First,
Know that there is no right or wrong way to meditate.
Whatever you experience during this meditation is right for you.
Do not try to make anything happen.
Just observe.
Begin with allowing yourself to sit comfortably,
Whatever that means for you.
Whether you are seated in a chair,
Cross-legged on the floor,
Or lying down.
Begin to notice your shoulders.
If you are in a seated posture,
Roll them forward,
Little circles,
Just observing.
Then roll them backward.
And lean your head from side to side,
Lowering your left ear towards your left shoulder.
And then your right ear towards your right shoulder.
And coming back to center,
Relaxing into this comfortable position.
Take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Slowly close your eyes.
Breathing in and out through your nose.
Take another deep breath in and then exhale out.
Relaxing your muscles,
Loosening any tension your body may be holding.
Loosen the jaw,
The brow.
Maybe having a gentle smile,
Graze the corners of your lips.
Observe your breathing.
Notice how your breath flows in and out.
Make no effort to change your breathing in any way.
Slowly notice how your body breathes.
Listen closely to the sound of the breath.
Focus on the sound going in and out.
Notice the silence during the slight pause between the inhale and the exhale.
When or if your attention wanders,
As it will,
Just focus back again on your breathing.
Notice any stray thoughts,
But do not dwell on them.
Simply let them pass through.
Meditation is not about not having any thought.
It's called a meditation practice for a reason.
Just keep practicing coming back to the breath.
When a thought appears,
Witness it,
Respond,
Give it gratitude,
Send it on its way and let it go.
Coming back to the breath,
The inhale and the exhale.
See how your breath continues to flow deeply,
Calmly.
Notice the stages of a complete breath,
From the in-breath to the pause that follows,
To the exhale and the pause before taking your next breath.
See the slight breaks in each breath.
Feel the cool air entering through the nostrils,
Maybe even picturing it as a color.
Allow that color to fill your nostrils,
Filling your chest and your lungs,
And then filling your belly,
Expanding.
Then as you begin to exhale,
Visualize that color swirling out of you.
Notice how the space inside your lungs becomes smaller after you exhale and the air leaves your body.
Notice if it gets bigger.
Notice all things.
As thoughts intrude,
Allow them to just pass and return your attention to your breathing.
Notice your chest and your stomach gently rising and falling with each breath.
Now with your next inhale,
Count silently,
One.
And as you exhale,
Count two.
Wait for the next breath and count again,
Beginning on the inhale,
Three.
And the exhale,
Four.
Continue to count with each inhalation and exhalation up to ten.
And if a thought appears,
Recognize it,
Release it,
Let it go,
And start back at one.
Paying attention to your body,
How it feels,
Noticing any sensation you might feel with your fingers,
The air around your skin,
On your arms,
Your shoulders,
Your legs.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Notice any sounds around you.
Feel the floor beneath you or bed,
Pillow.
Feel your clothes against your body.
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Maybe circling the wrist,
Adding some more movement to the body.
Taking a deep inhale,
Stretching your body out nice and tight and long.
And as you exhale,
Release.
One more breath in.
And as you exhale,
Gently open your eyes.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
