Welcome.
Thank you for choosing to sit with me today.
So I've been thinking a lot about what it is I'm really meant to do in my life.
So I decided to do a meditation and how we can begin to figure out our ultimate purpose in life.
I love the line in Mary Oliver's poem,
The Summer Day,
Where she ends it with,
Tell me,
What is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
My one wild and precious life.
That seems like such a big question,
Which I'm not prepared to answer right now.
So instead,
I'm approaching everything,
Every experience,
Every person,
Every obstacle,
Every moment with curiosity and just seeing what comes next.
Have you noticed yourself getting more curious about what feeds your energy?
What activities,
People and experiences light you up and make you feel most alive?
For me,
I'm learning that connecting with myself and others on a deeper level is what really nourishes my energy.
That approaching life as an exciting adventure each day is what lights me up.
And that befriending myself on a spiritual path is what will help me get a little bit closer to some answers.
As Paulo Coelho says in his book,
The Alchemist,
Wherever your heart is,
That is where you'll find your treasure.
When we turn inward in meditation,
We can begin to connect with our hearts and start to uncover those things that really matter to us,
Those things that truly nourish our being.
So let's settle in,
Begin connecting with ourselves with an open mind and some curiosity and see what arises.
Find a comfortable position if you haven't already done so and gently close your eyes if that feels good to you.
Take a few conscious breaths and notice where you feel the breath most,
Maybe at the nostrils,
In your chest,
In your abdomen,
Or throughout your whole body.
Now rest your attention lightly in just one area where you feel your breath most prominently.
Really get curious about how it feels as you inhale and exhale.
Is there a coolness or warmth or maybe you alternate between the two,
Between your inhale and exhale?
Are your breath shallow or deep?
Know that there is no wrong way to check in with your breath.
Just notice how it feels with each inhale and exhale.
You may also notice that between each inhale and exhale there's a pause.
What does that pause feel like to you?
Now see if you can feel the whole cycle of breathing from beginning to end.
Do you notice a rising of the breath on the inhale,
Moving from your belly to your chest and then up into your head?
Then you pause for a moment and begin to release the breath on your exhale,
Feeling it move back down your body,
Ending in your belly.
Let's try and follow that movement of breath for a few cycles now.
As you relax more deeply with each breath cycle,
Do you notice yourself becoming more in tune with everything that surrounds you?
Maybe you're more in tune with the sounds in the room or the temperature of the room.
There's no need to label anything.
Just take note and see how these sensations register in your body.
Are there many different sounds?
Maybe there's some near and some faint and far away.
Let all the sounds pass through your awareness,
Noting them and then allowing them to fall into the background of your awareness.
Do you feel an overall warmth or coolness to the room?
And how does your clothing feel resting against your body?
Choose a specific part of your body and really investigate how it is supported and surrounded by space.
Are there any sensations in your body that stand out more than others?
Maybe the contact of your body against your seat or your hands resting in your lap.
Investigate one of these sensations more deeply from the inside out.
The more curious you get with the sensation,
The more you might be able to feel an aliveness or a vibration or tingling or an energy coursing throughout your body.
As you pay more attention to all the different sensations that surround you,
Do you notice that as you get curious during meditation,
As you focus your attention on your breath or a sensation in your body,
You are able to come back to the present moment more easily.
You'll probably find yourself distracted or lost in thought over and over,
But you're also able to gently bring yourself back to the present moment again and again.
This mindfulness practice is something that you can do throughout your day.
When you're anxious,
When you're feeling overwhelmed,
When you're in need of a break,
You can pause,
Check in with your breath,
The sounds around you or a sensation in your body.
You can step back and begin to ground yourself by bringing yourself back to the present moment at any time.
And when you take this type of curiosity into your daily life,
You can also begin to uncover what really feeds your energy and more easily connect with yourself on a deeper level.
I'm so honored to be able to sit with you today.
I hope that this meditation will help you when you're struggling,
When you just need a break,
And will also remind you to practice curiosity and how it can make life a little easier and also a little more fun.
May the rest of your day be filled with curiosity,
Fulfillment,
And joy.
I hope to sit with you again soon.
Take care.
