Mindful Awareness Meditation

Gillian's guidance is calm and compassionate as she guides you through a relaxing meditation of awareness of the body. The soothing background music is a relaxing accompaniment to evoke a sense of peace and calm, allowing busy thoughts to be replaced by the natural sense of awareness through each part of the body.

Transcript

Position yourself so you are comfortable,

Either sitting or lying down,

Taking your time to adjust anything that you will need to feel at ease.

Perhaps you need a blanket or cushion,

A pillow,

You might like some soft music or to adjust the lighting.

Begin by taking time to be aware of your body in the position that it is in and notice any tension in your neck and shoulders,

Allowing any body movement that you feel is necessary to be relaxed.

Letting your body be in whatever position is comfortable is important.

Now bringing your awareness to your legs and feet and either moving them or stretching out if you feel the need.

Let your body really relax into the surface below you,

Allowing yourself to be fully supported and that's if you're in a chair or lying down.

And either place your hands comfortably on your lap or gently have your arms by your sides.

Take a moment now to feel into your body and reposition it if it needs adjusting.

Breathing in and out in your natural rhythm and we'll just ease into the space of meditation,

Feeling the coolness of the air at the tip of your nose just as you inhale.

You may even like to visualize the breath as a mist of air as it enters your nostrils and you may see it like a warm stream of air and as it exhales through your mouth.

You may even see the mist like a colour,

Perhaps it's white,

Green or any colour.

Begin to soften as you feel yourself being grounded into this present moment and for every breath that you take let those shoulders move away from your ears.

Breathing in with purpose to soften,

Breathing out with purpose to ground.

Very slowly,

Breathing in and out,

Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.

Just take notice of how your body responds as your awareness is brought inwards to your breath,

Your body and down to your feet.

When you visualize your breath,

Let the breath be your anchor,

Feeling safe to acknowledge your thoughts,

Knowing you can refocus on your breath at any time.

If your mind wanders,

Just bring it back to visualizing the breath going in and out,

In and out.

Feeling into your feet and feeling the fabric of your socks or your bare feet against the surface below.

Perhaps a blanket is touching your feet or carpet.

Feel into the presence of each toe and let your feet be free to feel the support beneath them.

Continue feeling the support of the surface beneath you and breathe gently in and out.

Bring your awareness to how the air feels that surrounds you.

Feel the air that is closest to your face,

Your hands,

Perhaps your neck and bring your awareness to your body against the surface that you are on.

Perhaps the chair,

Perhaps the fabric,

Clothing,

Blankets.

Tuning into your hearing sense,

Expanding this sense out of the room that you are in.

Listening to any sounds in the distance.

Are there any birds or traffic,

Household sounds?

And we're not labeling each sound,

We're just noticing it and noticing how your body responds to the sounds.

Let each sound come to you rather than you search for the sound and bring that awareness close to you.

Perhaps you can hear your breathing or perhaps there are any sounds that are very close to you.

Might be a clock or a fridge.

Again,

We're not labeling,

We're just noticing.

Bring your awareness now to your sense of smell and notice if there is a scent or fragrance in the space that you are in.

Shifting your awareness to your sense of taste and your mouth.

Noticing any tastes within your mouth.

Again,

Not thinking too much about it but just noticing.

Is your tongue loose in your palate or is it rigid against your teeth?

Let your mouth indicate to you what it feels.

Bring your awareness now to your eyes.

How do your eyes feel?

Can you see any colors,

Patterns as you relax your eyes?

Do you feel any movement?

And now letting your awareness come back to your breath.

Noticing the gentle rhythm as your breath is your anchor.

If any thoughts take you away,

Just bring your awareness back to your breath.

Now let's move your awareness into your cheeks.

How do they feel?

Do you feel any warmth?

Do you feel that they are tense or tingly?

Perhaps there's no sensations.

I'm just noticing whatever comes to you,

Letting them be exactly as they are.

Allow your awareness now to travel into your jaw.

Do you feel any sensations in your jaw?

Do you feel any tension or tingling?

Do you feel the need to move it?

Just let whatever sensations come to you.

When you're ready,

Notice any sensations in your shoulders now.

Bring your awareness to how they feel in this moment and let them show you any sensation that stands out.

To feel into the sensation,

Letting the flow of awareness draw into your stomach region.

Letting your body tell you how this area feels.

Notice if you are holding your stomach in,

If there's any gurgling and just let your body tell you what it is feeling and sensing.

Gently becoming aware of your hips,

Noticing how this area of your body feels and what sensations arise.

Allow your hips to tell you how they feel and what they sense.

Letting your awareness travel into your thighs,

Further down your legs.

What sensations arise in this area of your body?

Do you feel any tightness?

Perhaps any warmth?

Perhaps you don't feel anything?

Shifting that awareness into your body and allowing it to tell you what it feels in your legs.

As you observe any sensations at all,

Allow your awareness into your feet and into your toes.

How do they respond to your awareness?

What are their reactions when you tune in to how they feel?

Do they want to move?

Do they feel tingly?

Again,

If nothing at all comes to you,

Just let it be as it is.

Allow yourself to bring your awareness to your entire body,

Being aware as a whole how your body is experiencing this moment.

Being in the natural flow with each breath,

Each sensation,

Each feeling,

And just allowing it to just be.

Now giving your body permission to gently open to how you are feeling now.

Observing with curiosity any emotions that may arise and holding them with compassion.

Noticing where in your body those emotions may occur.

Gently scan your body slowly from top to bottom and just notice.

Open your heart and let yourself feel into what these emotions are.

And just be with these emotions for now.

We're not trying to change anything.

It's a safe time and place for you to gently coax those feelings to come.

Surround each feeling with loving acceptance.

There's no need to delve into each feeling,

Nor label it.

We're simply bringing awareness and observing and taking your awareness to anywhere in your body that you feel is calling out to you.

And just hold this area of your body with compassion,

Breathing into it,

And letting your body communicate with any thoughts or emotions that arise at any time or any part of your body.

Remember your breath will always support you.

Your main anchor is your breath,

Whether in meditation or not.

And now feeling a sense of peace to just be.

Allow yourself this time to immerse into the sensations of your body,

Of your breath,

And just spend a little time before we go back into our grounding.

Bringing your senses gently back now,

Allow yourself time to bring your awareness back into the present.

And with each breath,

Sense the presence.

If you'd like to open your eyes,

You can do so.

As you remain calm and relaxed,

Looking at the room around you,

You can keep your eyes closed if you prefer,

And just bring your awareness to the seat that you are sitting on,

The surface that you are lying on,

And the floor beneath your feet.

Beneath your feet,

Feel the air that surrounds you in this moment,

In this room,

Hearing any sounds that may be present.

And allow your toes to wriggle,

Your fingers to stretch out.

You may wish to gently raise or move your shoulders and neck,

Easing yourself into this moment,

Breathing in and breathing out,

Bringing your awareness gently back to the feel of your body.

Gently let your eyes open and just relax.