Find a position you will be comfortable in for the next 10 minutes.
It may be laying down on your back or seated in a chair or on the floor.
Once you have chosen your posture for this meditation practice,
Lengthen your spine and allow your body to start to relax.
The practice begins by arriving and centering.
To arrive,
Simply become aware of your body.
Feel into it and soften anywhere you may be holding tension.
Relax all the muscles in your face.
Unclench your jaw.
Allow your teeth to part slightly and your tongue to rest on the roof of your mouth.
Allow your eyes to close softly.
Feel yourself really arriving in your body.
Now to center your energy.
You commit yourself to your practice today.
Commit yourself to stay still unless your position feels risky in your joints.
Then gently move to more comfort.
Now remind yourself of the value of this practice today.
Repeat to yourself in your mind,
I now draw my attention inwards to be aware of my body and my mind in the here and now as it has immeasurable value in my life and for all beings.
I feel it is possible for me to be in this time now regardless of conditions and inclusive of all circumstances.
Now start to become aware of your natural breath.
Allow your breath to flow as it is.
There is no need to change it.
Just pay attention to where you feel it moving into and out of.
Notice the breath at your nostrils.
Feel the breath move down your torso and feel your abdomen gently rise and fall.
The breath is such a great anchor for the mind to focus in on and it is the connector between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Now be aware that the mind can wander off at times.
It's normal.
It may be stories from the past,
Plans for the future or commenting on the present.
We can become aware of distractions that come into the mind but then allow them to let go.
Becoming aware of where your mind goes and then letting the distractions go is what strengthens your concentration.
To bring your awareness back if you notice you're drifting off or getting distracted just gently repeat this to yourself.
Say as you inhale,
Inhaling I am here and now.
And as you exhale,
Exhaling I'm releasing resistance.
Inhaling I am here and now.
Exhaling I am releasing resistance.
Now as you feel that breath continually moving through you start to visualize taking in energy.
Visualize your breath as pure energy coming into the cells of your body,
Oxygenating the cells.
See it as the fuel that drives the cellular process that creates energy in your body.
And then on each exhale visualize letting go of fatigue,
Dullness or anything that weighs you down mentally or physically.
Remember rather than trying to deepen or control the breath,
You're just watching the natural breath.
It isn't a breathing exercise.
With each inhale you're visualizing energy coming in and you may see that as a certain color.
Visualizing that color as a light that flows in,
Moves through your body to invigorate you.
As you exhale and you're letting go of anything that weighs you down you might visualize that as a color releasing,
Letting go,
Maybe seeing that as sort of smokey gray color or whatever comes to you.
So breathing in pure energy.
Breathing out,
Letting go of anything that needs releasing.
I'll just leave you with that practice for a few minutes.
Breathing pure energy in.
The chi,
The life force that flows through you.
Breathing out to let go.
Now it is time to start to gently come out of your meditation.
Continue to feel your breath flowing.
Feel each breath that comes in,
Continues to bring in more fresh new energy for your day ahead.
Your exhale breath helps to keep you in this calm state of mind.
So you have this beautiful balance,
Energy,
Alertness with calmness and relaxation.
Now start to wiggle your fingers and toes a little.
Stretch out your body.
Gently open your eyes and arrive back into your day with fresh energy.
