Finding Peace And Awareness: A Mindfulness Meditation

In this session, Terri demystifies mindfulness, making it accessible and inviting for everyone. She walks us through simple yet profound practices that can be woven into any part of your day, not just those quiet moments on the meditation mat. From observing the breath to setting personal intentions, Terri shares practical techniques to help you cultivate a deeper sense of presence and calm.

Transcript

All right,

Today I thought it's appropriate with your story there that we would do a mindfulness awareness meditation.

Talk a little bit up front about what is mindfulness and awareness and then our meditation.

We get a lot of chatter these days on social media and in general about being mindful and holding awareness,

Holding space.

And it can be kind of daunting because a lot of it feels like something you have to really work at.

And like you were talking about,

Work at it when the dog is barking at you.

Well,

That's kind of an extreme situation.

That would require just about anybody to work at it.

But for the most part,

Mindfulness and awareness is really a very gentle and continuous practice.

As we go through our days,

As we experience different things,

Whether they are stressful or pleasant,

It really doesn't matter.

It is a matter of tuning in and noticing what you're actually experiencing in that moment.

So practice of mindfulness can be done anywhere.

It isn't just sitting on your mat.

It isn't just,

You know,

When you're in a yoga studio doing a meditation class.

Mindfulness,

Awareness is in the ongoing practice.

And the good news is the more you practice it,

The better you get at it and the more peaceful you feel.

So when you're taking a walk,

Use mindfulness.

Make the intention when you start on that walk to use mindfulness.

Be aware.

So as you're walking,

Take a look around you.

Notice the flowers that are blooming on bushes.

Notice the colors of the leaves.

Notice the sounds of the path under your feet or sidewalk,

The sound your shoes make.

Notice the wind and how it feels on your skin.

Notice the temperature.

So all these things are going on all the time and we kind of go on autopilot in our lives.

It is very easy to go on autopilot because it doesn't require any thinking.

It doesn't require any awareness.

So bringing your attention,

A.

K.

A.

Awareness,

To anything that's going on gives you an edge.

Because you are actually tuned in to the here and now.

If you can take that step further,

Which we'll do in our meditation today,

You can completely tune in to your own self.

And you want to call that soul or spirit?

Call it that.

You can tune in to you and know what you truly,

Truly want and what really matters to you.

And in that experience of awareness of your own self,

You can make really powerful shifts in anything you want to.

Behaviors,

Habits,

Change in direction.

Because you're really tuned in.

And that's what awareness gets you to eventually.

So today,

Let's just do a couple of the techniques that you can use when you are practicing awareness or want to practice awareness.

We'll use our breath,

Which you guys are used to doing from your yoga practice at the end of pretty much every yoga class.

You focus on your breath and you focus on your quiet and your asana.

So we'll do that.

And we'll also use counting.

It's a great way to focus your attention.

So go ahead and let's get comfortable.

Get yourself situated evenly on your sit bones.

I want you to know that if you're comfortable sitting like that,

That's great.

If at some point during the meditation,

You start getting antsy because,

Oh my God,

My butt's falling asleep or,

You know,

Whatever,

Please just move.

Just get yourself comfortable because that's how you're going to be able to stay focused.

So when you're ready,

You can begin to pull yourself in.

Find that comfortable,

Upright posture that allows your head to just sort of gently balance at the top of your spine.

Neither forcing yourself up or feeling like you're tense,

But just gently upright.

And here,

Pull your focus to your breathing.

Just observe your breathing.

Notice how it flows in and out.

Make no effort to change it.

Just watch it.

Simply notice how your body breathes.

In your mind's eye,

Notice your breath flowing gently in and out of your body.

And when you notice straight thoughts flowing through,

And you will,

Don't engage with them.

Simply let them drift by as if they're clouds flowing by and just come back to your breath.

And just come back to your breath.

Notice how your breath continues to flow,

Even without you pushing it or focusing to make it do something different.

It just flows.

And notice how your body feels.

Maybe a little calmer.

Maybe even your breath is slowing down a little in the stillness.

Notice the stages of a complete breath.

From the in-breath.

A slight pause that follows.

And the out-breath.

And another pause,

Just before taking another breath.

Bring your attention to your breath.

Bring your attention to the tip of your nose.

And notice the air flowing in as you breathe in.

Notice the coolness as you breathe in.

How the air hits the insides of your nostrils.

Back of your throat.

How it warms as it flows down into your lungs.

As you exhale.

Notice the warmth of the air.

Maybe even a little moisture to it.

As it flows back up your throat.

Out through your nose.

Can you feel as it flows out?

Maybe just a little brush of that warm air against your upper lip.

Notice,

Again,

The pauses between the inhale and the exhale.

Just with your normal breathing.

Is the pause a little longer,

Maybe,

Right before we breathe in again?

Or is it the other way around?

Notice your sinuses.

As you breathe in.

Do you feel the air circulating in your sinuses?

Maybe a little cooler.

And warmer as you exhale.

You knew there was so much to a breath.

Now notice your body.

Your chest and belly.

Notice your nose.

Your body.

Your chest and belly.

As you breathe in and your chest expands and rises.

Notice your sides,

Your ribs.

How they expand all the way around to the back.

And as you exhale.

It gets smaller again.

Notice your belly.

The air below where your ribs come together.

Diaphragm pushing the breath.

Expanding your belly.

Letting it fall again.

Now as you continue to just breathe normally.

I'm going to practice counting breaths.

And with each count.

Just allow yourself to drop in a little more deeply.

And to get a little more still inside.

So we'll count backwards from 10.

As you're breathing in.

Breathing in.

10.

Exhale.

Just following the breath.

Breathing in.

9.

Again.

8.

Now go ahead and continue on your own.

Breathing in.

7.

Breathing in.

3.

2.

1.

And release the counting.

Notice how your entire body feels now.

Is it different than when you first sat?

Is it quieter?

Calmer?

More peaceful?

One last breathing technique.

Let's take an intentional large breath.

In.

And blow it out from your mouth.

Let's do that twice more.

Breathing in.

And out through your mouth.

Once more.

Breathing in.

And out through your mouth.

How does that feel different?

Allowing your body to just breathe normally.

Now call your attention to the center of your chest.

Your heart space.

Area between your lungs.

And let's take some intentional breaths here.

Breathing in from the back.

Right between your shoulder blades.

And breathing out from the front.

In from the back.

Between your shoulder blades.

Chest rise.

And out from the front.

How do you feel?

How do you feel?

In terms of presence.

Have you pulled your attention into your body?

Watching your breathing?

Is your awareness now more present?

Maybe say to yourself,

I am here.

I am present.

I am here.

I am present.

I am present.

With your attention still at that center point in your chest,

You perhaps ask yourself,

What is one intention I'd like to carry with me today?

Maybe it's one word.

Allow it to bubble up.

Maybe it's peace.

Maybe it's awareness.

Compassion.

So let's take your word.

See it in front of yourself.

Crystallized.

And pull that word into your third eye.

Right between your eyebrows.

And let it drop down to your heart.

Back to the center of your chest.

And let's take three more of those heart breaths to completely cement that word there in your heart.

I need you to hold on to this as you go through your day.

Breathing in from the back.

Hold at the top.

And release from the front.

Once more,

Breathing in from the back.

Hold at the top.

And release from the front.

Last one.

Breathing in from the back.

Saying your word to yourself.

And release from the front.

Now bringing your hands to prayer position in front of your heart.

Offer yourself thanks,

Gratitude.

For sitting today.

For allowing yourself to come to stillness.

Come to stillness to become aware of yourself.

Of your own intention.

And offer yourself a blessing.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

And may you know peace.

Namaste.