Hi there,
My name is Sierra.
Today I'm sharing a new moon meditation with you.
So you can find yourself in any seated position that is comfortable.
Alternatively if sitting down isn't that comfortable for you,
You could also try this laying on your back.
So just take a moment and get yourself into whatever position feels comfortable for you.
So if you're starting seated maybe roll the hips out from underneath you,
Allowing the sit bones to really ground down onto the floor.
Bring your hands to rest comfortably on your knees.
They can be face down or face up towards the sky.
Try both and see which one feels best for you today.
Let's go ahead and loosen up through the elbows and then inhale draw the shoulders up nice and tight towards the ears and then exhale let them relax down your back.
Good,
Sit back on your sitting bones.
Lift up through the chest and then draw the chin down and in.
Close the eyes here if they're not already.
Let's just take a few moments here and begin to relax into the physical body.
So maybe as you start to settle into your seat,
Begin to scan through the body starting at the crown of the head,
Working your way down and noticing if there are any areas where you can release a bit of tension.
Soften across the forehead,
Behind the eyes,
Into the jaw,
Shoulders,
The ribs,
The hips,
Even down into the knees and through the soles of your feet.
Giving ourselves just a few moments to fully arrive into this space.
We spend so much time moving,
Going,
Doing.
Let's just take a few moments to see if we can step into a space of stillness,
Of quiet,
Of release.
Our new moon is all about this softening.
It's all about dreaming.
It's all about resting.
As a new moon it is completely dark in the sky.
We can't actually see it but in that way it is this clean slate energetically and this opportunity for us to step into intentional creation.
As you settle into the physical body,
Beginning to move your awareness into the breath here.
So just noticing here at first wherever your breath meets you today.
Before we try to change or manipulate anything at all,
Just give yourself space to meet yourself exactly where you are.
Just notice the breath.
Notice how it flows naturally and without any effort.
Allow it to be easy.
And then as you begin to deepen your awareness on your breath,
Maybe you start to notice the inhales and the exhales gently lengthen.
Your inhales start to draw deeper down all the way into the base of the belly and maybe your exhales lengthen for a beat or two.
Beginning to root ourselves in this awareness,
In this rhythm of our breath.
Now from here we're going to intentionally lengthen our exhales.
This helps to stimulate relaxation and restfulness in the body and also helps to calm the nervous system and bring us to a fuller sense of stillness and peace.
So let's take a deep inhale completely together and exhale let it go.
Now this time let's inhale for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Keep going four and six.
Keep going at your own pace here,
Gently lengthening your exhales.
Finish one more round here.
Coming back to your neutral breath whenever you're finished.
Take a moment just to pause and observe if you feel any effects at all from the breathing exercise.
If not it's also okay.
We're just rooting ourselves deeper in that seat of the listener,
Of the observer here.
From this place of observation we turn our awareness to our thoughts and our minds.
Oftentimes even really experienced meditators will have these sort of flash of random thoughts that come through the practice.
It's never that these thoughts are the enemy or meant to be avoided.
Rather oftentimes they can be sort of the gateway into that spaciousness that we all crave from our meditation.
So as you sit here still observing the breath begin to just observe whatever thoughts come to you.
Then as they do take a moment just to label them,
To identify them as thinking.
Oh I'm thinking,
That's what that is.
And then as you identify the thoughts more often than not they dissipate.
If you ever lose your way just come back to that rhythm of the breath.
Inhales and exhales.
Let's guide our awareness gently from the mind down into the heart.
Honoring this inspirational time of our new moon and still listening in to the heart here.
First just taking a moment to experience this feelings or sensations that are happening around the heart space today.
And from that place of gentle presence asking ourselves,
Asking our hearts what they truly want.
Listening in to your innermost desires,
Your wildest dreams,
Your grand visions.
And leaning into this expansive and limitless space of possibility that is our new moon,
That is our universe.
Ask your heart here today,
What do I want?
And listen.
Allow yourself to feel whatever emotional or physical responses come up.
Maybe a gentle smile plays across the lips.
Or maybe there's a deeper sense of longing,
Sense of desire,
A sense of lack.
Just allow yourself to feel any and everything that comes up here.
There is no good or bad,
There is no right or wrong here.
There just is what is and what exists inside your heart and we're honoring all of that here today.
Now with your heart's desires we're going to create a new moon mantra for ourselves.
So taking your heart's desires and turning them into an affirmative action statement that reflects the now.
So often mantras are I release,
It could be I create,
I call in,
I invite,
I am.
So allow whatever comes to be the right answer here,
No need to search for perfect words.
Just allow your mantra to take shape here,
Honoring your new moon intentions and your deepest heart's desires here.
Taking a few moments just to recite your mantra internally to yourself.
Notice the reactions,
The responses of your body.
Taking one more breath here and exhale planting that mantra deep in the base of your heart like a seed of intention that we will water and care for as our moon phase continues into waxing,
Eventually ripening into a beautiful full moon and then returning back through new moon in this eternal living cycle.
Guiding the hands up to the heart you can place the palms directly against the chest here connecting to that heart space.
Draw the chin down and in towards your palms bowing into your heart,
Your inner teacher.
It's taking one final moment to honor everything that we've tapped into within ourselves today.
Honoring the beauty and the majesty of these universal cycles and giving a sense of gratitude to our ability to connect more deeply to the world and to ourselves through these cycles.
Let's take one more full breath in,
Sigh it out,
Let it go.
Softly release the hands down to your lap and gently open up your eyes.
Beautiful.
Happy new moon.
Thank you so much for your practice.
