the surface of your skin into your body,
Into your hand,
Getting a little curious about sensations as you move into your body.
Can you feel tingling or vibration or pulsation in your body?
Can you feel into layers of skin,
Bone,
Muscle,
Tendon,
Ligament,
Cartilage?
So many amazing processes going on in our body,
In the layers of our body.
Unseen processes keeping us alive,
Keeping us as healthy as possible.
Always responding to our environment,
Always trying to take care of us.
Our body is always telling the truth.
Our body is always in the moment and always telling us what's going on in this moment.
Understanding is there something that your body's telling you right now?
There's no need to force it,
But simply being open.
Is your body saying anything right now,
Conveying any information?
If you find your mind wandering at all,
Simply bringing your awareness back to that feeling of touch between your hand and your body.
Once again noticing temperature,
Pressure,
Sensation.
And as much as you can,
Staying with the experience,
With the sensations in your hand,
In your body.
And considering that your body always is in the moment,
Always is present.
Like a mindfulness teacher that we could always tune into if we remember to.
Our body is not thinking about the future,
It's not thinking about the past,
It's not telling us how we should be.
Our body is telling it as it is.
Tuning into that,
Savouring,
Resting in that experience of simply being in this moment with this body.
And starting to gradually move your awareness,
Radiating it very slowly out from that place where you have your hand on your body.
Expanding just a few inches out from that place and a few inches inward towards your body.
Gradually allowing your awareness to keep expanding out,
Taking in more and more of your body.
Expanding your time as you bring awareness to a greater area of your body,
Gradually moving out further and further.
And as you do so,
Maybe allowing yourself to feel a little gratitude for this body,
This vessel,
This vehicle that is always doing its best,
Always.
Sometimes not doing as well as we might like,
But it is always trying for us.
And radiating out to the lengths of your body.
The furthest places in your body,
Your toes,
The top of your head,
Your fingertips.
Expanding your awareness to the surface of your body and then beyond the surface of your body,
Becoming aware of your body in its environment right now.
When you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes and simply notice the environment that your body is in.
Taking some time to notice your body in this environment.
As you're transitioning,
Starting first by looking at your body,
Looking at your hands,
Your torso,
Your legs,
Your feet,
Maybe moving your body,
Wriggling your fingers,
Your toes,
Rotating your wrists and your ankles,
Rotating your shoulders.
Even watching to see how your body moves in this space,
Slowly moving your body,
Bringing a little curiosity to the fact that your body is moving in this space.
The air offers no resistance to our body.
It is free to move in this space that we're in.
Just noticing the freedom of that,
The gift of freedom to move our body.
Once again,
It may not always move in the way we would like it to,
But it does its best.
The air around us supports us in that,
Offering no resistance to us.
As we transition out of this meditation,
You might like to take a sip of your drink,
Have a bit more of a stretch.
