Let's start by taking a deep inhale in and a full exhale out.
Coming into the space and just finding your position,
Whether it be seated or lying down.
Taking the first few moments to just notice the body and the breath.
If you're feeling overwhelmed,
Know this first.
Nothing has gone wrong.
It's not failure.
It's a signal that something within you is asking for care.
Maybe it's your body telling you to slow down.
Maybe it's the mind,
Mind being cluttered,
Mind being heavy.
Take a moment to arrive into your body,
Bringing the awareness into the sensations,
Bringing awareness into how you're feeling.
Begin with a slow breath in through the nose and a long,
Full exhale out through the mouth.
Again inhaling nice and long and exhale,
Releasing just a little bit of what you've been carrying.
You may notice the mind moving quickly,
Racing with thoughts,
Pulling your attention in many different directions.
Meditation is not a practice to simply quiet the thoughts and have a clear mind.
It's not only that.
It's also a way to become aware,
To notice and just be,
To not judge and to see how we can move forward from here.
Rather than trying to fix something,
Can we observe without judgment?
Can we observe what is and maybe that input will give us something to think about.
So rather than trying to quiet the noise or try too hard to fix anything,
Imagine turning down the volume on the thoughts by one notch.
Maybe meditation isn't a way of silencing the mind,
But just cultivating enough space to breathe,
Cultivating a steady pace for these thoughts to pass through.
Now bring your awareness to your feet or your hands.
Just a simple place in the body,
Feeling the contact,
The temperature,
Any sensations in this body part you are focusing on.
If that part of the body feels tight,
No need to fix,
No need to change,
Just notice.
With each exhale you take,
Allow the body to soften even more and allow the mind to become a little less loud.
Remember that you are allowed to pause,
To take things a little bit slower when it feels like the world is pulling you in so many different directions.
Allow yourself the time and the grace to first slow down,
Cultivate a calm state,
And then it allows you to operate in a grounded,
Centered position.
Remember that even in the moments where overwhelm arises,
That there is a part of you already observing,
Observing the body sensations,
Knowing that you're overwhelmed and perhaps stressed.
Take a deep inhale in and exhale side out.
Allow the breath to release any extra tension you're holding on to.
As you breathe,
See if you can let the body release into whatever is supporting you,
Whether that be the mat or the floor.
As you exhale,
Keep a nice and fluid breath.
Start to wiggle your fingertips or your toes,
Feeling the ground beneath you.
Gently coming back into the room,
Into the space.
And as this practice comes to a close,
Gently open the eyes and carrying the reminder that you can always come back to this breath and this moment of calm whenever you get overwhelmed or stressed or you have racing thoughts in the mind,
There is always space and permission to slow down,
Even if it's just for a little bit of time.
I will leave you here for today,
Thank you so much for listening today and if you feel called to,
I would love it if you could give this a rating and a review.
