Unfortunately,
We can't just tell our mind to calm down.
We have to show it.
We have to lead it to calm.
We have to show our conscious mind,
Through the use of our senses,
Our body,
That calm can be available to us.
Our breath can be a safe space to ground ourselves in the present moment.
Here,
We can demonstrate to our conscious mind that we are not being chased by tigers.
We can find safety,
Refuge in our breath,
And in doing so,
Shift our body and mind away from a survival response that stress,
Anxiety or overwhelm may have pushed us into.
In this meditation,
We'll use our breath and open awareness to find calm.
This is a space that is always available to us.
Finding a comfortable seated position.
Dropping your gaze or closing your eyes.
Bring your attention to your forehead,
Above the eyebrows.
And letting the forehead soften.
Bringing awareness to the eyebrows.
And letting them soften too.
The tongue resting heavily in the mouth.
The entire tongue softening and feeling heavy in the mouth.
Allowing the jaw to release.
Bringing your attention to your shoulders.
Can they soften?
Even just a little bit.
Shifting our attention to the shoulders.
Our attention to the breath.
Settle into your breath,
Your natural rhythm.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Taking a big belly breath in through the nose.
Filling the belly,
The chest,
All the way to the lower neck.
And with a big audible sigh,
Releasing all of the breath on the exhale.
Let's do this twice more.
Taking a big belly breath in through the nose.
Pause at the top of your inhale.
And with a big audible sigh,
Releasing all the breath on the exhale.
Taking a big belly breath in through the nose.
Pause at the top of your inhale.
And with a big audible sigh,
Releasing all of the breath on the exhale.
Returning to your natural breath.
Noticing the breath.
Where do you feel your breath enter your body?
What does it feel like?
Is the air cool or soft or warm on the inhale?
Following your natural breath.
What happens when your inhale shifts to an exhale?
Notice this for a few breaths.
Bring awareness to the exhale.
Where do you feel the breath start to exit the body?
What does it feel like?
Can you follow your breathing from the very start of the in-breath?
Following the inhale all the way,
Traveling through the body.
Noticing where it goes.
Noticing where it transitions to an exhale.
And following the out-breath from the transition to the entire exhale.
The entire out-breath exiting out of the body.
Noticing your breath in this way.
The full journey.
One breath,
After another,
After another.
I'll leave you here for a few moments.
Now softening the focus on your breath.
Sense the stillness that surrounds your breath.
Sit in this stillness for a few moments.
Recognize the sense of stillness that is present right now.
Mind-wandering is part of meditation.
If your mind wanders,
Know that this too is part of the practice.
Gently acknowledge the mind-wandering and return your attention to the breath.
Noticing the sense of stillness that surrounds your breath.
A calm state is available to us.
Calm exists in our body.
Calm exists in our mind.
Connecting with the breath,
We can find stillness.
We can find a quiet pause in our day,
In our thoughts.
Through breath,
Through connecting with our body,
With our senses.
In this slow and deliberate way,
We can demonstrate to our mind that calm is available to us.
Through meditation,
We can find stillness.
Returning your senses to the physical space you are sitting in.
Listening to the sounds around you and far away.
Bringing movement to your body.
Wiggling your toes,
Your fingers.
Perhaps stretching your arms up over your head.
And then releasing and relaxing them back down to your lap.
Gently moving your body side to side in your seated position.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Enjoy the stillness,
The calm,
That is available to you.
Your meditation is now complete.
