Hello,
And welcome to Finding Your Mat Meditation.
I'm Nicole Siri Martin.
Thank you for joining me.
I'd like to invite you to roll out a physical or imaginary mat,
And go ahead and take a comfortable seat right in the center.
When seated,
Take a moment to look around.
Orient yourself on this mat.
It is yours,
Only yours.
Notice where you are planted,
The edges of the mat surrounding you.
Notice how far out those edges are,
And how they have a definitive boundary.
Take a moment now to extend your arms and legs to touch the edges of the space.
As you keep your seat planted in the center,
Notice how your arms and legs have to stretch to reach the edges.
Now slowly and gently,
Open your arms and legs to fill the space between the edges and your seat.
Extending your limbs wide forward and back,
Down touching the mat,
And up reaching them high above you.
Notice all the space around you on your mat,
Your space.
No one else is there.
It is empty and vast.
The only one on the mat is you.
Seated in the center,
This is your mat,
And you absolutely have a right to be here.
I invite you now to soften your gaze.
Perhaps you soften the eyes to gaze at a spot below,
Or if it feels safe and comfortable to do so,
Gently allow the eyes to close.
And with the eyes closed or softened,
View again,
Only this time in your mind's eye,
The perimeter of your mat.
See the space all around your body,
Clear and open space.
Slowly begin to shift your awareness to the space just around your body,
Noticing the surfaces touching your skin,
The mat beneath you,
Your clothing draped over your skin,
Your hands and arms perhaps resting on your thighs or knees.
Bring awareness to the breath.
Moving the breath in and out of your chest,
Ribs,
And belly.
Notice the expansion of the body with each pull of air into and out of your physical body.
As your awareness moves into your body,
Begin to bring awareness to any physical sensations in your physical being right now.
Resist the urge to create or entertain any stories,
No judgments or comments here.
Just observe the physical sensations in your body right now.
Notice tightness here,
Pressure here,
Openness,
Relaxed here.
Slowly let that awareness go for a moment as you shift your attention to your emotions.
What emotions are present with you right now?
Even without stories,
Explanations,
Or validations,
Just label the emotions that are present in this very moment.
Now gently bring awareness up to the thinking mind,
Stories,
Explanations,
Inquiries,
And beliefs.
Take a moment to just notice the quality of these stories and how they're connected to your emotions and sensations.
Notice how the thoughts impact your physical and emotive states.
And now take a moment to observe your mind again.
In your mind's eye,
Look around.
As you visited your thinking mind,
Did anyone or anything pop up on your mat?
A belief perhaps,
Not yours,
But someone else's,
A judgment or worry.
Take a mental look around the mat.
What is there?
Who is there?
Is it yours?
Come back for a moment to the breath,
Slowing it down and inviting a pause so you can witness without engagement or attachment.
Notice any changes in your body as you have been looking at the things landing on your mat,
Again,
Resisting the urge to judge or blame for your awareness is the greatest strength.
Any area in your body that tightened or responded to this exploration,
Take notice now and send your attention and intention to those very areas.
Maybe you place a hand on that spot on your body and begin to slowly and gently bring long,
Full breaths to those areas.
Let those breaths bring loving compassion for those areas are just following the old patterns of what they have always known.
They do not realize that they may no longer be serving you in the best way for you now.
So show them grace.
Bring your breath and the love they have always needed to each of those spots.
Notice those areas begin to soften,
Soften and fill with the little space,
With air.
With each breath,
Notice the space growing,
Extending throughout your body.
Space extending around your skin.
Space filling the entire mat.
With each breath,
Pulling in air and love and breathing out clear air,
Peace,
Calm around your being,
Extending to the very edges of that mat.
And now slowly begin to shift your awareness back to this time and space,
Feeling again the surface of your mat beneath you.
And now in your mind's eye,
Look around you at the space on the mat that you have found yourself on.
Again,
This is your mat.
This is your mat full of space to be explored and possibly cleared.
Make a note that this mat will be with you always.
A place that is yours and you get to decide what goes on there.
Without your permission,
No one else can touch it,
Jump on it,
Pull you off.
Taking a full deep breath,
Feeling that space and steadiness on that mat.
Now gently allow your awareness to shift to any sounds around you in this current time and space.
Sounds outside the room,
Sounds inside the room,
The sound of my voice,
Bringing you back to the present time.
And when you're ready,
Ever so gently drop the chin toward your chest.
Take a full deep breath in and out for yourself and all of your parts.
And slowly begin to gently bat the eyes open if they were closed and softly look around at the space of your mat.
This is your mat.
You have a right to be here.
May you always remember to stay on your mat for this is a place just for you.
A place to come home and just be.
It is with great gratitude and honor to witness your journey today.
Please be so good to you today and always.
