A welcoming meditation.
This meditation will be used to bring our hearts and minds together into the present moment.
Please sit in a comfortable position any way you like and allow your eyes to close.
Let's begin by simply listening to the sounds around you.
Just sitting quietly and noticing any sounds in the room that are arising.
Allow the sounds just to come to you.
Now in your mind's eye,
Notice your own body in the room.
Perhaps welcoming yourself into the room and greeting yourself with an inner smile.
Listening and inclining your awareness toward yourself as you might toward a dear friend.
Now dropping your awareness into the body.
Using the physical sensations in the body as they come and go.
Unpleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral sensations.
Are there any pleasant sensations in the body?
If so,
Can you take a moment to appreciate and savor the pleasant sensations?
Are there any unpleasant sensations in the body?
If so,
Can you make some space for them,
Allowing them to be there?
Any unpleasant sensations?
If only just for one moment.
Just gently resting your awareness in your bodily sensations.
And if your mind starts to drift as it will.
Just notice with kindness that it's drifted and bring your attention back to the bodily sensations.
Now,
Just notice with kindness that it's drifted and bring your attention back to the body.
Remember that you're not alone,
That uneasiness and discomfort is part of the human condition.
You're not alone.
Understanding a body and its sensations are part of the human condition.
And if there is discomfort,
Can you let your heart soften a little?
Just be a little tender.
Probably because this is so.
Perhaps you can offer yourself some words of encouragement like,
It's okay.
You can handle this.
And finally appreciating the effort and the good intentions that brought you here.
This is already an act of compassion and self-compassion.
Keep wanting Stories and complex phenomenon self.
Something is just eight steps.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
