Well,
Hello,
Welcome.
Today is day one of this seven-day guided meditation series for beginners.
Over the course of this series,
We'll practice together about 10 minutes a day for seven consecutive days.
It doesn't matter to me what day of the week you've decided to begin your practice.
I'm just glad that you're here.
If this is your first time here,
My name is Amber.
I work in tech consulting by day and in my free time I teach meditation for people who live in the modern world.
I started teaching meditation because it's made such a big difference in my own life.
Practicing mindfulness has helped me manage my anxiety,
Achieve work-life balance,
And redesign my relationship with social media.
But more on that later.
We'll talk more about the benefits of meditation tomorrow in day two.
So if you're ready to get started,
Come to a comfortable position sitting down in a chair or on the ground and whatever position you choose,
You just want to make sure it embodies a sense of dignity and alertness while still being comfortable.
Take just a few moments here to get settled in and fully arrive.
Put aside for now whatever you were doing before this and whatever you're going to do afterwards and just notice how it is where you are right now.
Maybe noticing your surroundings and the room where you are,
What objects are around you.
Closing the eyes if it feels natural.
Bring your attention inwards to your physical body and your breathing.
It might feel good here to take a few deep inhales and exhales.
Inhaling through your nose nice and deep and exhale through the nose or the mouth.
Focusing on the breath can help you get more connected to your body and come into the present moment.
So here we are at day one of the Meditation for Beginners seven day series.
Perhaps you've already made the commitment to yourself to practice every day for the next seven days or perhaps you're not quite sure about meditation yet and you're not quite sure what you're getting into.
Let's just take a few moments here to set an intention and reflect on what led you to click on this guided meditation.
What brought you here?
Or phrased another way,
What are you hoping to get out of meditating for seven days in a row and perhaps beyond?
Are you hoping to learn how to reduce stress or get better at self-care?
Or perhaps you've heard about some studies about the benefits of meditation and you're just kind of curious.
Why are you here?
Investigating a bit deeper,
Why are you really here?
Why are you really here?
Something has piqued your interest.
Why are you really here?
Why are you really here?
Something has piqued your interest and has led you to meditate with me today.
Lean in a little bit to that curiosity.
Why are you really here?
And since no one is watching or will hear your answer,
The invitation is to be brave enough to tell yourself the truth.
Bring your attention back to the breath and the body.
Breathing in and breathing out.
This series is structured so that you can expect to practice about 10 minutes a day for seven days.
10 minutes a day isn't really that much time.
10 minutes a day can be quite a mundane commitment,
Or if you choose,
There is the opportunity for these 10 minutes to be quite profound.
And whenever you're ready now,
Stretch both arms long and out to the sides.
Raise them up as high as they'll go,
Stretching overhead.
Lower the arms and open the eyes whenever you feel ready.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today.
I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow for day two.
