Welcome to today's meditation session.
In this session we are going to be practicing a mindfulness meditation.
To settle in today just find yourself a comfortable position,
Something alert but comfortable and relaxing.
If you can find a quiet space that is ideal but if you cannot,
No problem.
We can use sounds as a tool in meditation most of the time.
Whenever you are ready either close your eyes or find a relaxing gaze.
If I can't close my eyes I often just softly gaze at the floor until I'm relaxed enough to do so.
Now we can start breathing slowly,
Paying attention to the breath,
Focusing on the sensations of our chest or our belly rising as our lungs fill up.
Just being with these sensations for a few moments,
Staying present to them.
To officially begin this meditation session let's start with three to four long deep breaths with an elongated exhale.
This will help us to enter a relaxed state which can facilitate focus.
So in this practice we are going to try and maintain a strong awareness on the present moment,
Focusing on the sensations of right now,
Focusing on our breathing,
Any sensations that come along with that breathing,
Anything that sticks out as a dominant anchor in our awareness of the present moment.
If you ever do find yourself lost in thoughts that is absolutely normal,
Your thoughts will try and steal your attention away.
Simply note them,
Acknowledge them and let them go and bring yourself back to the present moment.
Let's practice this for a few moments.
If the thoughts are taking you away,
No need to beat yourself up.
Every moment that a thought steals your attention is like a mental bicep curl providing us with the opportunity to flex that present moment awareness and focus muscle.
This form of meditation practice can enhance our awareness of our thoughts and the power that they often do have over us and in doing so we can change our relationship to those thoughts.
It's okay for them to be there.
But the art of allowing a thought to pass without it having to mean anything more or anything less than it does is a valuable skill in a world that is constantly trying to grab our attention.
So let's practice this for a few moments.
Continuing to breathe.
Continuing to relax in present moment awareness.
Let's practice this for a few moments.
Let's practice this for a few moments.
Just gently focusing on the breath.
Paying attention to the micro sensations.
Perhaps being aware of the macro sensations across the body or picking one place,
One sensation that occurs with each breath and taking a few more moments just to exercise the skill of that awareness.
When thoughts come to take you away,
Simply letting them go.
Allowing that thought to come and go as if a cloud passing by would do the same.
The anchor is simply the awareness that you possess.
Taking a few last moments,
Holding on as tightly as you can.
Exercising that mental bicep curl for just an extra few moments.
And to conclude this practice,
Let's all take one more deep breath.
Releasing any tension we might still be holding.
And whenever you are ready,
You can open your eyes and wiggle your toes or your legs or your arms.
And reenter the room.
