I'm Oliver from Soul Star Health.
Welcome to my daily meditation.
This series of morning and evening meditations have been created to help maintain a peaceful,
Calm energy throughout the day,
While helping you relax and let go at the end of the evening.
An alternative version of the recording is available without the introduction,
Should you wish to just meditate.
And the three audio tracks of the Ancient Woodland and Froome Valley Reservoir are also available on their own.
Morning Meditation Number One.
Noticing the pause between the breaths.
You can do this meditation at any time of the day,
However I find it works best in the morning not long after getting up,
Before switching on the news or looking at your phone,
Whilst your mind is still uncluttered by thoughts,
Plans and distractions,
Helping you find your central spot of calm,
Focused energy and setting you up nicely for the rest of the day.
When we take control of the breath,
We down-regulate our built-in fight and flight mechanisms,
Sending a signal to the body to relax,
Re-energise and heal.
And our ability to observe and be at one with our lives,
Our circumstances and ourselves increases.
When we notice the pause in between the breaths,
We are practising mindfulness and by increasing this practice we become able to see our thoughts as they arise,
Before they become emotions,
Reactions or actions,
Giving us the ability to choose how we wish to respond to those thoughts and how we wish to be.
This allows us to start living at cause rather than at effect.
By extending the pause in between the breaths,
We are able to find a unique place inside ourselves that is calm and peaceful,
A place of rest.
By connecting to this space and place,
We reconnect to ourselves,
We are able to recognise that calm and peace is possible in all of us and,
With a little practice,
We can go there anytime,
In any situation,
Whenever we want.
So remembering that comfort is key and comes foremost above technical position,
Sit comfortably on a chair or cushion,
Your lower limbs or feet making contact with the ground and your back straight and relaxed.
Lifting up your chin a little,
Roll your shoulders back above your hips and let them drop,
Resting your hands in your lap or on your thighs.
Closing your eyes,
Recognise that there is nothing for you to do right now,
Nowhere for you to be,
Except here in this present moment.
Take your awareness to the world outside,
Maybe it's light or dark,
Windy or rainy,
Noisy or quiet.
Acknowledge this space and accept it just as it is.
Bring your awareness into the room around you and notice any sounds.
Acknowledge this space and accept it just as it is.
Bring your attention to your body,
Your contact with the ground beneath you,
The position of your back,
Neck and shoulders and the temperature of the air against your skin.
Acknowledge your presence here and now and accept it just as it is.
Bring your awareness to your breath and observe the air coming in and flowing out,
Gently breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
In through your nose and out through your mouth.
Notice the expansion of your chest as you breathe in and the dropping of your shoulders as you breathe out.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
As we breathe,
Take your awareness to the moment that exists in between the breaths.
There's a brief pause as the body prepares to breathe in or out again.
Notice this space,
This gap.
So breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Now we are going to extend the pause between the breaths by counting to three.
So preparing to breathe in,
Breathing in,
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Pause two,
Three.
Let's do this again,
But this time as you breathe in and out,
I want you to count the pauses for three counts on your own.
We will do this for one minute from the start and end of the bell.
So preparing and getting ready to breathe in on the bell.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
And finally,
Let's allow the pauses to just be without the count.
Noticing them in silence,
Allowing them to exist for however long feels right and comfortable for you.
Allowing yourself to observe the space between the breaths.
Once again for one minute from the start and end of the bell.
Ready to breathe in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing in.
Pause two,
Three,
Breathing out.
Just finding that perfect gap between the breaths.
To observe the space.
To sit in it and just be.
Allow your breathing to find its normal rhythm.
And as we just sit here for a moment,
Let's recognize the path we have opened,
Connecting directly to a place of calm and peace within us.
Acknowledging this space and place and knowing that this is available to us anytime.
As we slowly bring our awareness back into the room,
Let's think about the day ahead.
Acknowledging the things we have to do today.
What happens when we take this connection of calm,
Peaceful energy with us into our thoughts and plans?
How does it feel?
In given moments of stress or difficulty,
What might be different when we notice the pauses between the breaths?
How might we be when we carry this sense of calm,
Peacefulness into all of our actions throughout the whole of the day?
Bringing your attention back to your body,
To your hands,
Your feet,
Your back and head.
Connecting to the ground beneath you.
Recognize how it supports you.
Becoming aware physically of your presence in the room and the space that exists around you.
Now take that awareness to the wider world outside.
Opening your eyes.
Taking a few moments to stretch and adjust.
Have a wonderful day.
Bye.
