Mindfulness For Ocean Lovers

This meditation weaves together the sound of the sea, conscious breathing, and body awareness to gently anchor you in the here and now. A nourishing practice for grounding, centering and connecting to the energy of the ocean.

This meditation was recorded at Pambula Beach, New South Wales, Australia. The name Pambula is derived from the Dharwa/Thaua Aboriginal word Panboola, meaning “two waters” or “twin waters,” referring to the meeting of the Pambula River and Pambula Lake. This place lies on the traditional lands of the Thaua and Djiringanj people. I acknowledge them as the Traditional Custodians of this land and offer my deep respect and gratitude to Elders past and present, and to the Ancestral Spirits who continue to hold and care for this Country.

Transcript

Inviting you to find a comfortable position. You might be seated on the floor, On a chair, Or lying down. If you're seated on the floor or a chair, Just inviting you to lift and lengthen your spine. Shoulders relaxed. If you're lying down, Just finding a space that is comfortable for you, Perhaps putting a pillow underneath the knees to support the back. Just taking a moment here to set up for your practice. And as we set up for our practice here, Just bringing the intention that we're taking a seat for ourselves, Taking a seat to be with whatever is here in the moment. There's no right or wrong. Just welcoming your full self here today. And the intention of this mindfulness practice is to just notice the sounds that we can hear, Connecting with the energy of the ocean, An attitude of curiosity, Openness, Non-judgmental awareness, While also paying attention to the body, The breath, And just making space for whatever is there today. So as we settle into this space, Inviting you to take a few deep breaths in, Allowing yourself to ground, Allowing yourself to be here now, In and letting go. And now I invite you to start to bring your awareness to the sounds that you can hear. It might be sounds in your immediate space or it could be the sound of the ocean, Waves crashing and rolling, Water flowing, Or just noticing what you can hear without trying to change it or control it, But just allowing it to be as it is while you observe, Observing what you can hear. And while you notice sounds, See if you can also tune into your breath, The rhythm of the breathing, Without trying to change it or control it, Just allowing it to be as it is, Just as we allow the sounds to be as they are. Just noticing the warmth of the in-breath. Slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath. You might notice as the breath moves down to the belly, Expanding, Allowing the body to breathe itself. Just noticing if the mind starts to wander off into thoughts, To-do lists, Worries, Plans. That's okay. That's what the mind does. Each time you've noticed the mind wander off, Gently, Kindly bring your attention back to the sounds that you can hear or to your breath. Once again, Returning to the rhythm of the breathing. Each time we notice that the mind has wandered off, This is a mindful moment. We cultivate mindfulness by doing this again and again. Mindfulness helps us to observe our experience rather than being caught up in it. As you can notice the sounds you can hear, Perhaps also aware of the breathing, See if you can also now feel your body here. Feel your body in the space that you're in. Noticing where the body makes contact with the earth, The ground, The floor beneath you, The surface that you're on. Just noticing, Is it cold or warm? Is it hard or soft? How does your body feel sitting here? Can you observe the temperature on your skin? The touch of your clothing pressing against you? If there's any areas of tightness or tension, Just noticing that too with an attitude of curiosity, Non-judgmental awareness. Allowing that to be there too. As we start to bring this practice to a close, I invite you to offer yourself some kindness or gratitude just for taking this time for yourself. Taking this time and allowing yourself to be as you are, Practicing mindfulness, Starting to wiggle the fingers and toes, Making any stretches or movements that feel good and nourishing for you. You're remembering that throughout your day, You can come back to this mindful awareness by tuning into the breath, The body, The sounds that you can hear. Thank you.