Welcome.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself today.
Whether you're beginning your day.
Taking a break or winding down.
I'm so grateful you're here.
Together we'll spend the next few minutes simply slowing down.
And reconnecting with our present moment.
There's nothing you need to accomplish during this meditation,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to do perfectly.
This is simply an opportunity to pause and reconnect with yourself.
Begin by finding a position that feels both comfortable and alert.
You might be sitting in a chair.
On a cushion.
Or lying down if that's what your body needs in this moment.
And when you're ready,
If it feels comfortable,
Allow your eyes to gently close or just soften the gaze.
Taking a slow,
Deep breath in.
Exhale completely.
Again,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Allowing your breath to settle into its own natural rhythm.
There is nothing you need to change.
Your job is just to simply notice.
Notice your breathing exactly how it is.
You might become aware of the cool air as it enters your nose.
The gentle rise and fall of your chest.
Or the soft movement of your belly.
Wherever you notice your breath most clearly is exactly where your attention belongs.
As you continue breathing,
Begin to notice the places where your body is being supported.
That might be your feet resting on the floor.
Or your legs being supported by a mattress underneath you.
Or your hands just resting comfortably.
The chair or the bed holding you without asking for anything in return.
And see if in this moment you can allow just a little more softness into your shoulders and then the jaw and I invite you to soften the forehead and just allow yourself to settle in just more a little more deeply into this present moment.
And thoughts will come.
Because that's what minds do.
You may find yourself thinking about something that happened earlier today.
Planning what comes next.
Or maybe even wondering whether you're doing this meditation right.
And if you notice your attention has wandered.
Gently smile to yourself.
You haven't failed.
In fact,
That moment of noticing is the mindfulness.
Without judgment,
Simply acknowledge where your mind has gone.
And then as kindly as you would guide a close friend.
Bring your attention back to my voice and back to the breath.
Again and again.
Each return is the practice.
Now for the next few moments,
Simply rest here.
Breathing in.
An owl.
And allowing yourself to be exactly as you are Every stray thought is an invitation back to my voice and back to the breath.
And if emotions happen to be present today.
See if you can meet them with curiosity rather than resistance.
You don't have to push them away but you don't have to hold on to them either simply noticing.
This is what's here right now.
Feelings like our thoughts and like the breath.
Always changing Nothing stays exactly the same.
And as we begin to close this brief practice,
Gently expand your awareness once more.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing the temperature of the air against your exposed skin Notice your whole body breathing.
Take one more slow,
Nourishing breath in and let it go perhaps taking a moment to thank yourself for showing up today.
Even a few minutes of mindful awareness can help us reconnect with what matters most.
So when you're ready.
Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Maybe rolling the shoulders or stretching the neck.
Taking your time to come back into the body.
And if your eyes have been closed,
You can invite them open once again.
And I thank you for practicing with me today.
Before you go,
I'd like to leave you with a gentle reminder.
Everything is figureoutable.
Life doesn't ask us to have it all figured out.
It simply asks us to take the next right step.
So whatever today holds,
Trust that you don't have to solve everything at once.
Just take your next right step.
Until we meet again.
May you move through your days with kindness,
Curiosity.
And trust in yourself.
