Good morning and grand rising to you.
My name is Karen and thank you for joining me at the very beginning of your day to ease into your practice with a short guided meditation.
As we start this practice together I want you to give yourself some grace and compassion as we take tender movements to awaken the body and the mind.
Now we have just risen out of our slumbers and must take some time to lubricate our system and adjust to the waking world.
So keep your eyes closed for these first few minutes.
I want you to take soft and watery movements with your arms,
Your wrists,
Your neck,
And your legs as you start to find a comfortable and slightly upright seat for the duration of this practice.
You may want to stretch your arms up towards the sky as you inhale deeply,
Welcoming this purifying breath and then lay your hands down beside you as you exhale,
Maybe yawning or stretching until you eventually find some stillness in your body.
Now the eyes are closed down but the body is tuning in.
Together we will move through the five senses as we acclimate to the new day.
So I just want you to follow along with me as we map out what we hear,
What we feel,
What we smell,
What we taste,
And what we see.
So first off,
Sound.
What do you hear?
Just tuning in to this current moment and noticing what comes up for you.
Is it nothing else besides my voice?
And if there's nothing else,
Tap into what those empty spaces sound like.
Are they deep rhythmic hums or is it just static or white noise?
Are there birds in the distance?
Are you in a busy city street or are there imperceptible voices?
Start to tune into that air moving through your nostrils or maybe even someone sleeping soundly beside you.
Just noticing with non-attachment the various noises that you might hear.
Now let's move on to touch.
What do you feel?
Is it a soft blanket around you?
How about the temperature?
Is it cold or hot?
And where are you feeling that on your body?
Where does the breath rise and fall within your body?
Is it in your chest or your belly?
And if it's up in your chest,
Let's breathe a little deeper to drop that breath down into the belly and into the sacrum.
Next,
Smell.
What are you smelling?
The breath has been moving steadily in and out of our nostrils.
Does the air feel cool or hot?
And is there a scent in the air?
Is there morning coffee?
Is it the staleness from the night before?
Again,
What are you noticing without any attachment?
And just think for a moment,
What does early morning smell like to you?
Now let's move on to taste.
What do you taste without actually consuming anything?
You might glide your tongue across the roof of your mouth,
Then unclench your jaw and take in a few sips of air.
Now what do you taste?
Again,
What does late night and early morning taste like?
Just activating this sense of taste that we have.
Lastly,
We move into sight.
Now we've been sitting for just a few minutes with our eyes closed down.
I want you to flutter open your eyes and keep your gaze soft.
What do you see?
Just gently notice what's around you.
And how does it feel to transition from darkness into light,
Even muted light?
You may notice your eyes adjusting rapidly.
But in these moments,
You may also notice what it's like to perceive everyday objects for the first time.
The first time today.
And the way an entire scene blurs into one feeling completely new to the eyes.
I want you to take this moment and hold it dear in your memory.
How it feels to tap into each of these senses for the first time at the beginning of your day,
Unadulterated.
Now that we've walked through our various senses,
Let us integrate this practice with the breath.
So inhale deeply through the belly.
And exhale through the nostrils.
As you recall the five ways in which you have already connected with this morning.
And as the world begins to awaken around you,
I'd like for you to set an intention for how today will go.
What energy do you wish to bring into this day?
Do you wish to feel energized,
Or simply steady?
Do you wish to perceive the world with new eyes?
And with positivity?
Maybe starting anew from the week that you've had?
Or from the day prior?
And just remember that you have already accomplished one task.
And that is mindfulness with some breath work.
And now think of what you will be capable of doing today.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice this morning.
I am so proud of you for showing up for yourself.
And no matter what time of day it is,
Morning or night,
I hope you're able to come back to those five senses and just reconnect with a moment of peace and bliss.
I'll see you again soon.
