Hello there and welcome to this five minute mindfulness meditation which is going to help you prepare for your school day.
So to begin with,
Although we don't have much time,
Try to make sure that you're comfortable seated upright if possible with your feet on the floor so that you're grounded.
Focusing on your breathing is one of the most valuable ways of centering yourself and accessing the present moment rather than concentrating on fears that you might have or concerns that you might have for the future or reminiscing about things that happened in the past.
So I'd like you to begin by taking three very deep breaths in through the nose,
Filling your lungs as completely as you are able to,
Holding that breath for one or two seconds before completely exhaling and emptying your lungs.
And now allow your breathing to return to its normal rate in and out through the nose.
And as your breathing returns to a normal rate,
Just be thankful that you have this five minutes of quiet reflection to prepare for your day.
The upcoming day is a part of your life and you have some control over how that day is going to progress.
You could simply be waking up,
Going through the routine of dressing and breakfast,
Trudging into school,
Passively accepting everything that happens to you,
Going home,
Sleeping and repeating,
Living somewhat mindlessly.
But already you are aware that you have a choice and that you can take control of how your day is going to progress.
You have a choice to live in present day awareness and that's something you're doing now.
I'm going to leave you for 20 seconds or so to the silence,
To your breathing,
So that you can become grounded in this moment.
And now,
Without spending too much time worrying about details or even considering what the details will be,
Think ahead to the day as you see it and how you think that it's going to unfold.
Think about the people that you will see,
The lessons that you will attend,
Think about the challenges that you will face.
You are aware that some lessons will be easier than others,
But all of them will begin and finish and your day will end.
Decide now that you are going to spend your day calmly and in control of yourself.
Before and between lessons,
Take a 5 to 10 second pause to breathe deeply and connect with the moment where you are,
Irrespective of the noise and bustle around you.
The other beneficial thing that you can do to prepare for your day is consider the people that you will meet along the way.
Think of your friends,
Think of your teachers,
Other students who you know perhaps only by view.
Remember that each person that you encounter today is like you,
Seeking to be happy,
Seeking to avoid suffering,
Trying the best that they can to live their day productively.
Think for a moment about how you might be a source of inspiration or peace or love for the people that you encounter.
Consider the ease with which you can smile at another person,
Hold the door for somebody,
Simply say thank you at the end of a lesson.
Think of the various different ways that you are able to positively impact somebody else's day.
And as we close this mindfulness session,
Remember throughout the day that you have the power within you to return to this present moment no matter what is happening around you.
You can deep,
Deeply breathe in and hold that breath,
Breathe out gently,
Connect even for a few seconds with the present moment knowing that everything is as it should be before you move on to the next part of your day.
Thank you.
