Welcome to this meditation for resting the mind.
Throughout your daily routine you may notice that the mind grows restless or agitated.
And although you can't always control the mind,
You can encourage it to be more at ease.
Learning how to do this helps you to respond rather than react to your thoughts and emotions.
This practice offers you the opportunity to train the mind to slow down when it becomes overactive and helps you practice ease and relaxation.
To begin,
Come into a comfortable position,
Perhaps sitting upright with your spine straight,
Shoulders back and away from your ears,
Hands in your lap or at your sides.
And if it feels right for you,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
And as you settle in,
Just begin to notice your breath.
Notice the natural flow and rhythm of your breath.
Or possibly notice the places in the body where you notice the breath the most.
This could be at your nostrils or in your chest or the abdomen.
Next,
Begin to scan your body for physical sensations.
Notice any areas of tension and see if you can breathe into these areas and relax with each exhale.
Again,
Simply scanning each body part and noticing the sensations that are here for you in this moment.
And as you continue to breathe,
Begin to check in with the momentum of your mind and the quality of your thoughts.
As you observe your thoughts,
Don't get pulled into the stories connected to them.
Recognize that you can't control every thought that arises.
Connect with your intention to relax the mind.
If thoughts are present,
Notice them but don't get caught up in their stories.
You can offer yourself two simple phrases of kindness toward the mind in these moments.
May my mind be at ease and may I be at ease with my mind.
Synchronize these kind phrases with your exhale,
Offering one phrase every time you breathe out,
Making sure to hear each word and connect with your own intention to care for the mind.
So breathing naturally here,
Inhaling and as you exhale,
May my mind be at ease.
Inhaling and exhaling,
May I be at ease with my mind.
When the thinking mind begins again,
Come back to the breath in these phrases.
Even if you can say only one phrase before the mind wanders again,
You're still moving toward relaxation by continuing to practice.
Inhaling and as you exhale,
May my mind be at ease.
Inhaling and exhaling,
May I be at ease with my mind.
Now ask yourself,
How am I feeling in this moment?
Include your thoughts and your physical sensations and simply notice without judging or criticizing.
As you return to the activity of your day,
Watch the mind and notice when it becomes uncomfortable or agitated and offer yourself one of these simple phrases of kindness.
And now bringing your awareness back to your body seated here,
Noticing the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
And begin to bring some gentle movement to the body,
Perhaps wiggling the fingers and toes or rolling your shoulders.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice today.
I hope you have an amazing day.
