Hello and welcome everyone to your guided meditation practice.
My name is Maddie and I will be leading you through this water themed meditation today.
I'm so glad that you can join me.
To begin,
Come to a comfortable seat.
You can sit cross legged on your heels.
However you feel called to begin your practice,
Your meditation,
Allow yourself to make your way there and settle comfortably.
Carefully close your eyes and bring your thumb and pinky finger to touch.
Rest your hands on your thighs,
Your palms are facing the sky like you're ready to receive.
Turn your attention to your breath.
Without changing anything about your breath,
Just take a moment to observe where is your breath coming from?
Where is it going?
Notice the temperature of the air,
The length of your inhales and your exhales.
Inhale long and deep through your nose and exhale out your mouth to cleanse.
One more time,
Inhale through your nose and exhale out your mouth.
We're going to engage Ujjayi Pranayama here or ocean breath.
So on your next natural inhale,
Take your breath to the back of your throat until you feel a gentle engagement there.
Exhale in reverse,
Back out through your nose and pretend like you're fogging up a mirror or some glass right in front of you so your out breath is audible.
Inhale again,
Take that in breath to the back of your throat and exhale in reverse out through your nose.
Pretend like you're fogging up a mirror or some glass.
I invite you to set this rhythmic movement of breath as the foundation of your meditation.
And so if you catch your mind wandering off,
That's okay.
You can always bring it back to your breath to return to the present moment here and now.
Go ahead and take one more round at your own time,
Your own pace.
Inhale take that breath to the back of your throat.
And exhale out your nose,
Pretend like you're fogging up a mirror or some glass.
Bring your attention to your third eye,
The space in between your eyebrows.
In this space,
Visualize yourself sitting on a beach shore by the ocean,
Fast and clear.
Imagine the sun shining on your face and the misty ocean water on your skin.
I invite you here to consider the qualities of water.
Water is cool.
Water is soft.
Water is flowing.
Water is adaptable.
It's malleable.
Water is gentle yet so strong.
Water is versatile.
Water is necessary and fundamental.
Just allow yourself to sit with these qualities flowing in and out of your consciousness.
Bring your attention back to your breath,
Back to Ujjayi Pranayama,
Ocean breath.
Inhale through your nose,
Take that breath to the back of your throat.
And exhale in reverse out your nose,
Pretend like you're fogging up a mirror or some glass in front of you,
Your out breath is audible.
As you inhale,
Picture the tide receding.
Taking with it anything that is weighing you down,
That isn't serving you,
That may be holding you back.
Picture it being washed away with that ocean tide.
And as the tide returns to shore,
And as you exhale,
Picture it washing over you and bringing with it the qualities of water that you may need right now.
Feeling sensation,
Softness,
Willingness to flow,
Malleability,
Adaptability,
Capability of being both soft and gentle like a stream and at the same time carrying power with all the strength of a waterfall.
Inhale the tide recedes leaving you just a little bit lighter.
Exhale back out your nose and the tide returns to shore,
Washing over you with the qualities of water that you may need right now.
Begin to invite these qualities in one by one with each exhale you take.
And with each inhale you take your left just a little bit lighter,
The tide taking with it anything that is holding you back and weighing you down,
Picture it being washed away.
And exhale the qualities of water that you may need right now,
Wash over you,
Bringing you strength,
Softness,
Cooling sensation,
Whatever it is that you need.
Go ahead and take a few more rounds of this slow and deliberate breath at your own time and your own pace.
Said.
From wherever you are,
I invite you to return to that beach shore by the ocean in your mind,
The warm sun shining on your face,
And the cool mist of ocean water grazing your skin.
Take comfort in knowing that you can always access and connect with the qualities of water in this way by returning to this place in your mind by the water.
These qualities are always available to you.
These qualities are you.
Repeat after me.
Like water,
I am soft and adaptable.
I am capable of flowing in whatever direction I am meant to go and I trust my path.
Within me,
I hold the gentleness of the stream and all the strength of the waterfall.
Like water,
I am fundamental and I am necessary.
Like water,
I am fundamental and I am necessary.
Slowly and gently open your eyes.
Bring your palms together to your heart center.
Take one more deep breath here.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
I'll see you next time.
