Welcome,
I'm Maggie.
I'm honored to guide you through this moment of mindfulness.
Let's bring gentle awareness to the present.
In the background,
You'll hear the sacred sound of OM being chanted.
There will be no bell at the end of this meditation,
So if you drift off to sleep,
Know that your unconscious mind will still be absorbing all of the positive cues.
This session will help you cultivate mindfulness,
Enhancing your ability to ground and to be fully present in your life.
Let's begin by breathing deeply in through your nose,
Feeling the cool air,
And exhaling through your mouth.
Notice the difference in temperature to the warm air.
Repeat this for a few moments,
Focusing on the rhythm of your breath and the changes in temperature of the air.
Now bring your attention to the sensations of your breath.
Feel the air as it enters your nose,
As it travels down into your lungs and then flows back out.
Notice the rise and fall of your chest.
Notice the way your belly expands and then contracts with each breath.
Gently expand your awareness to include your entire body.
First,
Begin with the feeling of the weight of your body,
Feeling the support beneath you,
The temperature of the air on your skin,
And the warmth of your skin.
If your mind starts to wander,
That's okay.
Simply acknowledge the thought and gently bring your focus back to your breath.
Take this opportunity to observe your surroundings,
What you can hear,
What you can feel,
What you can sense.
Without any judgment or the need to change anything,
Allow yourself to fully experience this moment.
Repeat silently to yourself,
I am here.
I am now.
I am present.
If you struggle,
Take your thumb and pointer fingers and gently tap them together in rhythm.
I am here.
I am now.
I am present.
That's a good practice exercise for you to take with you if you find yourself needing to ground in any location.
Now relax your hands.
Come with me into the forest next to an old Buddhist temple.
There's a pond.
The surface is very still and reflects the sky above.
As thoughts come to you,
Picture them as leaves landing on the water,
And then watch them gently float away without any attachment or judgment.
Each time a thought comes to you,
Picture it as a leaf landing on the water.
Then watch the thought float away again without any attachment or judgment.
Now focus on the stillness within you.
Picture inside of you a calm reservoir that mirrors the pond.
With each breath,
Deepen your awareness of your own inner tranquility.
Behind your thoughts is you.
You are not your thoughts.
You are only the observer of your thoughts.
You yourself are steady and unshaken.
Now,
Spend time now acknowledging the sensations of your body,
The natural flow of energy within you,
And the constant steady reassuring rhythm of your breath.
Let these sensations anchor you in this moment,
Free from any distractions or worry.
Take your pointer finger and place it on your opposite wrist of either hand,
Just below where your thumb joins your wrist.
Spend a few moments and find your pulse.
Let the feeling of your own pulse bring you a sense of grounding.
Again,
Another very small technique but can be very helpful if you need to bring yourself to the present moment out and about in your day.
Relax your hands.
Take your dominant hand and place it gently on your heart and say,
I am present.
I am calm.
I am present.
I am calm.
I am whole.
Carry this awareness with you into the rest of your day,
Grounding yourself whenever needed by returning to your breath.
Or perhaps if you're out and about and need to ground yourself quietly,
Quietly,
You can use one of those two easy techniques I demonstrated for you in this meditation.
If you have fallen asleep,
Rest well,
Dearest one.
