Welcome.
I will be guiding you in a short meditation and we will be working to cultivate a sense of joy and happiness.
If at any time during the practice you feel inclined to adjust your posture or open your eyes,
Please do so and move with the intention to bring kindness to yourself.
Find a comfortable position where you feel alert and relaxed,
Letting yourself feel grounded and supported by the earth.
And whenever you're ready you may close your eyes or lower your gaze,
Tilting your head slightly downward as you begin to settle into this moment.
Allowing your energy to flow freely,
See if you can sense your body present in the room or in whatever environment that you are in.
Taking a few slow deep breaths,
Exhaling and releasing any tension that you may be carrying with you.
Begin with a slow and intentional scan of your body as you move your awareness through the body,
Inviting each area to soften.
Aware of any tension,
Allow your face to soften,
Your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw.
Softening down through your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your arms.
Continuing down through your torso,
Softening your chest and belly.
Down through your pelvic region and hips.
Continue down your legs,
Sensing your thighs,
Your knees,
Your lower legs.
Breathing through your ankles,
Your feet and your toes.
Allowing your whole body to relax and be at ease.
Allow a half smile to form on your face.
Notice how this affects your mind.
Take a few deep breaths,
Bringing calming energy to your body with each in-breath and relaxing further,
Gently letting go with each out-breath.
Allowing the breath to find its own natural rhythm.
Let the breath breathe you.
Without needing to control it or make anything happen,
Simply relax and receive the breath as it moves through you.
Now bring to mind something that brings you joy.
What gives you a sense of contentment and well-being?
Perhaps it's being in nature,
Singing or dancing freely,
Or being with someone you love.
Recall a time when you experienced this well-being.
Without trying to make anything happen,
Relax and enjoy the memory and the joy that it brings.
Notice how it feels in your body as you recall the experience.
How does it feel in your mind?
Notice how it feels in your heart.
Let your awareness rest inside this feeling of well-being.
Take a deep breath.
And now bring to mind some blessing in your life,
Someone or something you're grateful for or grateful to.
And as you think of this blessing,
Bring an image to your mind of this person,
This being,
This place or circumstance.
And send a simple,
Silent thank you right from your heart to that being or entity.
Relax in the joyful feeling of gratitude as it lives in your body.
And if you sense that something is missing,
Extend your awareness to anything that reminds you of the feeling of joy.
And if you find that difficult,
Ask yourself,
What is between me and happiness?
It may help you to imagine someone that you love smiling at you and asking,
Where does the idea of happiness live within you?
Sensing where in your body you feel happy.
Keeping your attention on that sensation,
Savor the sense of joy that is present within you.
Sensing a little more deeply what it feels like to connect that joy with your awareness.
Offering a kind phrase to yourself,
May I feel happy,
May I be happy,
May I open to happiness.
Holding within you the intention to cooperate fully with the experience of joy.
Now open to the fact that you are alive.
And as you relax,
Feel life as it moves through you without you needing to make anything happen.
Be aware of the breath that is sustaining you and keeping you alive.
Be aware of the blood flowing throughout your body,
Nourishing every cell.
Your senses taking in the temperature,
The sounds,
The fragrances.
Making sense of the world.
Become aware of all the bodily processes that are working together in unity,
Keeping you alive right now.
Now become aware of consciousness itself flowing through you.
Let yourself relax and receive this life as it moves through this form called you.
Letting yourself simply enjoy the feeling of being alive.
You are alive.
You are safe.
You are here.
In the words of the Persian poet Hafez,
When all your desires are distilled,
You will cast just two votes.
To love more and be happy.
Now awakening the qualities within us we wish to bring out into the world as we return in presence to the beauty of the life that is here.
As we come to the end of this meditation and you slowly open to your surroundings,
Taking in all the goodness inside and around you with appreciation and joy.
Bringing a sense of gratitude forward,
I thank you for your practice.
Namaste.
