If you are getting anxious about the current situation with coronavirus,
When you take your thinking apart you will see it is fear about the future.
What if I catch it?
What if someone close to me dies?
What if I lose my job?
What if I can't buy food or toilet rolls?
All those things are in the future.
This isn't about denial as we know that some of those things might come true.
But for today,
For now,
What is the truth?
What is true for this moment?
Can you maybe give yourself some space to look at the actual facts for right now?
Maybe you can observe your thoughts that come your way for today and ask yourself,
Is this the truth for me right now?
In this moment?
Now?
But first you have to be able to see what you are thinking about and to do that you have to be still enough to be aware of them.
Still in your body,
Still in your emotions and most of all still in your mind.
This is a meditation to help you with that.
If you have never practised meditation before then be aware your mind could be busy,
That's its job.
It thinks around 60,
000 thoughts a day and it has probably been allowed to do whatever it wants,
Think whatever it chooses without any discipline or training.
So don't expect it to do exactly what you want it to do right now.
That takes practice.
But today you could make a start.
Please don't beat yourself up if you notice that your mind is wandering.
Congratulate yourself for noticing because right there that is mindfulness.
Just imagine that your mind is like a toddler and getting mad with it would not be helpful but gently bringing it back to doing what you have asked time and time again is the way.
I invite you now to close your eyes.
Just allow the body to relax.
And know that right now you have nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Take your attention now to your breath in your nostrils.
Maybe notice that on the inhale it's slightly cooler and on the exhale slightly warmer.
We're not changing the breath,
All we are doing is just watching it.
In through the nostrils,
Out through the nostrils.
And now take your awareness to the breath in the chest area.
Notice how the chest expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale.
And now take your attention to the stomach area and watch the breath there.
Notice how the stomach rises on the inhale and falls on the exhale.
In and out.
Rise and fall.
If your mind wanders remember don't get frustrated,
Accept it,
This is normal.
Just gently bring your attention back to watching your breath.
In and out.
Rise and fall.
And now on the exhale say to yourself be still.
And continue to do this for the next few breaths.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Be still.
And notice that even if only for 10 seconds you have allowed your body,
Your emotions and your mind to be still and just be in this present moment.
And whilst you are still you are not worrying or thinking unhelpful thoughts.
Just bring your attention down to your feet on the ground.
Your body in contact with the seat.
Notice any sounds in your room.
And when you are ready slowly open your eyes.
Maybe you could practice this meditation by yourself several times through the day if you notice that your mind is getting filled with worrying thoughts.
Just bringing your attention to watching your breath and on the exhale saying to yourself be still.
Thank you.
