Allowing Breath, Presence And Release

This meditation starts with bringing awareness to the breath, body, and flow of energy. Once there, a journey is introduced that invites awareness of things that we carry and may need to release. This time is an opportunity to bring quiet and presence to you.

Transcript

Hello,

Thank you for joining me today.

Come on in and go ahead and make yourself comfortable wherever you are.

If you're sitting,

Lying down,

Go ahead and find that spot where you can have a bit of quiet space and openness just for yourself.

And as you settle in,

Feel your body really just relaxing right into your own space.

Notice your muscles settling in.

And allow everything to relax a bit more.

I invite you to go ahead and bring your thoughts and your presence to your breath,

Just taking notice of the inhalation through the nose and the exhalation also through the nose.

And just go ahead and track that breath at whatever pace.

And try to change it,

Just observe.

And notice how your body feels as you bring that breath in.

And you exhale that breath.

Bring your awareness to what your body might be doing.

Perhaps you feel your ribcage expanding,

The diaphragm expanding,

Or your belly expanding.

And as you release,

You may find there's more air that you can release and push even further.

Just allow yourself to be right here.

And I invite you to bring your attention to the muscles in your face and just allow them to relax.

You may have been holding tension that you weren't aware of.

Just allow that to relax.

You may feel it on your cheekbones,

Also on the jaw connection.

And just allow that to relax.

Bring that awareness to the front of your throat and allow the muscles to relax as well.

And roll your shoulders back just a little bit,

Opening that chest plate.

And allow almost those shoulder blades or the shoulders to just relax back a little bit,

Allowing the muscles to ease the tension.

And just opening up a bit your body as if you're opening for the flow of breath,

Of energy.

And bring your awareness down around your ribcage,

Both in the front area as well as in the back below the shoulder blades.

And just,

Again,

Moving those shoulders back a little bit,

Allowing the shoulder blades to get a little bit closer.

Feel both the expansion and the relaxing of the muscles.

Give yourself permission to settle in even deeper to where you are.

And bringing your focus or awareness to what is supporting you.

Perhaps it's a chair.

Perhaps it's something on your back.

You may feel your sits bones,

Your hips,

The back of your thighs being supported.

Just bring your awareness there.

And again,

I invite you to settle in even deeper.

And I invite you to bring your awareness back to that breath.

Just follow the cycles of your own breath.

And as we continue this settling in,

This awareness about ourselves,

Our breath,

How our muscles are feeling,

I invite you to bring your awareness to your whole body.

And just feel how is each part of you feeling.

And is there an area that wants your attention?

Continue with your breath,

Both the inhalation through the nose and the exhalation through the nose at your own body's pace,

But also have the awareness if there's any part of your body that's seeking your attention.

Just bring your awareness there.

See if there's any more information when you bring your focus to that point.

And continue on.

If there's another part of your body that's seeking your attention,

It's okay.

You just bring your awareness there,

Acknowledge.

Give yourself permission to do this,

Just noting what parts of your body are you feeling things.

Bring your awareness,

Acknowledge and bring it back.

So now I'd like to bring your attention to your upper thighs,

Both the back,

Which is being supported and the top.

Just take notice how you're feeling and allow your legs to feel a bit heavier,

To relax the muscles,

To release anything that they've been holding as well.

Allow your knees just to feel a bit more comfortable and your lower legs,

Allow them to relax.

And bring the awareness of almost like that energy from your body,

Tracking it down through the soles of your feet into the ground and into the earth.

Just bring your awareness to the connection of the energy from your body into the earth.

And then bring your awareness of that energy tracking back up from the earth into your body.

And go ahead and just track that energy,

Imagine it in your mind's eye,

Seeing it just back in your body,

Up your legs,

Up through the thighs,

Into the pelvis area,

Into that trunk of your body and up through the stomach,

The trunk,

Through the rib cage.

And be aware of tracking it both in the front and the back and the sides,

Because your body is a whole vessel and this energy is tracking back up through your rib cage,

Your heart,

The clavicles,

Right below the shoulders,

The shoulders and up through the neck and back into that head.

And bring it up to the top of your head,

The crown chakra.

And now I invite you just withholding that,

Bringing your awareness back to your breath.

And I invite you to take a larger inhale,

Just allowing.

And when you're ready to release,

A larger exhale.

And as you track that exhale,

If there's more there,

Give it that extra push out.

And then just track your breath for another few cycles.

Now we're going to take the next few minutes on a meditative journey.

And I'm going to invite you in your mind's eye.

As you continue with your breath work and focusing on that,

I invite you to figuratively stand up and you're going to step onto a path that is right in front of you.

And just be aware of the path,

What it looks like,

What it feels like to be walking on it.

And you're going to go ahead and walk forward.

It's very comfortable.

The temperature is just perfect.

Just bring in the awareness of what you're seeing around you as you walk down this path.

And perhaps you might even sense the air on your skin,

On your clothing.

And how the path feels under your feet.

And just continue on.

It's not too much further up.

The path bends to the left a little bit.

And down that path,

We come to the edge of woods.

And you can also see through this slightly wooded area that there is a body of water.

And that path will take us right up to the edge of that body of water.

So take your time on the path.

Bring in your breathing,

The inhalation,

As well as the exhalation.

And just be aware of being present on this path.

And as you near the edge of the water,

I ask you to just come to a stop and look around and breathe in and see what you may sense and feel.

And follow that breath outward again.

Now earlier in the meditation,

The guidance was inviting you to become aware of any parts in your body that perhaps needed your awareness.

And so at this time,

I invite you to go back and ask your body,

Hey,

Now that we're here,

Is there anything in any parts of my being that I need to be aware of?

See where this takes you.

And as you find things in your body,

Perhaps you do.

And if you don't,

That's OK,

Too.

Bring your awareness there.

Again,

Acknowledgment.

And then take a pause and look around you.

And you may notice that there are some perfect stones,

No bigger than your hand,

Perhaps smaller,

Perhaps much smaller,

But just perfect.

And I invite you,

If you're so called,

To go ahead and pick up a stone or a couple of stones.

For they will help you in this next step.

And as you pick them up,

Just notice what do they look like?

What do they feel like?

Do they feel different in each hand?

And if you have chosen a stone or a few stones,

I invite you to see them as part of the earth.

And just hold on to them for a moment.

Now at this time,

I invite you to go back into your body.

And if there is a part within you,

Visit that part.

And ask yourself,

Is this something I no longer need to carry?

Is this something that is not mine to carry?

And if there is something there,

Is it time for me to release this?

And if it's not,

That's okay.

But if it is,

I invite you to choose one of those stones and bring it up to your lips and focusing on something that needs to be released.

As you track your breath in,

You bring it up from your center.

And then you exhale it out into the stone,

Getting it out of your body,

Getting it out of your being,

Out of your energy.

And that stone now becomes the vessel.

And you have that in your hand.

And I invite you to go ahead and throw it as far as you can.

And you may feel,

I release this once and for all,

Or I release that which is no longer mine to carry.

And you go back to your breath and just observe as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

And it may be,

If you have a few spots within the side of you that are feeling the need to be released,

That's okay.

You know,

You know how to do this.

And when we release,

It's with observation.

It's not with judgment.

It's not with guilt.

It's just releasing.

It's having an awareness and an allowance of letting it go.

And if there is nothing to release and your body as well,

Both the energy and the physical,

Bring in that breath.

Just bring your awareness to everything around you,

Near the edge of the water,

Near the trees.

And you may take one of those stones and see how far you can throw it into the water.

And as you go through this process,

I invite you to bring your awareness back to your breath.

Allowing your muscles to be relaxed.

Allowing the awareness with your exact presence right now.

And I invite you to track two more cycles of breath.

And then we will head back on our path.

So now,

As we're about to turn around,

Take one last look all around you.

And just bring an awareness of exactly where you are right now and how you feel.

And I invite you to bring your awareness to your heart.

And ask your heart,

Is there anything here in this moment that I need to know?

And then I ask you to just with awareness,

Bring a slight smile to your face.

It generally brings in a little gratitude.

And just be present with the moment.

And I invite you to turn around on your path and go ahead and start walking.

And shortly we'll come to that bend that'll be now taking us right back up that main path.

And bring your awareness to the sounds around you.

You might even hear your breath.

And just allow yourself to be in these very moments.

Being very present with yourself.

And continue walking forward.

You're getting closer to the beginning of the path now.

And realize,

Bring your awareness that you're bringing the presence of your very own presence right here on this path with yourself.

And I invite you to step off that path figuratively and come back into your body.

As you started this guided meditation.

Become aware of settling in.

And also,

I invite you to bring a little bit of movement.

Perhaps rolling your head a bit.

Perhaps moving your waist side to side,

Shifting.

Wherever the body would like a little movement,

I invite you to bring that in.

Just waking it up.

Feeling a little bit of gratitude.

And when you're ready,

Just go ahead and open your eyes at your own pace.

Give yourself a little nod and thank yourself for this journey.

And thank you for letting me guide you.