Hello,
Simone here and I'm going to be guiding you through this 12 minute mindfulness meditation designed to help reduce anxiety and increase feelings of connection.
Something that we could all use during times of heightened stress and uncertainty.
Settling into a space that feels relaxing and quiet and as you become aware of your surroundings,
I'd like you to look around and note three things that you can see.
Perhaps you can see the floor,
Your clothes,
A window and begin to notice how different these three items look.
Different shapes,
Different colors,
Different textures.
And now closing the eyes begin to notice three things you can feel.
Maybe you can feel the pressure of your legs against the cushion.
The rise and fall of the chest as you breathe.
And becoming curious about these sensations,
Do you notice temperature such as warm hands or cooler feet?
Beginning now to listen out for three sounds you can hear.
Maybe birds,
Cars in the distance,
The sound of my voice.
Again being interested in the sounds and noticing all the different tones.
Some louder,
Some much softer.
But do you notice how they're always changing?
Whenever you get lost in thought you can use this sound as an anchor.
Turning your awareness away from the thoughts in the future,
Thoughts from the past and choose to rest your awareness on a sound that is happening right now.
Noticing the thought but then turning your awareness to focus on that sound again and again.
Paying attention to the next few breaths as you take a longer inhale and a slow exhale.
Breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly.
Repeating this a couple of times and noticing how your body moves when you breathe.
And then as you begin to breathe naturally just noticing the quality of the breath.
Noticing what it feels like to breathe naturally without any force.
Sensing what it's like to be here right now.
And as we rest in the body you might begin to sense areas of tension.
Places that store stress.
Some people feel it in the jaw or around the eyes.
Sometimes between the shoulders.
Maybe you could send some loving breath to any parts of the body that need it.
We'll check in now to see what emotions are here.
What difficult emotions have you been feeling lately?
It can be a range of feelings from anger,
Sadness,
Anxiety or loneliness.
Sensing one of the louder more dominant emotions.
And instead of saying I am sad or I am anxious.
Can you reframe it and say anxiety is here or sadness is here?
And in the same way you were curious about the sounds and the breath.
Can you bring that same curiosity to these emotions?
Noticing how different they are.
That some are louder,
Some much softer.
And in the same way sounds rise and fall.
Perhaps you can sense emotions do also.
Where in the body do you notice the energy of this emotion?
If it had a shape or color what would that be?
What is it like if you take a long slow breath and send that to this part of the body?
And these last few moments I'd like you to begin to listen to the rhythm of your heart beating.
This heart is a source of inner strength,
Of compassion and kindness.
A source of inner wisdom.
And whenever you feel overwhelmed know that this heart is always here for you.
Beginning to bring some mindful movement back into the hands and feet now.
Wiggling the fingers and toes and stretching out the legs and arms.
Feeling the fresh air on your skin.
Beginning to recall where you are and what day it is.
And give yourself a moment of gratitude for giving yourself this space and time.
A sense of care and well-being.
Thank you for meditating with me.
I hope this brought in a sense of calm and inner strength for your day.
