And now it's time for inner peace.
Today we will be doing a spiritual meditation.
During this meditation session,
You will need to remain awake.
The objective is to experience the relaxation response,
Which occurs when you are awake.
Choose a position that is comfortable,
But not one that will lead you to sleep.
You may wish to sit up right in a firm chair,
Stand leaning on a wall,
Or sit cross legged.
Just find a position that is comfortable for you.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate.
The most important thing you can do is bring a passive attitude,
Allowing,
Not forcing.
Try to experience,
Not control.
Just let it happen however it happens without worrying about the outcome.
During your meditation,
Please know that it is normal to have outside thoughts.
Just acknowledge the thoughts you are having and bring your attention back to the phrase you will be repeating.
It does not mean you are doing anything wrong.
Before we begin,
I'd ask you to think about your own personal spirituality.
Think about what gives you meaning.
I would ask you to select a word or short phrase that is meaningful and can be repeated within the time frame it takes to exhale or inhale.
Your meaningful phrase can relate to love,
Happiness,
Family,
Faith,
Or anything that is important to you.
Take a moment now to choose a meaningful word or short phrase.
By now,
You will have found a comfortable position.
Small adjustments are okay,
But I would ask that you try not to move around too much.
The meditation we are about to do is about five minutes.
Let's begin.
Close your eyes or focus your gaze on one small area.
Start by relaxing your muscles.
When thoughts come to mind,
Acknowledge them.
Be kind to yourself for having these outside thoughts and release it.
Turn your attention back to your body.
Let your muscles become loose and relaxed.
Let's start with our feet.
Now our ankles,
Our shins and our calves,
Our knees,
Our thighs,
Our pelvic area and hips,
Our lower abdomen,
Our upper abdomen,
Our heart center and chest,
Our shoulders,
Our forearms and elbows,
Our wrists,
Our hands,
Our face.
Bring awareness to your face and consciously release any tension that you may be holding.
Just let your face drop.
And now bring your awareness to your head.
Feel your body loose and relaxed.
Now I would ask that you turn your attention to your breathing.
Notice each breath.
Do not try to change your breathing in any way.
Just observe.
As thoughts arrive,
Acknowledge and let them go,
Returning your attention to your breathing.
Breathe naturally,
Slowly.
Notice your breath as it flows gently in and out of your body without any effort.
Acknowledge your thoughts and focus again on your breathing.
Interruptions are normal.
Just let these thoughts go and return your attention to your breathing.
Now I would ask that you think of the meaningful word or phrase you selected and say this word or phrase in your mind as you exhale.
Each time you breathe out,
Say the word or phrase.
Once again,
As your thoughts wander,
Bring your attention to your breathing.
Bring your attention again to repeating your meaningful statement with each out breath.
I'm going to leave you here for a moment,
A minute precisely,
And just breathe in,
Filling your lungs and your stomach with air.
And on your exhale,
Focus on your word that you selected.
I will leave you here now for one minute.
Take a deep cleansing breath in through your nose.
Exhale fully and completely out of your mouth.
I would ask you to repeat this.
Take a deep cleansing breath in and on your exhale,
Sigh it out.
And with your exhale,
Notice all tension,
All stress.
Float away from your body.
Turn your attention to your breathing.
Notice your calm,
Smooth breaths in and out.
Allow your awareness to turn now to your body,
Calm and relaxed.
Notice how your body feels.
Become aware of your surroundings.
Let your attention turn now to your thoughts.
Back to normal conscious awareness.
Normal attention to thoughts.
Gently open your eyes and sit quietly for just a moment,
Enjoying the feeling of relaxation with the gradual reawakening of your body and its senses.
Adjust your position slightly.
Reflect upon the experience of this meditation.
Notice what it was like,
How you feel now,
Free from worries about how well you did,
Knowing that whatever happened was the correct and natural.
Response.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Roll your shoulders.
Take a good stretch.
And when you are ready,
Continue on with the rest of your day.
Peace and an abundance of peace.
Peace and an abundance of love.
