Please find a position,
Sitting or lying down,
Where you can feel comfortable.
You may want to stay in the warmth of your bed for some more time,
Or perhaps you prefer to sit up in bed,
Or get out of it,
And instead sit down on a chair or cushion.
You can do whatever feels best right now,
As long as you feel that you can stay awake and be fully present in the moment.
Gently close your eyes,
Or let them rest somewhere where it feels comfortable.
Take a few deep breaths at your own pace,
To find your focus,
Your presence.
Then return to your natural breathing rhythm.
Follow your breathing through your body,
Just the way it is,
Without trying to change it in any way.
Just observe the waves of your breath through your body,
Trying not to judge if this feels good or bad.
How does your body feel this particular morning?
Your limbs may be stiff or heavy after sleeping through the night,
Or perhaps you can feel some other bodily sensations,
Aches,
Tickles,
Pins and needles,
Feelings of pain or pleasure.
Just observe what your body feels like right now,
From your feet,
Your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs,
Your buttocks,
Your stomach,
Your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your hands,
Your arms,
Your elbows,
And finally your head.
Finish the little odyssey through your body by thanking it for letting you wake up to yet another day of your life.
Can you remember any thoughts or feelings you had just before you were going to sleep last night?
Do you feel the same right now,
Or have your feelings changed in any way during the night?
Are you thinking in the same way,
Or of the same things,
As just before you went to sleep?
Or do you have any other thoughts this morning?
No matter what feelings or thoughts you have,
Just observe them the way they are right now,
Trying not to judge if they are good or bad.
You have a whole fresh new day ahead of you,
And at least to some extent it is a blank page.
You may know parts of what it will include,
Some of the lines or squares of the page may be filled out already.
But you don't know it all.
Not what will happen,
How you will feel,
Or what you will think.
Could you try to rest in this uncertainty for a little while?
In the trust that whatever happens,
Whatever feelings or thoughts will appear,
It will be okay.
Could you try to open your hand,
Let go of some of your need for control,
And greet this day with a curious,
Exploratory mind?
Could you try to show the world,
And yourself,
Some extra love and presence today?
You may wish to set your own intention for this particular day.
Could it be curiosity,
Love,
Presence,
Gratitude,
Kindness,
Courage,
Acceptance,
Peace,
Whatever feels helpful for you today?
Take a few deep breaths,
And find out if you can find a feeling or thought that you wish to bring with you throughout the day.
Now take a final breath,
The deepest one you've taken so far this morning,
Truly inviting your intention,
A thought or a feeling,
In your body,
In your heart.
Finally,
Is there something,
However small,
That you could do,
Perhaps immediately after this meditation,
As a kind of concrete manifestation of the intention you have set for your day?
For instance,
If you have chosen love as your intention,
You can give yourself or someone else a big hug.
Now you can start returning,
Slowly and gently.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Move your head.
You may want to stretch your whole body.
When you feel ready,
Open your eyes if they have been shut.
The meditation is finished.
Welcome back.
