I'm Shania Gordon,
And I am so glad you're here.
I'm a mindfulness meditation teacher,
And this session is a mindfulness meditation guided by me.
But before we begin,
I would love to acknowledge a few things.
The practices I share are rooted in ancient mindfulness traditions.
They originated in South and Southeast Asia,
And I offer them here in a trauma-informed,
Secular way.
I also just wanna remind you that this space is yours.
There's nothing you need to get right,
Nothing you need to push through.
You're in control of your experience.
My guidance is just an invitation.
Your body and your spirit get the final say.
Now,
As we begin,
I invite you to take a moment to settle into a comfortable position,
Either sitting with your back supported or lying down.
Find a posture that allows you to be relaxed yet alert,
With your spine comfortably straight and your shoulders relaxed.
You can also close your eyes if you feel safe and comfortable to do so,
Or you can just soften your gaze.
Begin by bringing your awareness to the sensations of your breath.
Notice the natural rhythm as it flows in and out of your body.
With each inhale,
Feel the gentle expansion of your chest and abdomen.
And with each exhale,
Feel the release of tension,
Letting go of any thoughts or worries.
As we move through the practice,
Allowing each breath to deepen with time,
Each inhale and exhale becomes slower and slower,
A gentle encouragement for your nervous system to come into a state of rest and stillness.
As you continue to breathe deeply,
Observe the thoughts and emotions that arise in your mind.
They may seek to distract you from the present moment,
Asking for your attention.
See if you can notice them without judgment,
Kind of like clouds passing through the sky,
Allowing them to come and go,
Returning your focus to the here and now and to the depth of your breath whenever you find your mind wandering.
Now,
Shift your attention to the sensations in your body.
Starting from the top of your head,
Slowly scan down through your body,
Noticing any areas of tension or discomfort,
Maybe noticing the sensation of the ground or seat beneath you,
And observing whether you are fully relaxing into this posture.
With each breath,
Imagine sending relaxation and ease to those areas,
Allowing them to soften and release.
You're now welcomed to start expanding your awareness outside of your body.
To include the sounds happening around you,
Maybe even beginning to list each sound you can pick up on.
Now,
Explore the sensations of touch and the subtle movements of your body as you breathe.
How does your clothes shift on your skin?
How does your body feel as it expands and retracts with each breath?
Can all of your awareness be completely focused on what you can hear,
Feel,
And sense in this moment?
And these surroundings?
Embrace this moment with openness and curiosity,
Allowing yourself to be fully present in the here and now.
I invite you to take a moment to express gratitude for yourself and for this practice.
Knowing that by taking this time for mindfulness,
You're nurturing your wellbeing and cultivating inner peace in the present.
You can slowly begin to bring some movement back into the body through gentle stretching or wiggling your fingers or toes.
Opening your eyes when you feel ready.
Thank you for joining me in this mindfulness meditation practice.
As you go about your day,
May you carry with you the peace and presence cultivated during this practice.
Take a moment to honor yourself in your commitment to your self-care.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide.
I am grateful for the path,
The practice,
And most of all,
You,
The community.
Until next time.
