Namaste and welcome everyone.
Today's practice is dedicated to something very universal,
Something we all carry within us in different forms.
The energy of a mother.
A mother is not only a person,
She's an experience of love.
She is the first home we ever know,
The first sense of safety,
The first connection to life itself.
And in many ways,
No matter how life unfolds,
We continue searching for that feeling again.
To be held,
To be seen and to be nurtured without conditions.
So today,
We are not just remembering mothers,
We are connecting to the essence of mothering energy.
And this includes your own mother,
Those who have cared for you and also the mother within you.
The part of you that gives,
Nurtures and holds others.
This meditation is a space to soften the heart.
When we slow down and connect to gratitude,
The mind begins to settle.
Now,
Gently find a comfortable seat and let your spine be naturally upright.
Not rigid,
Just supported.
Let your shoulders relax and your eyes softly closed.
Take a slow breath in through the nose and a long breath out through the nose.
Again,
Inhale gently,
Exhale softly.
Feel yourself arriving here,
Not in your roles,
Not in your responsibilities,
Just here as you are.
And let your breath guide you inward.
And now bring awareness to your breath,
No effort,
Just noticing.
Inhale slowly and exhale gently.
With every in-breath,
Feel life entering you and with every out-breath,
Feel yourself letting go.
Now,
Slowly bring awareness to your body.
Soften your forehead,
Relax the eyes,
Unclench the jaw,
Drop your shoulders,
Soften the chest,
Relax the belly and let your whole body feel supported as if the earth itself is holding you.
There is nothing you need to carry right now,
Just this moment,
Just this breath and just this stillness.
Now,
Gently bring to your heart the feeling or image of a mother.
It may be your own mother,
A grandmother or a caregiver or simply the feeling of being loved.
Do not analyze it,
Just feel.
A mother is presence.
She is warmth that doesn't ask for anything in return.
She is silence that understands.
She is strength that continues even when tired.
And in this moment,
Softly bring one hand to your heart and say silently,
Thank you.
Now,
Bring awareness to yourself,
The one who always gives so much and place both hands over your heart and gently repeat inside,
I honor the love I give.
I honor the care I carry.
I honor myself.
Now,
Imagine soft golden light above your head,
Warm,
Nurturing and peaceful.
This is the energy of unconditional love.
Slowly,
It begins to flow down into your head.
Calming thoughts,
Into your throat,
Releasing tension,
Into your heart,
Softening everything held inside,
Into your belly,
Relaxing deeply and now your entire body is bathed in this light.
You're not doing anything,
Only receiving.
Let yourself be held completely,
Like a child resting safely in arms of love.
And silently repeat,
I am safe.
I am held.
I am loved.
And stay here for a few breaths.
Begin to gently return to your breath.
Notice your body sitting here,
The ground beneath you,
The space around you and the softness within you.
Take a slow breath in and a long breath out and let this feeling stay with you.
Now,
Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes and when you're ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Take a moment before moving and we close.
And as we close,
Remember this.
A mother is love in action.
A mother is patience in silence.
A mother is strength wrapped in softness.
And today,
We honor all mothers but also the mother that lives within you.
The one who continues to give and the one who is now learning to receive.
May you carry this softness into your day.
Namaste.
