Guided Meditation: I Am Alive [9 Mins]

I Am Alive - this is a short guided meditation and reflection on being alive and in touch with as many living moments as possible.

This guided meditation offers us a moment of stopping and looking deeply inviting us home to the present moment. Enjoy!

Transcript

So we're going to begin by listening to a sound of the bell.

In the Plum Village tradition established by Thich Nhat Hanh,

The bell is an invitation to gently turn towards home,

Home being inside of ourselves,

The safe island within ourselves.

So we enjoy listening to the sound of the bell and then we'll move into just a very short gentle practice.

So perhaps finding a dignified posture that embodies comfort and safety for you in this moment and we might begin by just gently noticing that I am alive,

I am alive.

And for those of us that might be closing our eyes,

For others it's just gently softening our gaze.

We might like to focus perhaps on our breathing,

Aware that we're breathing in and breathing out.

For those of us that don't find breathing comfortable,

We may just gently notice our environment,

The aliveness of our environment around us.

We may choose to focus our gentle gaze on a particular object and that's alright.

So whether you're breathing or whether you're noticing the environment around you,

Coming into contact with I am alive,

I am alive.

Giving ourselves a few moments to feel that aliveness or to notice that aliveness in you,

Around you.

And we might like to smile to the aliveness inside of us and around us.

I am alive,

I am alive.

This is the invitation as you go throughout your day,

Gently turning into the aliveness that is inside of you.

Noticing yourself when you move away from that aliveness and bringing yourself home for a moment of mindfulness.

So let us practice with three sounds of the bell,

Gently bringing our focus to the aliveness that is here.

And with each breath we might enjoy this mantra,

I am alive.

As we breathe in,

I am alive.

As we breathe out,

I am alive.

As I notice the environment,

I am alive.

As I enjoy the environment.

So let's practice with three sounds of the bell.

Very good.

So just noticing for myself the shoulders dropping a little bit where I hold the most tension.

Noticing the breath and maybe the breath not always feeling stable,

So a little bit of a wobbly breath.

Noticing the comfort that my environment is providing me,

Supporting me to be here in the present moment when perhaps the breath is difficult.

And just feeling this energy of aliveness,

Allowing my nervous system to settle and just to physiologically relax.

Tuning in with how I am,

Turning towards what feels pleasant,

Noticing perhaps what feels unpleasant and then gently returning towards I am alive with the pleasant and with the unpleasant.

Both can coexist.

So this is our reflection for today.

In what ways am I alive?

In what ways can I gently notice that I am alive in as many moments throughout my day as possible?

When I'm vacuuming,

When I'm having a cup of coffee,

What helps me to feel most at ease in my nervous system,

In my whole body?

How can I look towards the difficulty that might be present for me?

Whatever difficulty is here,

Can I also practice with what feels pleasant and gently notice that with both of these,

I am alive and finding ways inside of me and around me to meet my needs,

To soothe and to have a nervous system that I can gently turn towards in my sitting meditation or just in my gentle noticing as I go throughout my day.

So that is a practice for right now and my practice right now,

Supporting my nervous system to feel physiologically at ease and more relaxed.

So I invite you to practice with this gentle practice in whatever ways feel most appropriate for you and your direct experience.

So I bow to each and every one of you.

Thank you for joining me for this short 10 minute session.

I look forward to an opportunity to continue to share our practice together and to enjoy this wonderful gift of the practice and of being alive.

So take good care and go gently throughout the rest of your day.

Bye for now.

Reviews

Thank you so much, for this mindful practice., Steven. The image of the hills in the distance behind your photo, gently called me home before I hit the Play button. Your words and sharing of the practice was a beautiful experience, which I carry with me. Looking forward to returning to this track and also your other work. Sending Loving Kindness and Gratitude from Australia.

This is the first meditation I’ve experienced to acknowledge that breathing is sometimes difficult! That alone was a great gift. The everyday practicality of the practice (vacuuming!) makes it feel accessible and easy. Thank you very much indeed!