Hello,
My name is Sam and welcome to this meditation to help you appreciate time differently.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lacking in time in today's society.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to try and cram in as much as we can during the day,
A lot of which is for other people or revolves around menial tasks that do nothing to enhance our experience of life.
Today we're going to take some time to feel time so that whenever you become anxious and feel time poor,
You can recall this meditation and remember how to create feelings of being time rich.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position,
Whether seated or lying down.
In either case,
Find somewhere that your spine is supported and where you can rest undisturbed and quiet for a little while.
Take a few moments to let your body adjust and whilst adjusting,
Roll your shoulders down and away from the ears to create space around your neck.
Allow your hips to soften so that you're not gripping through the legs.
Relax your belly so that your abdomen is completely released.
Drop the tongue into the bottom of the mouth and slacken the jaw so that your face,
Lips and teeth feel free of any tension.
Take a slow breath in through the nose if possible and exhale more slowly through the nose or mouth,
Whichever feels right.
Repeat the breath only this time taking a little longer for the out breath.
Let the air linger as you gently exhale.
Notice the pause after the breath is completed.
It's a moment of complete stillness and quietude.
Take one more conscious breath in this way and feel how your body moves as the breath continues its cycle.
Feeling the torso and belly expanding,
The skin stretching,
The rib cage widening and so on.
And then as you breathe out,
Everything retreats back into its initial position.
Feel the stillness in the pause at the end of the breath.
Allow your breathing to resume by itself now without any need to change it in any way.
Just let it find its own natural rhythm.
However,
Do maintain your focus on the breath so you become a keen observer of the process.
Want to explore everything that happens as the body breathes.
How does your body change shape?
What mechanics are at play to accommodate and then release the air?
What sounds can you hear?
Notice any changes occurring in your body as the relaxation takes a deeper hold.
Feel any new sensations that come to light.
There's no need to do anything special,
Nor is there any need to change anything.
You're just an observer watching in wonder.
As you continue to focus on the breath,
Time seems to slow down around you.
All that matters is each new breath.
This inhale,
Now this exhale.
This breath in,
And now this breath out.
There's nothing else,
Just this breath.
This is your now.
As your breath slows down,
So does time,
Or at least your perception of it.
For example,
This next breath will probably only last around five to 10 seconds,
Yet it can feel so much longer.
There is a lot of timing one day,
Though some days will feel longer than others.
You'll probably have had days where you did relatively little and the time flew by,
And others where you got lots and lots done,
Yet there was still some time left over.
It's all to do with how you perceive its passing and how present you are.
The more mindful you are as you go about your day,
The longer and more enjoyable it will be.
Imagine you're eating your breakfast or dinner.
The plate is in front of you.
What do you see?
What are the colours,
The textures?
What can you smell?
What physical reaction is your body having upon seeing the food?
If you take some of the food onto your spoon,
What shape does it make?
How viscous is it?
Before you even put it into your mouth,
Can you already imagine how it will taste?
What happens when the spoon approaches your mouth?
Is your mouth watering?
Where does your tongue lie in readiness?
As you prepare to put the food into your mouth,
How do your lips open?
Do you lick your lips beforehand?
And then the spoon goes in and your taste buds explode with taste and sensation.
There are so many processes happening simultaneously.
How many can you think of?
As you move the food around in your mouth,
What muscles are activated to achieve this motion?
Do you chew,
Slurp,
Chomp?
It's something we do every day,
But how many times have you considered the actual process of eating?
Try this exercise the next time you sit down to eat.
It can be very eye-opening.
Think back to a time when you stopped and took some time for yourself.
A time when you didn't even have to look at the clock,
Or you were so absorbed in what you were doing that you had no idea of time passing.
You could think back to a time when you were a child playing,
Or maybe to a recent vacation or holiday where you had all the time in the world.
Picture it clearly in your mind.
See how old you are,
Where you are,
What you're doing.
See the scene in your mind's eye,
The colours,
The environment,
And the sights and sounds.
Recall the feeling you had in your body at that time,
The sense of freedom and wellbeing,
That wonderful sense of abandonment,
Of independence to do whatever you wanted to for as long as you wanted to.
Feel that clearly in your body now.
No cares in the world,
No deadlines,
No appointments or commitments,
Just you and your passion or hobby.
Say to yourself silently,
I have all the time I need.
I have all the time I need.
Say to yourself,
Focusing on the present moment is all I need to do.
Focusing on the present moment is all I need to do.
Say to yourself,
Time is on my side.
Time is on my side.
And say to yourself,
My time is precious,
I savour every moment.
My time is precious,
I savour every moment.
The next time you feel that time is escaping you,
Bring your thoughts back to the present moment.
Be a keen observer of what you're doing at that very moment.
Be mindful and enjoy the process in all its detail.
Take deep lingering breaths that will slow everything down.
Time is on your side and you have all the time you need.
When it feels like the right time,
Slowly start to move your body in a way that gently reawakens it.
Thank you for taking the time to do this meditation with me.
I wish you all the best.
