So just as a intro why I decided to do this meditation,
I got this message from somebody who I think was trying to sell me some public speaking services on LinkedIn.
And in my mind,
I was making up that they were pestering me to respond to this video they sent me.
And I was just like,
No,
I am not going to respond.
So it got me thinking during yoga,
We're always getting pulled with our attention in this culture of people wanting us to respond to things and do things.
And it's really natural to feel like we got to react to everything.
And that can really perpetuate a sense of anxiety and stress that can be really difficult for us.
So for this meditation,
I wanted to guide us in practice that can help us just to return to our center and to choose where you want to direct your attention can be really powerful to make that choice.
So I invite you to close your eyes if you'd like or lower your gaze.
And you can do this practice sitting,
You might like to place your feet on the floor,
Your hands in your lap.
And I'm all about noticing what your body needs right now.
Maybe you feel like stretching,
Walking,
You're needing some energy,
You might like to stand or lay down.
So there's no right or wrong way to do this,
My friends.
Let's begin by grounding into the present,
Taking some deep breaths,
Becoming aware that your body is naturally breathing in,
Feel supportive,
You might like to find a place in the body where you can bring your attention,
Creating the space to breathe and to slow down,
Remembering that whatever your intention is,
This is not a selfish act.
The presence that you cultivate here is going to ripple out and be a source of connection and love to others.
We'll just cultivate a little bit more focus to start this practice,
I invite you to choose a point where you can pull your attention.
You may enjoy just tuning into the sounds in the room,
Stick with listening to the sounds or if it feels helpful and nice to feel the breath,
That's another great option for focus.
Where can you feel the breath most prominently in the body?
Feeling the rise and fall,
If you're needing a little extra compassion,
It can be really nice to place your hands on your heart.
This active slowing down is really a radical one,
We can practice a little bit of open awareness.
So with this practice,
We're not trying to focus the attention on anything,
We're simply noticing what's here now,
In the mind,
In the body,
And in the surrounding environment.
It may be helpful to practice a skill of noting,
Whenever you become aware of a thought,
You can say to yourself,
Thinking,
If you hear sounds,
You might say listening,
And if there's sensations you notice,
You can say to yourself,
Feeling,
Feel free to get more creative or granular than that.
And I'll just offer a little bit of space to practice and play around with it.
It can be super helpful just to say to yourself,
I'm having the thought,
And then fill in the blank with what you're thinking.
This is a way that you can help yourself to unhook and to recognize that thought is passing through like a cloud.
It's not necessarily something you need to follow or believe,
Just seeing it with your awareness can be really helpful.
Thinking,
Feeling,
Listening.
What happens when you allow yourself to be open and receptive to what is?
We're not trying to turn off our thoughts in this practice,
Or push a sense of calm if we're feeling frustrated.
We're practicing this muscle of openness and compassion toward ourselves.
What are you learning about yourself in this moment?
Centering on the mind and body helps us to become more self-aware,
Allows us to then choose how we want to respond to the natural stressors of life from a place of groundedness and true understanding of what it is we actually want and need.
What do you want to do for the day?
What feels important now?
As we move to close the practice,
You might enjoy just bringing a little bit of gradual movement back to the body,
Moving the shoulders up and down the back.
I'm often hunched over,
So helpful just to notice the posture and see how you want to adjust,
If at all,
Offering yourself so much gratitude for showing up today and sending out any wishes of love,
Compassion,
Peace,
All around you.
Welcoming you to open your eyes whenever you're ready.
Thank you so much,
My friends,
For being here.
I hope this is of service to you and so many you encounter.
