Good morning.
Every day is a new beginning,
Which means that it's an amazing time to sit with ourselves and meditate.
And that's exactly what we're going to do right now.
I'm going to guide you through a simple mindfulness meditation to start your day.
So let's go ahead and get started.
First,
Close your eyes softly.
Find a comfortable seated position.
We'll be here for several minutes.
So really settle yourself in.
You can sit on a cushion or a chair.
You can sit cross legged in hero's pose or however suits you this morning.
Ground yourself down with your sit bones and then let the mat or the cushion or chair and the earth below it hold you up and support you.
Sit up nice and tall so that your crown is lifted up towards the sky magnificently.
But try not to be too stiff.
Find some looseness and freedom.
Drop your shoulders.
Imagine that someone has just massaged you and relax your shoulders.
Ease up on any tension in your face,
Especially in your jaw,
Your eyebrows and the space between your eyebrows.
There's no need to tighten up your muscles anywhere in your body.
Think of an attentive yet relaxed posture.
And then when you're nice and comfortable,
Bring yourself into this beautiful present moment.
The only moment we have be here right now.
And you can keep reminding yourself here and now trying to let thoughts go and we'll focus entirely on our breath.
Using that as our anchor to stay rooted and connected.
Notice where you feel your breath most pronounced.
Maybe it's in your nose,
Your nostrils,
Maybe a bit lower in your throat,
Your chest or even in your belly.
Wherever it is,
Hone in on that zone in on that area.
Feel the sensation of the inhale and feel the sensation of the exhale.
Taking in air,
Taking in energy and vitality and letting go of anything that doesn't serve you.
The rise of the breath,
The fall of the breath and that brief pause between inhale and exhale.
And then before your next inhale again,
There's a loveliness in that in between as well as the actual breath.
Really take that in.
You don't need to change your breath pattern or how long you're holding your breath.
Just make it natural and give your breath your full undivided attention as much as you can.
How wonderful is it that we're alive right now that we get to be here?
Take that in,
Really absorb it and notice the sensation and what comes up with that notion.
What is it like to be here now?
What is it like to breathe in and out?
Getting that opportunity for breath.
Each breath is an opportunity.
It's another chance.
It's a new moment,
A new day.
Savor that.
And then ask yourself as you continue breathing,
Are you becoming calmer?
Are you experiencing more relaxation?
Well,
Certainly staying in this moment and being here.
Notice if your body is relaxing and softening.
Notice how you feel your body as you continue to listen for and feel your breath monitoring your being.
If your mind starts to wander at any point,
Gently bring your attention back.
Remember that when this happens,
When thoughts creep in,
It does not mean that you're failing at meditation.
In fact,
It means the opposite.
It means you're succeeding,
You're meditating because you're noticing and you're returning to the present moment and becoming mindful of what's happening in your body and in your mind as it's happening.
So celebrate that and keep going.
Begin again.
The important part is that if your thoughts start to creep in,
Just to be gentle and to be kind so you can tell yourself,
Come back or try it again or however you'd like to say it.
But no matter how,
Being really sweet with yourself.
Amelia Earhart once said,
A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make new trees.
So why not start that kindness with yourself?
Start that patience as you continue to sit in stillness,
In peace,
Just breathing and getting in touch with yourself.
It's that simple.
You can sit here feeling and listening to your breath as long as you need to and know that you can come back to this practice of mindfulness whenever you need it throughout the day.
Maybe to recenter yourself or to come back into the present moment when things become too overwhelming to try to quiet that monkey mind that sometimes won't stop chattering.
As we start to close out this meditation,
Finding a bit of gratitude for yourself.
Continuing to sit nice and still.
You can keep your eyes closed and we'll take in and then let out one more long,
Slow breath.
So we'll do that together.
Breathing in through your nose,
Allowing that breath to rise,
Holding it at the top and then slowly gradually cleansing,
Allowing it to escape out,
Letting go of anything that doesn't serve you.
Take your hands and put them over your heart and feel a deep sense of love for yourself and then let that light and love radiate out into the world.
Thank yourself for taking time out to meditate and then you can slowly blink your eyes open.
Come into this safe,
Sacred space that you've made for yourself.
And know that often the most glorious moment comes right after meditation when we feel like we're seeing the world with entirely new eyes and a new spirit.
So savor that,
Enjoy your day and hopefully we can practice again together.
Namaste.
