Hello and welcome.
I'd like to start by recognizing you for giving yourself the permission to pause today,
By joining me for this meditation.
My intention for this practice is to provide you with two experiences.
The first is to make this pause you have chosen to take a meaningful reset within the flow of your day.
The second is to help you continue to give yourself that permission to pause throughout the rest of your day and beyond.
When you're ready,
I welcome you to find a comfortable position for your body.
Please note that if your body starts talking to you throughout the meditation,
You are welcome to move.
If at any time this practice is not serving you,
Please do what you need to in order to best care for yourself during this precious break in your day.
Even if that means leaving the practice,
You are your own expert.
As you settle into your chosen position,
Let's take a moment to explore your surroundings.
The room you're in,
The doors and windows,
And just take note of the quality of the room.
The temperature,
The sounds,
And the way you feel here.
If you've already closed your eyes,
Or even if you haven't,
I welcome you to do that now.
And if this doesn't feel available to you,
You can soften your gaze or choose something in the room to focus on that feels supportive for your practice.
As we give ourselves permission to pause,
We can reflect on how it often seems easier to just keep going,
To push through,
And to keep enmeshed in the stress or challenges of our lives because our mind has been trained to do rather than to be.
The seemingly simple act of taking this time,
Like we will now,
To pause and press reset can sometimes feel like a radical act,
Whether it's a busy time of year or in lives that demand sustained focus and action throughout the day.
When we give ourselves that permission,
We instigate a subtle shift that can help us re-engage with our world and life in ways that remind us of our agency,
As well as our true nature,
Which is to care for ourselves and therefore be better able to care for others.
As you shift your focus within,
I welcome you to feel your body.
Just notice how it's doing today and feel the weight of your body on the earth.
If it feels restless,
That's okay.
It might not know how to rest here.
So perhaps you can introduce the idea of resting in this place to your body,
Softening your forehead,
Your jaw and your shoulders,
And anywhere else that feels tight or contracted,
Ready to move on to the next thing.
Just gently reminding your body that it has permission to be here for now.
As your body begins to settle,
Notice your mind.
Perhaps it is equally,
If not more,
Restless.
So I welcome you to imagine your brain,
This powerful organ that regulates every process of your body.
Perhaps you can invite it to soften just a little,
To also give it permission to pause with you for now.
If you can,
Notice the breath in a way that feels good to you.
No need to change it.
Just notice it as it is.
And when you're ready,
Begin to count your breaths.
One on the inhale.
Two on the exhale.
One on the inhale.
Two on the exhale.
And then let's count up to four.
One on the inhale.
Two on the exhale.
Three on the inhale.
Four on the exhale.
When you're finished,
Go back to one and count to six.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
And now choose a number between two and ten,
And complete a round or two by yourself.
When you reach your chosen number,
Simply return back to one.
And whatever number you're on,
Feel free to complete your last round,
And then let go of counting altogether.
Notice your body,
Feeling it where it meets your surroundings.
Notice where it touches the ground,
Where your clothes touch your skin,
And where your skin touches the air.
And then feel all of it together,
If you can.
And as you do,
Notice your mind.
This beautiful interconnection.
Your mind resting in your body.
Your body resting on the ground.
A rest made possible because of the permission to pause that you've given them.
Let's get curious and ask the mind,
What will my next thought be?
Whatever comes up for you,
Just let it be what it is.
And know you can always give yourself permission to pause.
To reconnect with your mind and your body.
To breathe,
To rest and reset.
And to shift from automatic doing to conscious choosing.
What will my next thought and action be?
Slowly bring your awareness back to the room in this moment.
Letting go of all of that focus.
Wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Stretching in whatever way feels good to you.
As you start to open your eyes to the room,
Or release whatever object has had your attention.
I welcome you to take in what's around you with new eyes.
Noticing how you feel both within yourself and in your environment.
I invite you to be reminded that taking time to reset within your day doesn't need to be a big event or a seated meditation.
It can just be giving yourself permission to pause.
Knowing that when we do so,
The people,
Places and world around us gets to know the best of us.
If any of this practice was helpful for you,
The counting,
The questions,
Any of the ways in which you placed your attention on your mind or your body,
See if you can take that into the rest of your day and beyond.
Maybe when you're faced with a choice or a stressful situation,
Or you notice you're on autopilot or in the process of overdoing.
Can you notice without judgment and just invite yourself to pause?
Knowing that these pauses precede actions rooted in awareness,
Integrity and care.
Thank you for being here.
