Please come into a comfortable position of your choosing.
You can either lie down on the floor,
Arrange your body in an upright seated position,
Or even stand if that feels most comfortable,
If that's where you feel you're most at ease.
Now,
I invite you to turn your attention to your body,
Sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
Wherever it is in space in this moment,
This present moment,
And begin to notice the sensation of touch,
Where your body meets the floor or chair,
The feeling of your clothing against your skin,
And becoming aware of the body.
Just rest here in the body.
Either keep your attention on your physical body,
Or begin to notice your breath,
The gentle rise and fall of breathing,
The wave-like,
Repetitive,
Cyclical motion of the breath,
Fueling our life force,
Life-sustaining thing that keeps us alive and aware of the body,
Perhaps aware of the breath.
Simply rest here.
Now,
I invite you to place your hands somewhere on your body that feels kind and nurturing,
Perhaps over your heart or your low belly,
Any place on your body that feels nurturing and loving and gives you a sense of inner warmth.
And if you feel warmth,
Soak it in.
Perhaps sensation is loving and kind,
Allow that to seep in.
If you don't feel warmth,
That's okay too.
I invite you to be with yourself in a gentle way,
Accepting whatever is present right now.
If it feels supportive,
You may keep your hands exactly where they are for their entire meditation.
Or you may again rest your arms where they were before,
On your thighs,
By your sides.
And also,
If you notice any sensations of tightness,
Contracting,
Tension,
Or impatience arising,
Let that be present for you too.
If there are parts of your body where you don't feel much or feel nothing at all,
Allow that to be present,
Knowing that all of these sensations are okay.
Do your best to invite it all into your practice,
Resting in this present moment,
Simply resting in being.
If you are experiencing tightness or contraction,
Notice if even by just allowing it to be there,
It softens a little bit.
So now,
I invite you to come along with me on a journey,
An inner journey in your mind's eye.
Imagine a warm,
Comfortable,
Safe space,
A place that to you feels like a sanctuary,
A place of refuge or safety.
This could be a room in your home that you really like.
Could be a place that feels worshipful,
Like a church or a temple or meditation hall.
Could be a place in nature.
Could be a place that's completely imaginary.
It's completely up to you.
An imaginary place could be something like floating weightless amongst the stars in the cosmos or being blanketed by warm light.
The important thing is that it feels like a safe place of refuge to you.
And if nothing comes to mind,
Know that that's okay too.
Simply be present with yourself in a gentle way with whatever is arising.
And with this image of this safe place of refuge,
You get a clear picture of it in your mind's eye.
Now,
I invite you to make your way into this sanctuary,
Your sanctuary.
And as you enter into the space,
Notice that there is a place set aside within this inner sanctum just for you.
Maybe there are soft cushions or blankets.
Is there a person,
Animal,
Or object that is there with you?
Are there warm arms wrapping around you in an embrace?
Take a moment to fully imagine and feel all that is there in your sanctuary.
And notice how this makes you feel,
Noting exactly what is coming up,
Exactly how you feel,
Whatever is arising.
And if you haven't already,
In your mind's eye,
Sit,
Lie down,
Or stand in that place that was set aside just for you,
Now notice how it feels to have arrived in this place and in this place of sanctuary,
Perhaps invite a feeling of spaciousness.
Allow yourself to linger here for a little while longer,
Feeling exactly what is arising,
Keeping a little bit of that feeling with you,
The glow of your inner sanctum.
I invite you to bring your attention back to your physical body,
Noticing what your body is touching,
The floor or the chair.
You could even also notice your breathing,
The pulsing of inhale and exhale,
Feeling your body,
Your breath,
Right here,
Right now,
Whenever you're ready.
You may open your eyes slowly and very gently.
Allow your gaze to travel around the space that you are in.
If there are windows or doors,
You can look at them,
Out of them,
And if it feels supportive,
If it feels nurturing,
You may place your hands on a part of your body,
Again,
Your heart,
Your belly,
You could even wrap your arms around yourself like you're giving yourself a big hug.
Take a moment to thank yourself for the gift of slowing down,
For being with yourself in a kind way,
For creating an inner sanctuary of presence just for you.
