You are listening to the Motherhood Unstressed Podcast and I'm your host Liz Carlisle.
Thank you so much for tuning in,
For pressing play,
For carving out this time just for you.
Now,
If you've done several of these with me,
You know you can do this meditation wherever you like,
In a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground,
In your bed,
Or lying flat on your yoga mat.
We're not particular.
The point is to be relaxed but also alert.
Now,
As you'll notice as we get into the meditation,
Thoughts are going to come.
It's natural.
Your job here today is to notice those thoughts but to not become attached to them.
Don't give them any more energy than you already have.
Let them float by like clouds in the sky.
So let's begin.
Let's take a deep breath in together,
Everyone.
Hold and let it go.
Deep breath in.
Hold and let it go.
Deep breath in.
Hold and let it go.
Deep breath in.
Hold and let it go.
Settle into your body,
Settle into a gentle rhythm of breath.
Start to notice areas of your body that might feel a little tense.
Your neck,
Your shoulders,
Maybe your hips if it's first thing in the morning.
And gently as you continue to breathe,
Try and lighten those areas just with your breath.
Direct the flow of oxygen and all of its benefits to where it needs to go,
Transferring into your blood,
Through your veins,
To those spots.
And as you do,
If you can focus,
Feel the release of tension in those areas.
Melt into the floor.
Release the tension that you've been holding onto.
Now is your time to realign,
To rejuvenate,
To come back to who you really are.
Timeless,
Endless,
That peace.
Deep breathing.
Starting now,
The bottom of your feet.
I want you to bring your awareness inch by inch up your body.
And as you do,
Feel gratitude for that particular part.
It may be that you've never sent gratitude to your elbows,
But you're going to today.
Starting down by your feet,
Inch by inch up,
Bringing your awareness and gratitude.
And when you reach the tip of your head,
Take a deep breath in.
And when you reach the tip of your head,
Take a deep breath in and out.
And out.
Finishing up now.
Deep breath in and let it all go.
You may be feeling more settled into your body than you felt in a long time,
More at home,
Definitely more at peace.
The foundation of gratitude,
Especially at the beginning of the day,
Truly does broaden your awareness of the world around you.
You're less focused on your own minor problems.
You're more focused on the good that exists in your life.
And from that standpoint,
You're able to more easily go through your day,
To more easily accept the good,
The compliments,
The acknowledgement of your hard work and efforts.
And interestingly,
You push less hard and receive more.
You become effortless in everything that you do.
Just by noticing what you're already grateful for,
Provides an engine for all that you desire in your life.
We could always choose to focus on what we don't have yet,
What hasn't manifested.
But if we choose instead to focus on what has,
What is going well,
That provides the energy to bring about everything else that we've been waiting on.
Just try it,
Feel it,
And notice it when it shows up in your life.
So I'm going to give you about a minute or two to really sink into this gratitude practice for the day.
If you can't think of three things,
Think of one or two.
Feel the image of what you are grateful for in your mind's eye this next minute of breath and imagination.
Feel the emotion in your heart,
In that space,
In your chest,
Feel it.
And the expansion of that energy,
Let it go throughout your limbs and surround your body.
And if you feel like you can push it even further out,
Then do it.
And when it's time,
I'll bring you back.
Come back now into your body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Do some gentle,
This small practice in your day changes who you are,
Changes how you interact with others,
Changes your ability to make an impact in the world.
I am so grateful for you,
For tuning in,
For doing this work.
I know in my heart that it is impacting the world and lifting us all up.
Thank you.
Namaste.
