Pre-Meal Meditation

If you find yourself feeling anxious before meals, this meditation is an opportunity for you to pause, to tune into your body and your mind so you can feel grounded and peaceful. There is also a crystal bowl sound bath playing in the background to help balance and harmonize your energy.

Transcript

Meals and snacks can be occasions for anxiety and ramped up emotions.

And they don't have to be.

If you like,

You can take a few minutes beforehand to mentally prepare yourself.

Be curious around what you need today so you can approach meal times feeling grounded and calm.

And be patient with yourself.

Some days will be better than others.

The ability to nourish yourself in a way that feels balanced and healthy is a skill that takes time.

If it feels okay for you,

You can gently bring your body into a position that is both lifted and comfortable.

Perhaps pressing both of your feet flat onto the floor.

Maybe inviting some length into your spine.

You can if you like close your eyes or gaze softly down your nose.

Maybe notice your shoulders.

Can you release them down away from your ears?

Perhaps even softening the muscles around your eyes,

Your jaw.

And we'll begin by taking just three slow cycles of breath.

Starting with a two part breath in through your nose.

Breathing first into your abdomen and then allowing your chest to lift and fill with air.

And then exhaling through your mouth slowly until you are completely empty of air.

Here we go.

You can empty out your lungs if you like.

And now inhale through your nose first into your abdomen.

Then noticing and sensing your chest lift as you fill with air.

Then as you're ready open mouth,

Soft exhale,

Keep going until you are completely empty of breath.

Two more times just like that.

Inhale through your nose,

Feel your abdomen and then your chest lift as your lungs fill with air.

And open mouth slow steady exhale until you are completely empty of breath.

Just one more time,

Breathe in through your nose,

Feel your abdomen and then your chest lift.

Open mouth exhale until you are completely empty of breath.

Then you can let go of the control of your breath allowing it to return to its instinctual natural rhythm.

Just notice how you feel.

And now if you like you can build on this foundation of physical breath by adding some mental imagery and focus.

So on the two part breath in you can if you like visualize oxygen and energy and light flooding into your body with your breath.

And then you can also invite any thoughts or feelings or emotions that may be present to flow along with your breath.

Knowing that you don't have to push away anything that you're thinking or feeling you can just invite whatever is present for you today to flow.

And then on your open mouth exhale adding a short positive mantra.

Maybe starting with I am and then finishing the statement with a word that best serves you today.

Perhaps I am enough.

I am powerful.

I am at ease.

I am love.

Whatever feels right for you in the moment.

Here we go.

Please empty the air out of your lungs.

And then as you're ready inhale into your abdomen visualizing oxygen fueling your body.

Sense your chest open as you invite all thoughts and feelings present to flow.

And then open mouth exhale mentally repeating your mantra as you empty out completely of breath.

Nice job.

Keep going.

Inhale into your abdomen visualizing energy shining throughout your body.

Feel your chest lift as you invite feelings to flow.

Open mouth exhale repeat your mantra as you empty out completely.

Inhale into your stomach.

See light flood every cell and every tissue.

Expand your lungs as thoughts dance with your breath.

And then open mouth exhale slow steady repeating your mantra as you empty out a breath.

Inhale through your nose into your abdomen.

And then your chest.

Open mouth exhale completely.

Inhale into your stomach.

See light sweep through your body.

Feel your lungs inviting thoughts to glide with your breath.

Open mouth exhale repeat your mantra expelling all old stale air out of your lungs.

Breathe into your abdomen.

Allow energy and light to swirl and surge to every part of you.

Feel your chest lift and expand taking in even more air.

Open mouth soft gentle slow exhale until all the air is left your lungs.

Keep going with this breath for a few more cycles if it serves you.

When it feels right for you,

You can let go of controlling your breathing and allow your body to regain its natural rhythm.

And if you like you can pause here to just notice how you feel physically.

And then if you like you can also check in mentally.

Maybe today checking in with what is happening in your mind like you would check in on a cherished friend.

What is present for you here and now?

Is there anything that's tugging at your awareness?

Maybe there are emotions or feelings that rise up at the prospect of sitting down for a meal.

That's okay.

If you feel safe and comfortable doing so you can just observe what you're feeling or thinking and just doing your best to not judge.

Giving yourself space and permission to mentally step back and witness whatever is present for you today.

And you don't have to worry or be embarrassed.

There is nothing to be afraid of or to feel guilty about.

Your thoughts and your feelings are going to be what they are and they will rise up and fall away in their own time.

What you can do now if you choose is just witness your thoughts,

Feelings and emotions without reacting to them or getting tangled up in any of them.

Just taking a few breaths here to practice this compassionate,

Detached awareness.

And as you're ready we'll move on to checking in with your body.

If you like you can bring your awareness to your chest,

Tuning into your heart maybe,

Even sensing the softness of the energy and the space around your heart.

Maybe you can hear your heartbeat.

You can take a few breaths focusing on all of your awareness in and around your heart.

And then if you like you can gather your awareness and bring your attention to your hands.

Maybe allowing them to fill with a tingling sensation.

Maybe you even feel your hands start to buzz with a bright,

Warm energy.

Maybe even imagining that you can feel your fingertips spark with light as the sensation in your hands shimmers and grows.

And then if you like you can allow this energy to begin to radiate up and out from your hands.

Extending up your arms to your shoulders.

Feeling your head and neck lift and fill with a shining,

Soothing light.

And now maybe allowing this glowing warmth to flow down into your chest.

Starting to combine and blend with the loving energy around your heart.

To gracefully expand all the way down your legs until it's beaming out your toes.

Feeling and feeling as this energy easily moves into and lights up every fiber of your being.

Receptively aware of your body as a field of luminous sensation.

And now bringing your awareness down into your feet.

Once again feeling them firmly planted on the floor beneath you.

Perhaps sensing how this energy moving through you is now connecting you to the earth.

Stabilizing and grounding you while waves of warm glowing light continue to easily flow through you.

Taking the time you need to find your own balance.

Having yourself to be rooted down and lifted up at the same time.

As you're ready you can come back to your breath.

Pausing for a moment here once again to just notice.

How do you feel?

Can you feel the air flowing easily in and out of your lungs?

Can you maybe even sense a slight tingle of aliveness of the energy and light flowing effortlessly through you?

Can you feel the strength of the connection of your feet to the floor beneath you?

If it serves you,

You can connect with this inner awareness.

The ability to feel energized and alive while remaining grounded and supported.

All of these feelings and sensations came from you.

These are your skills.

Tools that are available for you to use anytime you need them.

You are strong and you are worthy of the time it takes to love and care for yourself.

And you have the ability within you right now to make choices to best support your health and well-being.

When you're ready,

You can maybe press your feet down firmly into the floor.

Taking one or two last slow deep breaths.

And then when you're ready,

You can blink your eyes open and re-engage with the rest of your day.

Perhaps using these skills,

The energetic grounding,

The peace,

The breath that you cultivated during this meditation to enable you to find enjoyment with your meals.

May you stay in the light.

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