As the academic year progresses and our responsibilities increase,
We may start to realize that frequent social events and new experiences can impact our sense of balance in daily life.
The following practice will help you to create a safe space,
Identifying imbalance without judgment and beginning to take a small step toward healthier habits which support your academic journey.
So I'd like to invite you to make yourself comfortable,
Preferably sitting upright with the back straight or if this is too difficult you can lie down.
And whenever you're ready bring the eyes to a gentle close.
We'll start the practice by bringing our attention to the touch of the breath,
Particularly at the area of the nostrils.
And just getting a sense of the quality of the breath,
Whether it is long or short,
Heavy or light.
We don't want to influence the breath here,
But simply notice the sensation in this region of the nose,
Allowing the breath to assume its natural rhythm.
Gently breathing in and feeling the coolness of the breath,
And noticing that warm sensation as the breath exits the body,
And just bringing calm to the system.
Before we engage in any deeper contemplation,
It can be useful to bring a sense of relaxation to the body.
And so I invite you to bring your awareness to the soles of the feet,
And noticing any sensations here,
As we begin to briefly scan through the calves and shins.
Feeling the knees,
And the weight of the body on the backs of the thighs and the glutes.
Briefly scanning the tops of the thighs,
And feeling a sense of grounding at the base of the spine,
Giving ourselves permission here to make any adjustment to the legs.
And this is not a practice of austerity,
But one of establishing peace and comfort in the present moment.
Briefly surveying the lower back,
The middle of the back and the upper back,
Noting any tension or tightness as simply tension or tightness.
Reminding ourselves that any discomfort will dissolve in its own time.
Feeling into the abdomen,
And briefly scanning the front of the body and the chest.
Allowing the attention to drip down the arms,
Past the elbows and into the forearms,
Wrists and hands.
And again,
Just making any necessary adjustments as an act of kindness toward ourselves.
Coming into the neck,
Noticing any heaviness in the shoulders,
Remembering that discomfort will subside naturally.
Briefly scanning the face,
Cheeks,
Nose,
Eyes and forehead.
And stationing the awareness at the crown of the head,
Preparing to turn inward.
And as we do this,
We may notice feelings manifest,
Maybe a sense of constriction,
Prominent in the back or the chest perhaps.
We may notice some difficult emotions,
All of which is natural when we intend to.
To reflect on these parts of our lives,
Areas in which we may seek some adjustment,
Refinement or realignment.
At university we are constantly required to explore the edges of our comfort zone.
Maybe feeling a need to socialize a little more than expected,
And just to help us feel safe and connected to our peers.
Sometimes this can generate thoughts in the mind which highlight habits and patterns that we may have accrued as a result of our increased activity.
In observing these facts,
We learn to distance ourselves from their positive or negative character.
We can create a space to ponder how irregularities in our sleeping,
Eating or leisure activities can sometimes leave us without energy to really make the most of our time here.
But the truth is,
Habit and routine forming is inevitably a slow process,
One of trial and error.
With this in mind,
We can allow ourselves the grace needed to embrace these imbalances with a compassionate heart,
Instead of trying to do everything at once.
And so you may want to use these next few moments of silence to gently contemplate just one area that you'd like to re-establish balance in.
And as you do this,
You necessarily open the door for solutions to naturally emerge.
And when this takes place,
You can reduce this solution or change to the smallest and simplest actionable step.
And so I'll leave you here for a few moments.
And when you hear my voice again,
We'll begin to bring the meditation period to a close.
Coming close to the end of the meditation now.
Just notice what has changed and what solutions have emerged,
Understanding that these positive outcomes were within you all along.
You will now hear the bell ring three times.
And on the third ringing of the bell,
Gently open the eyes and return to the room.
At university,
It is inevitable that we will fall in and out of routines from time to time.
But this doesn't mean that we aren't capable or disciplined,
Just that we are human beings.
Take your time and don't forget to celebrate those small wins along the way.
If this practice helped you today,
Try our other resources to help you feel calmer throughout your university journey.
