Hello,
This is Linda G.
Robert.
Today we'll do a gentle mindfulness meditation where we'll put our attention on our breath,
Our body,
And the sounds around us.
So if you're ready,
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting with your feet on the ground and your back supported or lying down if you prefer.
Move around until you're comfortable and let your hands just rest gently in your lap or by your sides.
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze towards the floor,
Whatever you're more comfortable with.
Let's begin by simply arriving in this moment,
Simply being here.
And we can do that by taking a nice breath in through your nose and slowly release it through your mouth.
Let's do that one more time,
Breathing in deeply,
Filling in your lungs and slowly exhaling.
And one more time,
Inhaling and exhaling,
Letting your shoulders just drop just a little more.
Now bring your attention to the very top of your head.
Notice any sensations there,
Maybe some warmth,
Maybe some tingling,
Or maybe nothing at all.
And there's no need to change anything.
Just notice it.
Now slowly move your attention down to your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your cheeks,
And your jaw.
If you notice any tension,
Gently soften that area on the exhale.
Now let's move the attention down to the neck and shoulder area.
Notice how they feel.
You might realize you've been holding them up.
So if so,
Let them drop with your next breath out.
Now bring your attention to your arms,
Your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
Your wrists,
And your hands and fingers.
Notice any sensations,
Heaviness,
Or warmth,
Or coolness.
Just observe.
No need to judge it.
Just be curious and observe.
Now let's shift your attention to your chest and your upper back.
Notice the rise and the fall of your chest as you breathe.
You don't need to change your breath.
Just feel it.
Just notice your breath.
Now move down to your stomach and your lower back area.
Notice if you're holding any tension there.
And with your next exhale,
Imagine releasing anything that you don't need to carry right now.
Now bring your attention to your hips and pelvis.
And notice the points of contact with the chair,
Or with the floor,
Or with wherever you are laying.
Then move to your thighs,
Your knees,
Your calves,
Your ankles,
Your feet,
And finally your toes.
Notice the weight of your feet resting on the floor,
Or on the bed,
Or whichever surface your feet are resting on.
Take a moment to sense your entire body from head to toe.
And notice what it feels like to simply be here in this body,
In your body,
In this very moment.
Now gently bring your attention to your breath.
Notice where you feel it most clearly.
It might be at the nostrils,
The chest,
Or maybe the belly.
Don't force your breath to change.
Just be with it.
Just observe your breath.
Notice the inhale and the exhale.
And if it helps,
You can silently say to yourself,
Breathing in.
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out.
I know I'm breathing out.
If your mind wanders,
And it probably will,
That's perfectly okay.
So when you notice that,
Just bring it back to the breath.
No judgment,
Just awareness.
Now take a few moments in quiet awareness of your breath.
We'll to the sounds around you.
Without searching for them,
Simply let them arrive in your awareness.
Notice the obvious sounds first.
Perhaps the hum of a fan,
Or maybe distant traffic,
Or birds,
Or voices in another room.
Then see if you can notice more subtle sounds.
Maybe the sounds of your own breath,
Maybe of your heartbeat,
Or the creak of a chair,
Or the bed,
For example.
Now you don't need to label these sounds.
You don't need to have opinions about them.
They're neither good nor bad.
They just are.
They're just sounds.
And notice how some sounds come,
And then they go.
And how between the sounds,
There's also silence or quietness.
Now rest in this open awareness for a few more breaths.
We'll be in silence here again for about another minute or so.
Now gently bring your attention back to your breath.
And notice how you feel physically,
And mentally,
And emotionally,
Without judging it.
Just noticing it.
And when you're ready,
Start to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
And if your eyes are closed,
You can slowly open them up.
And take a deep breath in,
And release it.
And carry this sense of calm and awareness and presence with you into the rest of your day or your evening.
Thank you so much for taking this time for yourself and for meditating with me today.
