Welcome to day one of your meditation challenge.
Make sure you find a comfortable seat,
Maybe on a chair or on the floor leaning against the wall.
Just make yourself feel comfortable.
As you arrive,
Begin by taking a few deeper breaths than normal.
In through the nose and then out through the mouth so you can audibly hear the outward breath.
As you settle into your breathing,
Shift your breathing back to breathing in through the nose and then back out through the nose.
Just play with this breathing for a few moments to make sure that you are comfortable with it.
If not,
Just retrain back to breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
As you arrive at this place in time,
Take your awareness into your feet and feel the connection that your feet are making with the floor.
Notice the way the different parts of the feet connect to the floor.
Perhaps notice the difference between the way the left foot and the right foot are connected to the floor.
Is there any difference in pressure?
Any difference in temperature?
Now take your awareness up your legs into your seat and notice the connection that your seat is making with the floor or the ground beneath you.
Notice the weight as it pushes into your seat and notice how the ground is supporting your body,
Holding you up.
Notice which parts of your butt are connected to the seat.
Notice the connection of the left buttock and then the right buttock.
Is there any difference between the left and the right side?
Any difference in pressure?
Any difference in weight or temperature?
From your seat,
Let your awareness travel up your spine.
Feel how your spine is holding you upright.
Notice if you're leaning against a wall behind you and how that is supporting you.
Feel how the vertebrae are stacked on top of each other.
Feel the pressure between them.
Is there a difference in pressure depending on where in the back your vertebrae are?
Is there a difference in weight distribution or temperature?
Feel your spine from the very bottom to the top right where it connects into your skull.
Feel that straight line that is holding your entire body up and that is helping you to carry yourself through the world.
From your spine,
Shift your attention to your hands.
Your hands resting in your lap or on your legs.
Notice which parts of the hands are connected to your legs.
Feel the weight of each hand against the legs.
Is there any difference between the way the left hand rests and the way the right hand rests?
Any difference in weight or temperature?
As your hands start to relax,
You move your awareness up into your shoulders.
On the next inward breath,
Gently shrug your shoulders towards your ears.
And on the outward breath,
Allow them to relax back down towards the floor.
Take two or three more breaths just like this at your own pace.
Whenever you arrive at that last exhale,
Let your shoulders rest away from the ears.
But keep your awareness at your breath.
Begin to follow the inward breath followed by the outward breath.
Notice how you're breathing into your stomach,
Your ribs,
Your chest.
How your stomach is moving outward,
How your ribs are expanding,
How your chest is gently moving up and down.
When you're ready,
Notice where your attention is.
And bring it back to your breathing.
Gently extending the inhale and the exhale.
Bring your attention back into your body and slowly begin to move your body.
Begin by wiggling your fingers and toes and take your awareness into the space around you.
Notice the sounds inside the room you're in and notice the sounds outside the room.
Take three deeper than normal breaths.
Breathing in through the nose and exhale through the mouth so you can audibly hear yourself.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and sit quietly for a few moments.
Just contemplating your experience.
Thank you for doing day one for yourself and I see you tomorrow.
Namaste.
