Hello,
My name is Matt Albury.
The following meditation is an evening practice.
So the aim of this meditation is to give us a space to mindfully think through our day.
The practice is designed to be used perhaps to be the last thing you do before you climb into the sheets.
It might be worth setting an alarm in case you fall asleep.
Also it's very useful as a step 10 practice if you are in a 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous as the practice can be used to take an inventory of our day.
Begin by bringing your awareness to the rhythm of your breath.
Watching the journey in the breath coming up through the nostrils into your lungs and into your belly.
And bringing your awareness to the movement of the chest and the ribs and the upper back as the breath comes and goes.
And then bring your awareness to the sounds around you.
What can you hear in the room where you are?
What sounds can you hear outside of the room?
Whatever there is we do this with a sense of acceptance.
Just accepting whatever sounds are around.
And then return your awareness to the sensations of the breath moving the body.
Feeling the sensations of whatever you are sat on.
Your bed,
A chair or a cushion.
But just bring your awareness to that sensation of being held and supported.
And then when you're ready just run through your day from the moment you woke up right up to this moment before you sat down to do this practice.
Just running through it thinking things like I got up,
Went to the bathroom,
Cleaned my teeth.
But just take yourself thinking through all the day.
Just very briefly thinking through all the things you have done.
Then allow yourself to remember a moment of joy or comfort.
Something that brought a sense of life to your day.
Just allow that situation or that experience to live again in your mind.
And as you revisit it taste its colour and linger on that which touched you most.
And then as we move to connect with the day as it was allow yourself to remember a particular moment of regret or discomfort or even distress perhaps.
And gently revisit it and let it have space in your heart without judgment.
Feel its bittersweet texture if you can.
Linger over that that felt most regretful over whatever drained you of energy.
Over what needs forgiveness.
And then take a moment to think through any situations that occurred where you felt you could have handled things better.
Or maybe there's a need to apologise,
To make amends.
If there is such a situation agree with yourself now to make amends tomorrow.
Unless to make amends would cause distress for the other person.
And when you are ready hand over into your mind's eye your day.
Then when you are ready hand over in your mind's eye your day and all it brought.
To the divine love within you or to a higher power that you trust.
A god of your understanding.
And just allow that divine love or that presence to embrace the day that you are in.
And when you are ready return to watching your breath flow in and out of your mind.
And when you are ready to return to watching your breath flow in and out of your mind.
And when you are ready return to watching your breath flow in and out of your body.
Just gently watching the movements that the breath brings as it comes and goes.
Notice in the sense of stillness that comes with the breath as it gently rhythmically moves your body.
And then when you hear the bell I'll guide us through the grounding technique before we open our eyes.
So bring your awareness to the sounds that you can hear around you again.
Notice in the sounds that you can hear in the room and outside of the room.
And then take your awareness again to the sensation of what you were sat on or what you were lying down on.
And if your feet are firm on the floor bring your awareness to that sensation of that firm floor under your feet.
And then we'll end our practice with two breaths breathing in through the nose and sighing out through the mouth.
So take a lovely deep breath in through the nose.
We'll do that again lovely deep breath in through the nose.
And then when you're ready either gently move over into a position where you can sleep or prepare for your night's rest.
And when you're ready either gently move over into a position where you can sleep or prepare for your night's rest.
