Welcome to this mindfulness meditation rooted in the Word of God to help you cultivate peace and joy in stressful times.
Regardless of what's going on in our world right now,
We can experience peace by getting still in the presence of God.
At this time come into a comfortable position,
Remaining alert but still,
Preferably sitting upright on a chair or a cushion.
Make any adjustments as necessary such as loosening any tight clothing.
Open the space around the neck,
Chest and shoulders allowing the breath to flow freely.
When you are ready,
Either close your eyes or choose a spot in the room to rest your gaze upon and begin to bring your awareness to your breath.
We're going to begin by taking three slow deep breaths in through the nose,
Holding it at the top for just a moment and then releasing it fully out of the mouth.
Do this at your own pace and as you take these breaths,
Focus on breathing into your belly allowing it to expand fully on the inhale and contract on the exhale,
Releasing all of the breath from your body.
Deep breathing stimulates the relaxation response in our bodies,
Signaling to our nervous system that we are taking a break and that it's safe to rest.
As you allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Simply notice the breath ebbing and flowing throughout your body.
You may notice the cool rush of air and turn your nostrils on the inhale and the warm exhale as the breath leaves your body or you might notice the rise and fall of your chest or abdomen.
There's no right or wrong here,
We're simply observing the breath in the body.
Taking some time to nurture the mind,
Body and spirit.
This is a time of renewal and peace as we settle into this moment of stillness.
Continue to breathe slowly and naturally as you listen to my voice.
There's no need for you to do anything other than to experience this present moment.
The following verses are invitations to us from our Creator to pause and rest in this quiet space.
Psalm 46 says,
Be still and know that I am God.
And in Matthew 11 verse 28 we are told,
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
Our God does not promise a life without troubles or worries but he does promise to be there for us and to care for us in difficult times.
We need only to be still to experience his peace,
Grace and love.
Even those of us with strong faith can experience moments of overwhelming fear,
Anxiety and sometimes anger.
This can cause uncomfortable or even painful physical sensations in our bodies.
Ironically in order to get through to the other side of such intense thoughts and feelings we must learn to develop acceptance of the physical sensations they can evoke.
Resisting them only gives the sensation strength.
And when we learn to be with the sensations just as they are,
Taking the role of a curious non-judgmental observer,
It is through this act of acceptance and surrender that healing can begin to take place.
If you find that your mind has wandered that's okay.
Simply without judgment or condemnation bring your awareness back to your breath.
With each breath cycle notice the space between breaths where you gently hang between the inhale and the exhale and again between the exhale and the inhale.
Now bring your awareness to the sensations of greatest discomfort in your body.
You can quickly scan your body from the crown of your head to your toes and just breathe into and around these sensations for a few moments creating space.
See how the sensations might transform when we detach from the thoughts,
Stories,
And emotions that we attach to them.
When we're able to experience these uncomfortable sensations without losing our peace,
We begin to experience freedom and healing.
In Exodus chapter 14 verse 14 it says,
The Lord will fight for you,
You need only to be still.
And in 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 7 we are told,
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
And in Psalm 29 verse 11 it tells us,
The Lord gives strength to his people,
The Lord blesses his people with peace.
These are just a few of the promises we receive from Scripture.
When we choose to meditate on God's promises and trust in his love which abides in us and his plan for us,
We can experience more peace,
Love,
And joy in our lives.
We're able to heal the places of darkness and fear within us and we're better prepared to be vessels of his love and goodness,
Conduits of his compassion and mercy.
We're able to bless and honor others with our words and our actions when we allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide instead of our emotions and our conditioning.
And as we come to the end of this practice,
Bring your awareness back to your breath noticing if you're on an inhale or an exhale.
And now take one nice full breath in through your nose,
Hold it at the top for just a moment and fully release all of the air through your mouth.
Next bring your awareness to your body.
Notice your body seated here making contact with the chair or surface beneath you and begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Perhaps roll your shoulders,
And when you're ready you can open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation today.
I hope it has served you.
You can come back to it anytime you feel overwhelmed by strong thoughts,
Feelings,
Or sensations.
Thank you again and I'm wishing you a blessed and peaceful day.
