Hello and welcome to the first of our beginner meditation series.
My name is Macy and I will be guiding you as we open and explore our meditation practice.
For today's meditation,
We will start with a simple breath awareness exercise.
So go ahead and get comfortable either sitting or lying down.
You can either sit up straight with your head over your heart,
Your heart over your pelvis,
Or you can lie down with your neck supported but not bent.
We want to create a straight spine for our meditation practice.
I want to emphasize that this practice is your own.
So feel free to modify and adjust whatever you need to be comfortable.
When you're ready,
Gently close down your eyes.
Notice how your attention is drawing inward.
We're going to start with a few deep breaths in through the nose,
Holding at the top,
And then exhaling through the mouth.
I will guide you.
Go ahead and breathe in through your nose,
Hold at the top,
And exhale through your mouth.
Good.
Take another deep breath in through your nose,
Hold at the top,
And exhale out of your mouth.
One more time.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Hold at the top,
And exhale through your mouth,
Letting everything go.
Let your breathing return to normal,
Breathing in and out through your nose.
Simply observe your breath without judgment and without trying to change anything.
And if you notice that your attention has wandered off,
That's okay.
Simply bring it back to your breath.
Maybe you start to notice how the breath feels in your body,
Noticing how your lungs and belly expand on your inhale,
And noticing how your lungs and belly contract and empty as you exhale.
Noticing the air on the outer edge of your nostrils as you breathe in,
And noticing how the air travels down your throat,
Your chest,
And into your belly.
And now gently roll your shoulders up,
Back,
And down away from your ears,
Opening your chest.
Relax your jaw.
Relax your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Relax your eyes.
Relax the back of your neck.
Relaxing your entire back.
Relaxing your chest and your belly.
Relaxing your hips.
Relaxing your thighs,
Your knees,
Your calves.
Relaxing your ankles,
Your feet,
And your toes.
Relaxing your arms,
Your elbows,
Your wrists.
Relaxing your hands and relaxing your fingers.
And notice the points where your body meets the earth.
Notice any points where you feel pain,
Stress,
Tension.
Breathe in and let it go.
Relax.
And now take a few moments to enjoy this relaxation that you've created.
Good.
And now bring your attention back to your breath,
Observing it once again without judgment and without trying to change it.
And bring your attention back to the room you are in.
And invite some movement into your fingers and toes,
Giving them a little wiggle,
A little shake.
And when you are ready,
Start to blink your eyes open,
Taking as much time as you need to come out of this meditation.
Great job today.
Don't worry if it was difficult to relax or stay focused.
It's called a meditation practice for a reason.
As you continue to practice,
You will gain more control over your awareness and be able to relax more deeply.
Make sure to drink plenty of water and I will see you next time.
