Welcome to this meditation for anyone who is looking for a job right now.
The journey from knowing you need to find a new job or change your career path to researching options to applying and interviewing and evaluating job offers can be a long one.
And as with any journey,
We must pause and breathe daily,
Pace ourselves,
And keep up hope.
You're welcome to turn to this practice anytime you need a reassuring voice in your ear,
Anytime you need a reminder that you've done hard things before,
Anytime you need to get into a calm headspace for a networking call or a job interview,
Anytime you simply need to stop.
Now let's get started with our meditation.
I invite you to come into a comfortable seated position,
Or you can lay down for some extra support.
And close your eyes.
Lengthen your head and your neck and your spine.
And wiggle your toes and your feet to feel the solid ground underneath you.
Now as you take one huge inhale,
Bring your shoulders all the way up to your ears.
And then as you take a huge exhale,
Let your shoulders fall back down.
And do the same thing one more time.
Huge inhale,
And a huge exhale.
Now we're going to travel all the way down our body,
From the tippy top of our head down through our toes,
Relaxing each muscle as we make this journey.
Start at the top of your head,
Right at your scalp,
And relax the skin and bone that covers your beautiful and helpful brain.
Next turn to your forehead and eyebrows,
And relax anything that's held tightly or furrowed.
And then come down to your ears and your cheeks,
And relax those muscles too.
Now come to your jaw.
We often hold so much stress in our jaw and in our teeth.
Unclench your jaw,
And let your lips fall open slightly.
Now come down to your neck,
And relax those muscles.
And if it feels good to turn your head gently a little bit from left to right,
And then right to left,
Go ahead and take a moment to do that too.
Now we're at our shoulders,
Another spot that tends to hold our fear of the unknown,
Our stress,
Our computer strain.
Roll your shoulders a few times from front to back,
And then let your shoulders drop down again,
And relax.
Now work your way down your arms,
Relaxing your biceps,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
And your wrists.
And then shake out your hands,
And relax your fingers.
Now come back up to your heart.
Relax your chest,
And thank your heart for the work it does to keep beating day after day after day.
Then work your way down to your stomach.
Let it come out and relax.
And then continue down to your groin,
Which is often thought of as the place in our body where our creativity lives.
Breathe in deeply,
And breathe out.
Next,
Travel down to your legs,
And relax your thighs.
You can squeeze your thighs tightly,
And then relax them,
And squeeze,
And relax to feel the release.
And then move down to your knees,
Your shins,
And your feet.
Roll your ankles gently in one direction,
And then the other.
And finally,
Wiggle your toes,
And say hello to them.
Now you're going to take a deep inhale that comes all the way from the tip of your toes,
Up your legs,
And your core,
Up to your neck,
And up to the top of your head.
And then a huge exhale that travels all the way back down your body,
And back out your toes.
And take one more of the same full body breath,
All the way in and up to the top of your head.
And all the way back down your body,
And back out your toes.
Now turn your attention to the solid ground,
That's supporting your whole body in many different places if you're lying down,
Or that's supporting your chair and your feet if you're sitting.
Know that the solid ground,
The solid earth,
Just like your breath,
Is always there for you,
No matter what.
Keep breathing,
Keep sinking deeper and deeper into relaxation now,
As we turn our attention to trust.
When you are quiet and still,
Tune into that voice that is yours,
And listen.
Listen as it tells you,
You are strong.
Listen as it whispers,
You have skills and talents.
Listen as it says,
You don't have to rush this job search process,
Just take one small step at a time.
You can take the next right step today.
Now picture in your mind,
That sitting right across from you,
Is someone who might be helpful in your job search.
Maybe it's a family member who loves you and cheers you on,
Or maybe it's a wise friend or coach,
Who always steadies you when you're trying to make a tough decision.
Perhaps it's someone who has a job you admire,
Or a mentor from your past,
Who might give you some good advice.
Or maybe it's a higher power,
Or a sage you've called on for wisdom before.
Once you've chosen the being,
Smile at that being who is sitting right in front of you,
And pause for a moment to hear what they have to say to you.
Really listen.
And as you take in their words,
Imagine a beam of light that's full of gratitude that travels out from your body and into theirs.
Thank you for being here with me.
Thank you for your presence.
Thank you for your advice.
Now consider reaching out to this person or this being later today or tomorrow to get more of their support,
Their thoughts,
And their wisdom.
As we near the end of our practice,
I invite you to repeat the following after me,
Either aloud or in your own mind.
I believe in myself.
I will not give up.
This job search offers me opportunities.
Opportunities to know myself better.
Opportunities to meet new people.
Opportunities to explore my world.
It's okay that I don't yet know the ending to the story.
I trust that my next step will reveal itself in time.
I am growing.
I am becoming the person I am meant to be right now in my life.
I've got my own back.
I trust that all will be well.
Now rub your hands on your thighs.
Place your hands over your closed eyes.
Seal in this trust.
This moment of calm.
Now when you're ready,
Flutter your eyes open under your palms.
And then slowly pull your hands down away from your face.
You've got this.
And I'm cheering you on in this job search process.
